A woman I know was murdered
Print Friendly Version| From Where I Stand by Joan Chittister, OSB | December 21, 2006 |
| Vol. 4, No. 29 |
A woman I know was murdered in September, a fact which in itself is bad enough. But this woman was not the victim of a random shooting or a back alley mugging or a rape or even of the far too common problem of domestic violence.
No, this woman was murdered because she was doing what women are not allowed to do.
I met Safia Amajan, an Afghan women, in Geneva in 2002. We were in Switzerland as delegates to the first assembly of "The Women's Global Peace Initiative." This U.N. partnership organization emerged out of Kofi Annan's "Summit of Spiritual Leaders" in 2000 was a millennium event that called for the inclusion of women in world affairs.
I have her picture in my photo album. There we are arm-in-arm, smiling into the lens of history at this life-changing moment when the appearance of women as a class on the world stage would finally broaden the world agenda, would at long last raise the concerns of the other half of the human race to the level of the real, to the level of the significant.
Safia, the Minister of Women's Affairs in the province of Kandahar, was shot in the back seat of a taxi on the way to her office. Her most significant work was opening six schools for girls -- in defiance of custom, despite opposition. (Read more.)
After a series of death threats she had asked for protection but never got it. Instead, two motorcyclists ambushed her taxi, shot at her through the car window and sped away. Being a woman who advocates for women's issues is clearly a dangerous, if not suicidal, thing to do. At best, some would say, it is a very unwise, unacceptable -- even immoral -- thing to do.
They say that maybe now, another woman dead, women will learn not to go where women must not go, will learn not to do what women have no right doing.
After all, the history of women, like the history of oppressed peoples everywhere, is clear: Just tell them no and they'll go away, right? Just ignore them and they'll disappear, right? Just tell them what to do and they'll get back in line.
Well, maybe. Then again, maybe not. Not if the world is going in the other direction, as it now seems it well may be. Science no longer argues for the inferiority of women, for instance. Anthropology and history take note of their early status. Medical research now studies women as women rather than simply as subsets of men. Statisticians count them as separate human beings now. And pollsters even include them in their surveys.
Anyway, whose world is it? Now, that is the fundamental question.
After all, women are the majority race. If God doesn't like girls, S/he certainly made a lot of them. And they're beginning to figure it out.
In fact, when I heard about Safia's death, I figured I ought to tell somebody about the meeting I never thought I'd attend so whoever killed her could get prepared for what's coming.
The Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equity 2006, or WISE, met in New York City in November. Organized by the American Society for Muslim Advancement, it brought together more than 100 Muslim women -- some of them in headscarves, many not -- from 26 countries, from Afghanistan to the United States.
And they all had credentials and bios that read like the yellow pages of an international telephone book: They were physicians and teachers, writers and communication professionals, political scientists and specialists in the Qur'an, sociologists of religion and Arabic scholars, human rights activists and lawyers, artists and poets.
They are, in other words, highly educated and deeply involved in both religious and social issues, both local and global.
Most of all, they are committed to the development of the role of women in Islam. This was a meeting of Muslim feminists. Actually, it was a meeting of Muslim women leaders.
What were they doing in New York? They were organizing an international network of Muslim women for the sake of changing the world.
They talked about the difference between sharia law and the Qu'ran in much the same way that Western feminists talk about the difference between canon law and the Gospel.
They called for the recognition of women imams or prayer leaders and the ordination of "10 muftia in 10 years."
They discussed the organization of a women's shura, an advisory council of women that would interpret Islamic law for the religious leaders of a region.
They created a global fund for women designed to prepare women in Islamic jurisprudence in order to eliminate discrimination against women based on sexist interpretations of religious law.
In fact, they sounded a lot like us.
These are the women the West thinks do not exist.
I don't know who murdered Safia but I do know that they wasted their time. There are thousands of other women just like her out there. And they will not be denied either the fullness of their humanity or the integrity of their religion. This is the spirit no amount of killing can kill.
According to The Independent," Fariba Ahmedi, a female member of parliament who attended the burial, said: "Those enemies who have killed her should know it will not derail women from the path we are on. We will continue on our way."
From where I stand, those people who think that feminism is a Western fad which will either eventually go away or can simply be ignored, need to listen again. The roar we hear behind us is the sound of the whole wave of women around the globe for whom the Will of God means a great deal more to them than the historical suppression of women done in its name.
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Sounds here as if the
Sounds here as if the recommendation of groups should be political as opposed to spiritual. In that case, what place have they in the Catholic Church? If your pursuits were spiritual, the home would be correct. Don't make the Church a political organization.
How can you read about the
How can you read about the death of this brave woman who was trying to open schools for little girls and speak so callously, Spiritfed? You do not understand Justice; you do not understand Courage; you do NOT understand the Gospel! The Pharisees talked as you talk; but you don't get it. Someday I hope you will meet Jesus, (I hope we all will) and maybe He will take the time to explain it to you.
How condescending you are,
How condescending you are, Shootingstar.
(I guess now that I am found out, I will have to rend my robes.)
I don't really recall commenting on the death. However, I have not used the death like Chittister to push my politics.
The Church became a
The Church became a political organization a long time ago and continues as one to this day. I for one don't appreciate having my priest stand on the altar during Mass and read a letter from the Bishop telling us how to vote, on stem cell research, gay marriage or any other topic... priests should not be forced to do that. At my old church they even had an American flag standing on the altar! Sorry, that's not right. I don't worship a flag.
Do you want to hear about
Do you want to hear about what your morality should be from the pulpit? Seems from your words -- NO. Now that we've established the Church has no right to disagree with your politics or teach and instruct you according to morality ---
I dare say many here have certainly USED the Church to carry their case that the Iraq War was wrong. Didn't hear any dissent on that one. That one, if I'm not wrong, is more purely politically derived.
I guess you didn't read my
I guess you didn't read my reply... anyway, Pax Christi members, and members of other Catholic organizations, do all of their speaking and demonstrating far away from the altar, not on it, and not during Mass.
And soon-to-be-sainted John Paul II himself issued an encyclical saying the Iraq War was wrong. (A lot of Catholics have conveniently forgotten that fact). As pontiff, he had every right, and even the responsibility, to do that. But that's a far cry from forcing every local priest to read a "helpful" letter from the bishop on local ballot issues two days before voting day.
Pat, there is no such
Pat, there is no such encyclical. John Paul II stated his opinion and encouraged against the undertaking of the war.
JT So you would counsel
JT
So you would counsel silence on moral issues?
The Bishop can't be in every parish simultaneously. It his duty to shepherd the faithful. His mandate is to guide, especially when there's a lot of confusion, deliberately sewed by some, within the congregations, taking advantage of poor catechesis and the lure of popular culture. If the Bishop's letter only told you to vote Republican, or, vote Democrat, that would be wrong. If his letter clarifies Catholic teaching on these issues under current public debate, then, he is only fulfilling his pastoral duty to instruct his flock. You may still vote as you wish, but you can't claim that you weren't warned of the consequences.
"deliberately sewed by
"deliberately sewed by some"??? I think not. Are there a lot of women, running all over parishes, "sewing" confusing sayings onto pillows and embroidery and hanging them up, "sew" that poor parishioners will be "confused"? Oh my! How dumb we all are! How much we need the BISHOP to straighten us all out! Especially since we can't even tell the difference between words like "sew" and "sow"!
JT Okay, I lose a point for
JT
Okay, I lose a point for spelling.
I doubt anyone is
I doubt anyone is deliberately sowing confusion in congregations... These are complex issues, I understand that, but they are debated in the news constantly. And certainly priests are supposed to speak about moral issues, including the family, marriage, peace, etc. but when it's two days before voting day I don't want or need to have the Bishop's "suggestions" on how to vote on any issue thrown at me in church. That's not too subtle.
W.Spencer Sr. Joan, what
W.Spencer
Sr. Joan, what specifically can I and other men do to help this movement?
May God bless and hold Safia
May God bless and hold Safia in the very center of God's own Compassionate Heart. May God uphold you, Joan, and care for you in your grief and give you continued strength in your witness.
I offer these two adapted prayers from The Book of Common Prayer. I shall be offering these for Safia and for you during this holy season.
For Social Justice
Grant, O God, that your holy and life giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
and
For those who suffer for the sake of Conscience
O God our Mother and Creator, whose Son forgave his enemies while he
was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. Amen.
For the sake of women like Safia and Joan let none of us become afraid of our conscience or timid in our voice. Let us allow our hearts to be moved continually toward God's own expanse of compassion and not only our anger to be enflamed. Let us be witnesses to false and malicious accusation without admitting bitterness into our spirit. Let us, for God's sake, continue to live in hope and the absolute confidence that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God; not our grief; not our anger; not our rage against such horrible injustice. As we approach the holy day of Christ's Incarnation let us honor the sanctity of women's flesh and keep ourselves mindful of the precious gift of all women who strive to live into the fullness of God's abundant gift of life.
Thank you again, Joan, for your strong voice and open heart.
The Rev. Dr. E. McCoy
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near." (Phil 4:4-5)
Speaking of global
Speaking of global initiatives, here’s one to save the Planet from global warming:
Help Al Gore Send a Message to Congress. Al Gore is ready to build on the success of "An Inconvenient Truth" and start organizing to solve the climate crisis. He's working to get hundreds of thousands of messages to Congress demanding real action to stop global warming. And he's asking for our help.
Can you help out by signing the petition at the link below? If you do, Al Gore will personally deliver our comments to Congress. I just did it myself and it only takes a second. (You will have to paste the link to your browser.)
http://pol.moveon.org/climatecrisis/
Thanks!
Al Gore proclaimed in the
Al Gore proclaimed in the early 90s that we were 10 years from destruction of our planet related to auto pollution. We are more than 10 years removed from that date and have neither suffered the calamity nor are on the verge of it. More so, as VP during this time period, Gore in no way sponsored any environmental movement through his and Clinton's administration to avoid the devastation he predicted. His record regarding the environment was so abysmal to the green left that it was Nader who was the green candidate for the presidency in 2000.
"An Inconvenient Truth" bears no greater Gore dedication than politics. My suggested reading is "Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1500 Years" by Avery and Singer. The case of "An Inconvenient Truth" is undermined by premier scientists in this field of study.
This appeal, though valid,
This appeal, though valid, is out of place in this topic
Violet, If you will go to
Violet,
If you will go to your own account and click on it, that will lead you to a place called "Track". Click on "Track" and you will find topics devoted to the ecology, one of which is fairly recent. That is where your petition belongs. Best of luck, Star
Sr. Joan is a beacon shining
Sr. Joan is a beacon shining in the dullness of the patriarchal hierarchy of the church and the world. Sister, may S/he keep you safe and well, and may your courgage never dim. The world needs you and those of us whom you encourage.
Sister Joan continues to
Sister Joan continues to bring light to the weary women of the world and provides insight for the blind of heart. She routs out what is false and unsettles the self righteous conscience. How helpless and fragile are those who cannot yet understand her words or see the clarity and integrity of her challenge, because her words likely burden their hearts and confuses their thoughts. For them I pray peace and understanding so that her challenge to all religions to seek justice, especially for women, may not be erroneously blasphemed, and so that the life and death of Safia Amajan may be an ointment with Christ's for our salvation.
jayne
Carolyne Ashton King George,
Carolyne Ashton
King George, VA
Dear Sister Joan,
My sympathies on the loss of your friend. This is a loss for all women in the world. I am involved in international peace work and have had a similar experience. We, in the West, must continue to make the case for women elsewhere who are victims of the misogonistic beliefs and actions of some groups. As long as things like this are happening, we in the "free world" are not really free.
I am so grateful for your work and your writing. I regularly share it with others.
I wish you peace during this beautiful Christmas season. Keep up the good work.
Warm regards,
Carolyne
Surely this tragedy compells
Surely this tragedy compells women to stand up for their rights everywhere, but particularly within the Catholic church!
I would love to see a 'conglomeration' of women in St Peter's Square, Vatican City demanding that there God-given talents, and rights be acknowledged by the Curia and by the 'Vatican'!
Then will women like Safia Amajan, and the Catholic women martyrs of El salvador and elswhere, not have died in vain!
Huh? Yes, we can't have the
Huh? Yes, we can't have the Curia and Vatican assassinating women. They are? How are these two ideas related? Malcolmr, your line of reasoning is abominable. And extremely disrespectful to the Catholic Church. This is what Chittister inspires?
Here's hoping they allow the
Here's hoping they allow the men who support them to participate.
I attended a Catholic
I attended a Catholic feminist group with my wife years ago. We only attended a couple meetings because the whole focus was on what they could not be -- priests. Only on the negative and depressing (I find a lot of that here, too). My wife, like I, concluded that the effort was worthless to be part of the group. If we must be priests to carry out the will of God, we indeed are severely limited. And we are not living our hope as God has given it to us. The vast majority of what is desired is already there. To live recognizing only limits is a shame. Of course that's a lesson not only women need to learn. It applies to all. Since it is the Christmas season, are we to only lament not receiving a gift desired and not appreciate those that were?
How wonderful that you even
How wonderful that you even went to a Catholic feminist group and that you went with your wife. That shows an admirable openness to ideas. It didn't suit you, so you left. A perfectly reasonable exercise of discernment. I agree about living only recognizing limits. I'm much more of a possibility person myself.
Women who have been called to priesthood have been given a gift. They must find a way to celebrate it.
Frannie, it didn't befit
Frannie, it didn't befit them. It was all about gripe what is not. There are ways to take action in life even when there are obstacles. There is still fulness of life to embrace. My wife didn't want to go back after two or three times. She found that they only depressed her. As we talked about it, she agreed with me -- move on to what you can do. Often the future will take care of itself. Perhaps one day there will be women priests, perhaps not. I will accept what is. I dispute whether any women have to date been called to the priesthood. If they were, I think God would have called to the Pope first to make the change, or at least confirm to him that the call should be accommodated.
Gee, if we had accepted that
Gee, if we had accepted that line of reasoning in the early 1770's, we might still be Subjects of the United Kingdom...maybe at this point that wouldn't seem so bad, but I think Great Britian might have missed us during The Blitz...
Shootingstar, now you
Shootingstar, now you believe the US should not have the right to its own nation. Funny, but you entitled Saddam to one. You hold some strange measures.
I love your phrase:move on
I love your phrase:move on to do what you can do. The discernment of the call is not mine to make. But I agree wholeheartedly that bleating doesn't help. We have to move and do and watch the future unfold.
Now the Mormon prophet does
Now the Mormon prophet does say that God tells him what's what first, but that's really not a papal claim at all. What church are we in here?
This claim of first knowledge is not part of any dogma on infallibility either. In fact, the opposite claim is made...that for something to be declared infallible, it is embedded in tradition, not prophecy. If you look at our history, strange and interesting as it is, God doesn't seem to be telling us that the Pope will be advised first of proper calls!
Sister Joan is a leading
Sister Joan is a leading figure within the Catholic Church who is indefatigable in her efforts to transform the ego consciousness in the church to the realization of the living Christ Consciousness---LOVE FOR THE ALL. I applaud her.
This Christ Consciousness forever and ever seeks to know the Truth, seeks to create Beauty, seeks to love Goodness and seeks to be wise about the Will of God. The Will of God is the CONSCIOUSNESS OF TRUTH, BEAUTY AND GOODNESS FOR THE ALL. It is perfect and pure Goodness. That which is perfect and pure is whole and full. The Christ Consciousness embraces and empowers the All. The ego consciousness seeks to limit, separate, exclude and divide based upon its "superior" consciousness. The historical patricentric beliefs in an anthropomorphic God are, in clinical terms, benevolent narcissism because it is the lower level consciousness which seeks to establish its "superiority" over "other" where "other" is "woman", "minority", "poor" and unprivileged. Jesus came into the world as a man. He awakened and became Divine when he become ONE WITH GOD which is to say that he awakened to GOODWILL TOWARD THE ALL, A SHINING CONSCIOUSNESS THAT ONLY WILLS WHAT IS THE HIGHEST GOODNESS FOR ALL. THIS IS THE CHRIST CONSCIOUSNESS. In its essence, without all the dogma and doctrine of formal religion, it is the same as the Buddha Consciousness and the Gandhi Consciousness and the consciousness of Mohammed. All religions have some truth and some error. Each religion is but one expression, through its rituals, of the same GOD. God is not a man. GOD IS A CONSCIOUSNESS OF LOVE TOWARD THE ALL. This is the only consciousness that is the salvation of the world because it is the only consciousness that unifies, instead of segregates and excludes. Virtually all of masculine leadership today is of the ego consciousness because it seeks to divide, separate and set itself up as "superior" to "other". This is not of God. God cannot be limited or partial, therefore, the Consciousness of God, as was the Consciousness of the Christ, can only see Oneness everywhere, what the Advaitins refer to as ekatvam anupasyatah, one who sees oneness everywhere. This is the consciousness of all sages, saints, avatars and mystics throughout the ages. It is the Enlightened One or Awakened One of the Buddha who saw oneness everywhere in spite of the "many" of the world. It is the plenary consciousness, the saccidananda (Being, Blissful Consciousness) of saguna and nirguna Brahman in Advaita Vedanta. It is the absolute consciousness of Kether and, ultimately, of Ein Sof, in the Kabbalah. It is the pleroma, or fullness, of consciousness of the Godhead in Christian Gnosticism. It is the effulgent, blissful splendor of the "vision of God" as understood by St. Bernard of Clairveaux, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Franciss of Assissi and St. Teresa of Lisieux. All roads, all paths, all religions are merely the map, but it is THE CONSCIOUSNESS that is the destination of humankind. This consciousness is the merging of the masculine/feminine, the anima/animus, the yin/yang, Binah/Chokmah. It is the consciousness which will unfold as a result of the feminine consciousness of Love (Eros) and Wisdom (Sophia) and is symbolically best represented within the Christian religion as the Virgin Mary (symbolic of perfect LOVE AND WISDOM) GIVING BIRTH TO THE CHRIST CONSCIOUSNESS WHICH IS ONLY ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THE BIRTH OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF MASCULINE/FEMIINE BALANCE---THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF KNOWLEDGE, CREATIVITY, LOVE AND WISDOM OF TRUTH, BEAUTY AND GOODNESS FOR THE ALL. WOMEN ARE THE HARBINGERS OF THE NEXT LEVEL OF HUMAN TRANSCENDENT CONSCIOUSNESS. MARY SYMBOLIZES THE ROLE THAT WOMEN WILL PLAY IN BRINGING ABOUT THIS CHRIST CONSCIOUSNESS ON THE EARTH. May we all awaken to it and unshackle and unfetter ourselves from the unwhole, limiting consciousess of the ego that will be the death of us all if we are unable to transcend it. Jesus said he was ONE WITH GOD. This is the human consciousness transcended to imbue the divine consciousness which wills the Highest Goodness to the All. May the Christ Consciousness illuminate our hearts and bring peace and goodwill and justice on earth.
koshin, an aging monk moving
koshin, an aging monk moving towards justice and peace Blessings to you!
Sister Joan, as I struggle with my witness this weekend, talking about Mary your article strikes home, many thanks...I just welcomed a new member and his family to our small congregation who last his aunt recently, murdered by her husband...I am going to share your words. Blessing to you in your ministry and spiritual journey peace koshin Bob Hanson
koshin, an aging monk moving
koshin, an aging monk moving towards justice and peace Blessings to you!
There are men too who will
There are men too who will stand.
It's going to take a whole
It's going to take a whole lot of men standing on this issue before a whole lot of women will get behind them.
Here is one way we can all
Here is one way we can all take a stand....take small steps and rejoice in these little victories. Contact your local diocese and ask if there is an active Womens Commission in their Peace and Justice Dept. Form a group to address leadership roles locally. There is a great deal of information available on how to do this in your community. Check out Call to Action and Just Church. You can order documents to distribute, survey your parish, find like minded individuals and have them to your home. Pray and focus on women in the bible, Mary Magdala as the Apostle to the Apostles. Does your parish include girls as alter servers? If not that is a wonderful first step and a great way to include young girls. I've wondered for a long time what God had in store for me so I have been quietly listening (not talking and asking). Lately I feel him tapping me on the shoulder and I dream of the day when my daughter will have the same opportunities and rights as men in our church.
Read the article "Women and the Vatican" on www.thetablet.co.uk
Peace,
Sharon