Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Army of Roses: Inside the World of Palestinian Women Suicide Bombers


Barbara Victor

When a patriarchal society breaks with tradition and produces female suicide bombers one ought to pause to reflect. Many could interpret this phenomenon as a sign of patriarchal structures breaking down, with women increasingly being accepted as equals in the roles traditionally reserved for men. Others would point to the degree of desperation attached to living under an oppressive occupation force which leads these women to take their own lives. In her book "Army of Roses", Barbara Victor examines such claims in respect of Palestinian female suicide bombers. Her quest to understand "the social environment that pushes these young women over the edge of personal despair", however, leads her to uncover a deeper truth.

By weaving political analysis and the personal stories of five female suicide bombers together, she takes the reader beyond the surface, highlighting the relevant sociological structures that determine such behaviour. The outcome of such an investigation does not point to equality being achieved but actually reveals deeply embedded inequality in the Palestinian society which denies individual women the freedom to define their own future. And this is to blame for the rise of female suicide bombers.

This view is sustained through numerous interviews. Victor talks with the families and friends of the female suicide bombers who provide insights into their aspirations, character and motives. Her interviews with doctors, academics as well as psychologists serve as a framework which helps forge a bigger picture out of the personal stories. Although, the experts place differing emphasis on factors like socio-economics, nationalism, and fundamentalism in their explanations of female suicide terrorism. Interviews with Yasser Arafat, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abdul Aziz Al-Rantisi, Sheik Ahmad Yassin and others provide insights into the thinking of the political actors who capitalize on or condemn such attacks, but who also define the political backdrop against which such attacks are undertaken.

Great care is taken in analysing the first female suicide attack carried out by a Palestinian woman called Wafa Idris on January 27 2002. Her death took the world by surprise including, apparently, the Palestinian leadership who according to evidence presented by Victor, initially tried to cover up their association with the attack. In an interview with a Fatah leader, Victor discovers that Idris' recruitment was made in connection with her brother's planned suicide attack and not hers. Her intended role was to carry a knapsack filled with explosives across a checkpoint, which her brother would later use in his attack. However, Idris crossed the boundaries of her intended role and detonated the device, killing her self and one Israeli man. Only after a positive reaction to the event in the Arab world and noticing that the people where seemingly ready to accept a woman suicide bomber as a 'sahida', a martyr, did the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade claim responsibility for the attack. Idris' attack, with the seal of approval from the political leadership, then served as an example for other women to follow. Her story points to the haphazard genesis of Palestinian female suicide bomber.

However by seeking out personal motives that would lead this young woman to kill herself, Victor unravels the structural factors to discover that her story is not so unique. Similar factors determined the behavior of the subsequent female suicide bombers. Wafa Idris was a woman with no future. Her inability to give her husband children led to the husband and his family being put to shame. Her husband was pressurised to divorce her and to take another wife. She had to move back to her paternal home where she was perceived as nothing but a financial burden. As a 'barren' woman, she had no chance of remarrying. In a society where 'honour' is currency, for a very 'poor' woman with no future, a suicide attack is a quick way to get her family 'rich'. The stories of the subsequent sahidas are similar in the respect that they all shared an inability to control their own lives. For reasons of respectability, honour and societal pressure ,they all undertook the attacks in hope of acquiring honour for their families.

The next layer that Victor adds to her analysis is that in a society which quickly adapts to incorporate female suicide bombers, male figures start to prey on unsuspecting women, and manipulate them to carry out attacks. There is the story Shireen Rabiya a fifteen year old, from a well-to-do family. She was recruited by her uncle who promised her an end to her teenage angst with a promise of entering paradise. Ultimately, she failed in her attempt to blow herself up. Therefore , even in this new role crafted for women, male manipulation continues to remain as the pivotal factor.

The message of this book is that this role enhancement is not an expression of equality. It warns of those who try to mislead us into believing that they are uncovering the structures of inequality. Actually they give rise to it and perpetuated it in the first place. The reader parts with the book with a deeper understanding of the motives that lead women to become suicide bombers. He is aware that such acts will continue to happen as long as prevailing societal structure remains in tact.

info site from : IPCS - Book Review
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Anthurium Wave Of Love(Gelombang Cinta), Corong, Hookeri and Tengkorak



Believe it or not...Anthurium on Jawa Tengah have had a high cost and so expensive.
They had price start from 75 million - 1,5 billion wouw that so unbelieveable Flora.


Anthurium Wave Of Love :
- Height 50-70cm
- Leaf 11-13pcs
- Cost ~Call~

Anthurium Wave Of Love KW1 :
- Height 20-30cm
- Leaf 5-10pcs
- Cost ~Call~

Anthurium Corong :
- Height 10-20cm
- Leaf 5-10pcs
- Cost ~Call~

Anthurium Hookeri :
- Height 10-20cm
- Width 5-10cm
- Leaf 5-10pcs
- Cost ~Call~

Anthurium Tengkorak :
- Height 10-30cm
- Width 10-20cm
- Leaf 5-6pcs
- Cost ~Call~

Contact Person :
Roswati +62 8881166757, +62 7352056
Angga +62 81311262067
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Sunday, October 28, 2007

ZODIAC

VIRGO - The Perfectionist
Dominant in relationships. Conservative. Always wants the last word. Argumentative. Worries. Very smart. Dislikes noise and chaos. Eager. Hardworking. Loyal. Beautiful. Easy to talk to. Hard to please. Harsh. Practical and very fussy. Often shy. Pessimistic.



SCORPIO - The Intense One
Very energetic. Intelligent. Can be jealous and/or possessive. Hardworking. Great kisser. Can become obsessive or secretive. Holds grudges. Attractive. Determined. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Romantic. Can be self-centered at times. Passionate and Emotional.



LIBRA - The Harmonizer
Nice to everyone they meet. Can't make up their mind. Have own unique appeal. Creative, energetic, and very social. Hates to be alone. Peaceful, generous. Very loving and beautiful. Flirtatious. Give in too easily. Procrastinators. Very gullible.


ARIES – TheDaredevil
Energetic. Adventurous and spontaneous. Confident and enthusiastic. Fun. Loves a challenge. EXTREMELY impatient. Sometimes selfish. Short fuse. (easily angered.) Lively, passionate, and sharp wit. Outgoing. Lose interest quickly - easily bored. Egotistical. Courageous and assertive. Tends to be physical and athletic.


AQUARIUS - The Sweetheart
Optimistic and honest. Sweet personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out. Eccentric personality.



GEMINI - The Chatterbox
Smart and witty. Outgoing, very chatty. Lively, energetic. Adaptable but needs to express themselves. Argumentative and outspoken. Likes change. Versatile. Busy, sometimes nervous and tense. Gossips. May seem superficial or inconsistent, But is only changeable. Beautiful physically and mentally.


LEO - The Boss
Very organized. Need order in their lives - like being in control. Like boundaries. Tend to take over everything. Bossy. Like to help others. Social and outgoing. Extroverted. Generous, warm-hearted. Sensitive. Creative energy. Full of themselves. Loving. D oing the right thing is important to Leos. Attractive.


CANCER - The Protector
Moody, emotional. May be shy. Very loving and caring. Pretty/handsome. Excellent partners for life. Protective. Inventive and imaginative. Cautious. Touchy-feely kind of person. Needs love from others. Easily hurt, but sympathetic.


PISCES - The Dreamer
Generous, kind, and thoughtful. Very creative and imaginative. May become secretive and vague. Sensitive. Don't like details. Dreamy and unrealistic. Sympathetic and loving. Kind. Unselfish. Good kisser. Beautiful.



CAPRICORN - The Go-Getter
Patient and wise. Practical and rigid. Ambitious. Tends to be good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a bit shy and reserved. Often pessimists. Capricorns tend to act before they think and can be unfriendl y at times. Hold grudges. Like competition. Get what they want.



TAURUS - The Enduring One
Charming but aggressive. Can come off as boring, but they are not. Hard workers. Warm-hearted. Strong, has endurance. Solid beings who are stable and secure in their ways. Not looking for shortcuts. Take pride in their beauty. Patient and reliable. Make great friends and give good advice. Loving and kind. Loves hard - passionate. Express themselves emotionally. Prone to ferocious temper-tantrums. Determined. Indulge themselves often. Very generous.



SAGITTARIUS - The Happy-Go-Lucky One
Good-natured optimist. Doesn't want to grow up (Peter Pan Syndrome). Indulges self. Boastful. Likes luxuries and gambling. Social and outgoing. Doesn't like responsibilities. Often fantasizes. Impatient. Fun to be around. Having lots of friends. Flirtatious. Doesn't like rules. Sometimes hypocritical. Dislikes being confined - tight spaces or even tight clothes. Doesn't like being doubted. Beautiful inside and out.
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