"Gendercide": The death of possibilities
Part 2
Part 2
By Debby Tewes
My original intent this month was to cover the various Lunar New Year celebrations but the unrelenting
winter weather foiled my plans at every step. I did manage to slog through the snow to the Domes for the
first celebration on February 2nd but so did half the city of Milwaukee and it was next to impossible to see
anything as the crowds were unrelenting which either means the city is suffering cabin fever in the extreme
or there is a renewed interest in Asian culture, perhaps fueled by that weekends match up between Yao and
Yi. My next plan was to attend the Taiwanese New Year celebration and another blizzard blew through
along with frigid temperatures. There are more celebrations coming up later in the month, including a
Vietnamese New Year celebration and I hope to have photos from that event for the April issue.
The same weather also prevented me from getting out to interview an Asian woman of note in the
Milwaukee area but I was unable to make contact with the people I hoped to interview, so rather than let
the column go unwritten I decided to take this opportunity to include some additions to the article from last
month on what I am calling "Gendercide." Sadly, the news is filled with stories of brutal crimes against
women, in all corners of our globe. Once again I am also struck by the courage and tenacity of these
women, brutalized beyond imagining, and if they survive, they do what they must to ensure that their
children are fed and cared for in spite of their emotional and physical scars.
My original intent this month was to cover the various Lunar New Year celebrations but the unrelenting
winter weather foiled my plans at every step. I did manage to slog through the snow to the Domes for the
first celebration on February 2nd but so did half the city of Milwaukee and it was next to impossible to see
anything as the crowds were unrelenting which either means the city is suffering cabin fever in the extreme
or there is a renewed interest in Asian culture, perhaps fueled by that weekends match up between Yao and
Yi. My next plan was to attend the Taiwanese New Year celebration and another blizzard blew through
along with frigid temperatures. There are more celebrations coming up later in the month, including a
Vietnamese New Year celebration and I hope to have photos from that event for the April issue.
The same weather also prevented me from getting out to interview an Asian woman of note in the
Milwaukee area but I was unable to make contact with the people I hoped to interview, so rather than let
the column go unwritten I decided to take this opportunity to include some additions to the article from last
month on what I am calling "Gendercide." Sadly, the news is filled with stories of brutal crimes against
women, in all corners of our globe. Once again I am also struck by the courage and tenacity of these
women, brutalized beyond imagining, and if they survive, they do what they must to ensure that their
children are fed and cared for in spite of their emotional and physical scars.
First of all, in case you haven't noticed, there is an election coming and I sincerely believe that America is on the cusp of a breakthrough and
that there is a glimmer of hope that we might restore our credibility in the world. No matter your politics, it is important to vote in the upcoming
elections if for no other reason that you can. If you stop and think of the ramifications of the opportunities presented, for the first time in history
there is a real possibility that we will elect either a person of color or a woman to be our leader. Unlike many nations, our vote is more than a
rubber stamp of approval for a predetermined leader. Whoever your choice, vote your conscience but take steps now to register as the polls is sure
to be crowded.
Women as "Collateral Damage or Isolated Incidents"
Since this issue is dedicated to Asian women of note, I have a few thoughts that came up since I last wrote. About a week ago, I read a
headline in CNN that in one of the cities in Iraq, Basra, the police have been finding the bodies of women who have been tortured, killed, and in
some cases, beheaded for the mere act of traveling without a head covering and wearing makeup. The article didn't get much press, but if true,
this is another example of brutality against those who are least able to defend themselves — acts that will provoke outrage abroad. I am suspect
of so much of the news in the mass media as it can be manipulated to elicit the desired effect on the cursory readers. At a time when support for
the war is waning, what better way to gather outraged support? If it is true, however, then outrage is well placed and a way must be found to
protect these women. This will require undoing years of regarding women as "property or lesser human beings" and ensuring that religious leaders
recognize the importance of all human life and admonish their followers to treat all people with respect.
By the same token, our own U.S. Military seems to dismiss reoccurring rape cases rape in Okinawa by U.S. military personnel as "isolated
incidents." The people of Okinawa are justifiably angered by this ongoing pattern of behavior. Some of the girls involved have been as young as
12, and the current accusation is against a 34-year old Marine who allegedly attacked a 14- year old girl. The main concern seems to be whether
or not it will affect diplomatic relations between our two countries! What about the victim in this case?!
How can we hope to win the proverbial hearts and minds of people when we attack their children and seem only to care whether it will affect our
diplomatic relationship? The Prime Minister of Japan has said that if proven, this is "unforgiveable." The military base in Okinawa is important to
the U.S. but the people of Okinawa should not have to fear their daughters being out in public because some American Marines do not respect
the people in whose land they are guests or that they see these young girls as prey.
Political Assassination
In my last article, it was pointed out to me that I forgot one of the more noteworthy assassinations of a female political leader from just a couple
of decades ago. Indira Gandhi, a woman who, like Benazir Bhutto, was born into a famous political family and rose to power via a difficult and
contentious route. She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru and granddaughter of Motilal Nehru. The Nehru family was instrumental in ending
the British rule of India. In fact, so opposed to British rule was the family that Indira was educated in either Indian schools or other European
schools, only later to study at Oxford. As a young girl, her family was befriended by Mohandas Gandhi and embraced his ideas of Indian freedom.
Indira organized brigades of youngsters she called "The Monkey Brigades" who marched on the streets and passed out flyers. The association with
Mohandas Gandhi also resulted in her father and grandfather being jailed for their seditious activities. Ultimately, even her mother, Kamala, was
imprisoned. Indira lost her mother to cancer when Indira was 17.
She was never a stellar student. She met her future husband Feroze Gandhi, a refugee from what is now Iran, fleeing persecution for his non-
Muslim beliefs. Indira's family was of the Brahmin or highest caste in India and this was considered an inferior match, but they married anyhow
and had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay. Indira was jailed shortly after their marriage for her political activities.
India gained independence in 1947 and Jawaharlal Nehru became Prime Minister. When Indira's father was elected Prime Minister, Indira was
recruited to act as his "first lady" since he was a widower.
Indira's father died in 1964 and was succeeded by Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira served as Minister of Information and Broadcasting. Upon
Shastri's death in 1966 she was chosen by the Congress Party to replace Shastri as Prime Minister. As a Nehru, it was almost political destiny and
the Congress Party believed she would be easily manipulated. The politics of India during this time were very unsettled as the country was
undergoing transformation from a British colony, to caste clashes, and many were enduring extreme poverty. One of her platforms was to raise the
country out of poverty and many of her measures upset the old line power brokers. She was also not a particularly outgoing or charismatic person
and was often seen as rude. She particularly irritated Richard Nixon as, even though he did not speak Hindi, during their meeting in 1967 she
pointedly asked the ministry aide, "How much longer the meeting would last?"
During her political career she was accused of being a dictator, authorizing the arrests of thousands and seen as favoring her sons as
successors. Many of her ideas were radical but she believed in her ideals. Her popularity ebbed and flowed and she was arrested on several
occasions. In reading her obituary in the New York Times, the piece, by Linda Charlton on November 1, 1984 described Mrs. Gandhi as "strong
willed, autocratic and determined to govern an almost ungovernable country." She also took as her motto "garibi hatao," which means abolish
poverty, but never seemed to be able to formulate a plan to accomplish this. She was in power when war broke out in 1971 between East and
West Pakistan with India supporting East Pakistan, the final result being the partitioning of the two regions into Bangladesh and Pakistan. She also
oversaw the absorption of the tiny protectorate of Sikkim as a state in the Indian union in 1975.
There was a great deal of personal and political turmoil, including the death of her son Sanjay, who was viewed as her chosen successor. But
the event that would ultimately result in her assassination was the decision to send troops to quash an uprising in Punjab Province by Sikh rebels.
The soldiers launched an attack in September 1981 on the Amritsar Golden Temple, the holiest site of the Sikh religion. News reports gave
varying totals of casualties but the truth was somewhere between 500 to 1200 dead and possibly even higher as there were many civilian
casualties since it was a Sikh Holy Day. This military action was known as Operation Blue Star. When the action was finished, Mrs. Gandhi
realized that it could lead to her downfall and talked about it with friends and colleagues.
Mrs. Gandhi was killed on October 31, 1984 by two of her own bodyguards, both Sikhs. She was on her way, through her garden, to an interview
with British Actor Peter Ustinov who was working on a documentary for Irish television. One of the guards committed suicide and the other was
arrested. This assassination plunged India into sectarian violence and over time, over 20,000 Sikhs perished as well as members of other groups.
that there is a glimmer of hope that we might restore our credibility in the world. No matter your politics, it is important to vote in the upcoming
elections if for no other reason that you can. If you stop and think of the ramifications of the opportunities presented, for the first time in history
there is a real possibility that we will elect either a person of color or a woman to be our leader. Unlike many nations, our vote is more than a
rubber stamp of approval for a predetermined leader. Whoever your choice, vote your conscience but take steps now to register as the polls is sure
to be crowded.
Women as "Collateral Damage or Isolated Incidents"
Since this issue is dedicated to Asian women of note, I have a few thoughts that came up since I last wrote. About a week ago, I read a
headline in CNN that in one of the cities in Iraq, Basra, the police have been finding the bodies of women who have been tortured, killed, and in
some cases, beheaded for the mere act of traveling without a head covering and wearing makeup. The article didn't get much press, but if true,
this is another example of brutality against those who are least able to defend themselves — acts that will provoke outrage abroad. I am suspect
of so much of the news in the mass media as it can be manipulated to elicit the desired effect on the cursory readers. At a time when support for
the war is waning, what better way to gather outraged support? If it is true, however, then outrage is well placed and a way must be found to
protect these women. This will require undoing years of regarding women as "property or lesser human beings" and ensuring that religious leaders
recognize the importance of all human life and admonish their followers to treat all people with respect.
By the same token, our own U.S. Military seems to dismiss reoccurring rape cases rape in Okinawa by U.S. military personnel as "isolated
incidents." The people of Okinawa are justifiably angered by this ongoing pattern of behavior. Some of the girls involved have been as young as
12, and the current accusation is against a 34-year old Marine who allegedly attacked a 14- year old girl. The main concern seems to be whether
or not it will affect diplomatic relations between our two countries! What about the victim in this case?!
How can we hope to win the proverbial hearts and minds of people when we attack their children and seem only to care whether it will affect our
diplomatic relationship? The Prime Minister of Japan has said that if proven, this is "unforgiveable." The military base in Okinawa is important to
the U.S. but the people of Okinawa should not have to fear their daughters being out in public because some American Marines do not respect
the people in whose land they are guests or that they see these young girls as prey.
Political Assassination
In my last article, it was pointed out to me that I forgot one of the more noteworthy assassinations of a female political leader from just a couple
of decades ago. Indira Gandhi, a woman who, like Benazir Bhutto, was born into a famous political family and rose to power via a difficult and
contentious route. She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru and granddaughter of Motilal Nehru. The Nehru family was instrumental in ending
the British rule of India. In fact, so opposed to British rule was the family that Indira was educated in either Indian schools or other European
schools, only later to study at Oxford. As a young girl, her family was befriended by Mohandas Gandhi and embraced his ideas of Indian freedom.
Indira organized brigades of youngsters she called "The Monkey Brigades" who marched on the streets and passed out flyers. The association with
Mohandas Gandhi also resulted in her father and grandfather being jailed for their seditious activities. Ultimately, even her mother, Kamala, was
imprisoned. Indira lost her mother to cancer when Indira was 17.
She was never a stellar student. She met her future husband Feroze Gandhi, a refugee from what is now Iran, fleeing persecution for his non-
Muslim beliefs. Indira's family was of the Brahmin or highest caste in India and this was considered an inferior match, but they married anyhow
and had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay. Indira was jailed shortly after their marriage for her political activities.
India gained independence in 1947 and Jawaharlal Nehru became Prime Minister. When Indira's father was elected Prime Minister, Indira was
recruited to act as his "first lady" since he was a widower.
Indira's father died in 1964 and was succeeded by Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira served as Minister of Information and Broadcasting. Upon
Shastri's death in 1966 she was chosen by the Congress Party to replace Shastri as Prime Minister. As a Nehru, it was almost political destiny and
the Congress Party believed she would be easily manipulated. The politics of India during this time were very unsettled as the country was
undergoing transformation from a British colony, to caste clashes, and many were enduring extreme poverty. One of her platforms was to raise the
country out of poverty and many of her measures upset the old line power brokers. She was also not a particularly outgoing or charismatic person
and was often seen as rude. She particularly irritated Richard Nixon as, even though he did not speak Hindi, during their meeting in 1967 she
pointedly asked the ministry aide, "How much longer the meeting would last?"
During her political career she was accused of being a dictator, authorizing the arrests of thousands and seen as favoring her sons as
successors. Many of her ideas were radical but she believed in her ideals. Her popularity ebbed and flowed and she was arrested on several
occasions. In reading her obituary in the New York Times, the piece, by Linda Charlton on November 1, 1984 described Mrs. Gandhi as "strong
willed, autocratic and determined to govern an almost ungovernable country." She also took as her motto "garibi hatao," which means abolish
poverty, but never seemed to be able to formulate a plan to accomplish this. She was in power when war broke out in 1971 between East and
West Pakistan with India supporting East Pakistan, the final result being the partitioning of the two regions into Bangladesh and Pakistan. She also
oversaw the absorption of the tiny protectorate of Sikkim as a state in the Indian union in 1975.
There was a great deal of personal and political turmoil, including the death of her son Sanjay, who was viewed as her chosen successor. But
the event that would ultimately result in her assassination was the decision to send troops to quash an uprising in Punjab Province by Sikh rebels.
The soldiers launched an attack in September 1981 on the Amritsar Golden Temple, the holiest site of the Sikh religion. News reports gave
varying totals of casualties but the truth was somewhere between 500 to 1200 dead and possibly even higher as there were many civilian
casualties since it was a Sikh Holy Day. This military action was known as Operation Blue Star. When the action was finished, Mrs. Gandhi
realized that it could lead to her downfall and talked about it with friends and colleagues.
Mrs. Gandhi was killed on October 31, 1984 by two of her own bodyguards, both Sikhs. She was on her way, through her garden, to an interview
with British Actor Peter Ustinov who was working on a documentary for Irish television. One of the guards committed suicide and the other was
arrested. This assassination plunged India into sectarian violence and over time, over 20,000 Sikhs perished as well as members of other groups.
Debby Tewes is Asian
Wisconzine's
correspondent in the
Milwaukee area.
Wisconzine's
correspondent in the
Milwaukee area.