good stuff – great blog!…

The gains Sudanese women were able to gain following independence (for instance equal pay, the right to vote, etc) were brought to an end with the Islamization of the country over the past 25 years. Many women supported the move, believing that Sharia is the true path and that Sharia champions equal rights, but that’s hard to swallow when the public flogging of “immodest” women was very common until recent years.

Of all issues affecting women in the region, honour-based violence is the most I feel passionate about. My introduction to honour crimes was through a newspaper report at the age of 8 (a father had murdered his 16 year old daughter after hearing rumours that she was involved in an illicit affair, but even after a medical exmaination proved she was a virgin, he only received a 2 year sentence), and since then I’ve spent a considerable amount of time reading about HBV. When Mideast Youth launched the “No Honor” campaign, I thought it was about time that I do something about it, even if it is minimal.

Whether or not the No Honor it’s controversial depends on context, but since it’s a web-based initiative, it would mean that most who hear of the effort would be supportive of it. But there have been voices who spoke out in defence of the practice, claiming it “protects” societies.

Over all, as long as the campaign condemns the violence and does not raise the banner of promoting sexual freedom, it wouldn’t spark a huge outcry.

As far as I know, blogs have yet to achieve widespread popularity in Sudan, but the ‘Sudanosphere’ has been growing over the past few years. They’re pretty much used for the same purposes as elsewhere across the globe: sharing information, as an avenue for personal expression and for raising awareness.

I hope my response has addressed your questions

Thank you so much for your quick response to my comment on your post about child brides. Even though you claim that you are not an expert in the field, your point of view interests me.

I am also interested in why you choose to write so frequently about women. Is your point of view in any way controversial to the norm of your city or of your country?

Also, how did you get involved with the group “No Honor”? Is this group in any way controversial?

As an American, I wonder if my ideas about blogs or what is in them is really much different from those ideas in the Sudan.

Thanks so much for your time!