Men are from Al-Merrikh, Women are from Al-Zuhra

[qatarperegrine]

Sheikh Jassem Al-Mutawah explains the difference between men and women, using modern computer software.

The cool thing is, I'm actually starting to be able to follow the Arabic! Maybe I should be watching more Arabic TV.

Comments

[roach2600.livejournal.com]

I'm amazed you didn't comment on the content!

Sweeping generalizations: always correct.

[qatar.livejournal.com]

I feel fairly secure that the content speaks for itself!

That, or I was busy THINKING about it before SPEAKING about it, as I normally do.

[roach2600.livejournal.com]

As I watched, I was thinking of sending this to my Arabic I teacher because it was a lot more understandable than some of the videos he showed us.

Then I realized what the man was getting at. Wow.

[qatar.livejournal.com]

I wasn't that shocked... I guess because I spent part of yesterday evening arguing with someone about whether women should be legally allowed to show their hair in public. There's sexism, and then there's sexism.

[roach2600.livejournal.com]

Which do you find more offensive? As a guy, I find the opinion on the TV spot more offensive than the opinion that hair must not be shown.

[qatar.livejournal.com]

Interesting question....

I actually found the hair argument much more offensive, although probably because it involved a number of other issues (sexual freedom, women's freedom of association) that I didn't mention. (The debate was here, particuarly around MJ's post at 10:51 a.m. on Wednesday.)

I grew up, as I imagine you did, with the cultural belief that there are no important differences between men and women other than the obvious different, er, equipment. I'm less and less sure that this is true. I don't think this guy is right, but overall I'm less disturbed by the statement that men and women might have cognitive differences than by the statement that men and women should have different civil liberties.

[y-pestis.livejournal.com]

That was my initial reaction too, but then again it doesn't seem to bother either of us particularly that women have to wear tops and men can go shirtless in our culture. Would either of us WANT to go topless? I wouldn't, it'd embarrass me. On the other hand I can see and agree with the argument that it should be equal. Did you know the soccer league has a rule now that women can't take their tops off, since that one woman peeled off her top to reveal her sports bra?

I see plenty of examples of the other sort of argument in our own culture as well. There's been a very long and involved and angsty-about-being-non-PC-but-still-doing-it argument on an agility list lately about the difference between men and women as agility competitors, particularly since there are more men in the upper eschelons of agility but more women in the lower ranks -- lots of generalizations about "men don't like competition if they can't win" and "women are more emotionally sensitive and in it for the companionship".

It's interesting to see it in another cultural setting because it makes us more aware of it, but it's definitely not a unique phenomenon...

[qatar.livejournal.com]

Before I moved here, I never thought that much about the shirtless thing. I'd feel self-conscious going topless in public, but only because I've been taught to be; I'm sure a lot of our students would feel the same way about showing their hair.

I still wouldn't want to go topless because, ow, no support. But I definitely don't think it should be illegal.