Making sense of political extremism: my view of "Suffragette" as a 21st century woman

Until last night, I had always envisioned the suffragette movement as organized marches, conventions, and disseminating numerous pamphlets. However, after watching "Suffragette" Friday night, I was introduced to a more violent stream of events than I had ever dreamed possible. After decades of peaceful campaigning for the woman's vote,  these British suffragettes resort to property damage on a grand scale: cutting telephone lines, shattering business windows, destroying mailboxes, and even blowing up a residence--nearly killing a housekeeper. Apparently, even Winston Churchill's face was slashed by a fuming suffragette. Indeed, these women had declared war on the government and the men who ruled them.

Were these women justified in their actions? As a woman who has all of the rights that they fought for, am I supposed to show some respect for the crimes that they committed? And if so, were the Ferguson and Baltimore riots justified? What about the Palestinian suicide bombers? In short, is there ever a political cause that authorizes the perceived disenfranchised to conduct property damage and even injure others in the process of making their cause go forward? Where, if at all, do we draw the boundaries?

As one averse to political extremism, I had a hard time watching this film. That being said, perhaps it is unwise for me to judge these women from my position of privilege and 20-20 hindsight. These women lived in a very different world with little to lose: they earned one-third less than their male counterparts, had less access to education, and enjoyed no rights to their property or even their children.

But perhaps the most disconcerting experience of watching the film was a realization that in some ways, our society is not that different from a century ago. The main character, Maud Watts, explains to a policeman that violence is "the only language men could understand." And today, commentators on the Ferguson and Baltimore riots explained that these riots and looting are "a language of the unheard." Indeed, extremist acts are still perceived as the only way to express frustration with the status quo. But rather than immediately placing blame on the disenfranchised, what does it say about our nation and media that will only turn its head when violence and rioting occurs? Would MLK or Gandhi's tactics be as effectual in influencing policymakers today? While I would like to say yes, I can't be sure. 

Though I am glad this film portrayed a more holistic view of woman's suffrage, I'm not entirely sure how to interpret these women's legacy. But, in a world like ours with groups that have been--and remain disenfranchised--I think this film reminds all of us to show a little more compassion to those who are overlooked. And if there is any semblance of injustice, people in positions of power have the responsibility to ensure that grievances are met and restitution is made.

Photo by Leonard Bentley.

Can we make discussions about female weakness more empowering?

Since being in Relief Society, I have been continually amazed by the amount of lessons devoted to addressing women's perceived foibles and shortcomings. These lessons usually include a lengthy discussion on why women are so hard on themselves, a reminder of our outer and inner beauty, followed by accolades for how much good we do.

I understand that some women are unfairly hard on themselves and sometimes need this gentle reminder. And while I have written before about the dangers of putting women on pedestals, I recognize that women deserve recognition for what they do.

However, I believe that if we continually couch our discussion about female weaknesses in this fashion, we are missing an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with God and better utilize the Atonement in the quotidian areas of our lives.

Let's look at the Book of Mormon's Ether 12:27, the classic scripture for addressing human weakness. Pay attention to the first clause.

 27 And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

My interpretation of this scripture is that the more spiritually mature we are becoming (coming unto God), the more aware we become of our weaknesses. It's simply part of the process. As a neophyte missionary, I remember being continually dissatisfied of my perceived sense of self, until my teacher reminded me that I had probably never been in an environment where I had experienced spiritual growth more rapidly. Of course, I was going to have some frustration with my shortcomings. But it doesn't have to end at this step.

We need to acknowledge that perceiving our own weaknesses, rather than being readily dismissed, is crucial to obtaining spiritual growth. They serve as a gentle reminder that we can exercise a greater dependence with God the Father and His Son. Perhaps we are more judgmental of others or more brash in our language than we should be. Whatever our weaknesses are, God's hand is "stretched out still," ready to help us.

Acknowledging and working to overcome our weaknesses is part of utilizing the Atonement on a daily basis. We can pray for the capacity to forgive a family member, to be more friendly, to better understand the scriptures, etc. etc. The list is infinite. It is little wonder that God was known as the great alchemist in early Western literature: he is anxious to help us transform the unrefined metals of our shortcomings to a golden substance that is beautiful and useful.

Yes, Relief Society women are beautiful and amazing. But relying on these platitudes when discussing our weaknesses will undermine our remarkable capacity for spiritual progress. In the words of Lucy Mack Smith, we are capable of doing "something extraordinary."

Photo by More Good Foundation.

Holy Spaces, Prayer Rolls, and Being Remembered in Mecca

As many of you know, I was able to visit my parents in Doha, Qatar over break. It's a country that is largely bereft of grass, has more construction cranes than I could count, and has unrestrained pride in hosting the 2022 World Cup.  Somehow, though, my parents and brothers have learned to call it home, and seeing them so happily situated was one of the best parts about living there.

Upon arrival, my mother was anxious to introduce me to A-Beer, her neighbor next door, and one of my mother's close friends. She is a beautiful young Muslim mother from Jordan who had declined a lucrative engineering career to raise five children. Somehow, however, she had found time to give my mother rides and prepare her to pass Qatar's stringent driving test (no small task). My mother's highly coveted driver's license and acclimation to Qatar can be partly attributed to A-Beer and her kindness.

I finally had a chance to meet A-Beer after she and her family had returned from Mecca. For those who are unaware, a Muslim's trip to Mecca is a powerfully spiritual pilgrimage, as they have the chance to walk and pray around the Ka'aba seven times. The Ka'aba  is Islam's holiest site, as its foundations were built by Abraham and Ishmael. Muslims all over the world turn their bodies towards this site every day of their life, so the experience of seeing the Ka-aba first hand can only be described as a most sacred experience.

Upon our arrival to their house, A-Beer's small children told us about their visit to the Ka'aba and were anxious for us to try the zamzam water. This water is called miraculous, as it is thought to be from the same location where the Hagar quenched her thirst in the wilderness after her expulsion. As this water is highly prized and considered to have special healing properties, I was touched that they would want to share their zamzam water with me.

But the most poignant moment occurred when A-Beer told me that she had prayed for our whole family as she walked around the Ka'aba. She had even prayed for me to get married! I was astonished that she would even bother to to pray for our family, let alone for someone like me whom she had never met, when making the most spiritual trip of her life. But somehow, I had been remembered and prayed for in a part of the world that I have never been, have no connection to, and never will be allowed to enter.

Yet in A-Beer's mind, she probably prayed for me and my family because she knew that as a non-Muslim, I would never be able to enter and pray toward the Ka-aba. So, she had taken upon herself to give a prayer for me in a literal space that I was not allowed to occupy, in hopes that I could receive the same blessing from the Ka'aba that she enjoyed.

After meeting A-Beer, I have not only reflected  on the oft inherent selfishness of my own prayers, but also my gratitude of being a member of the church that is concerned with the same problem that A-Beer recognized in her own religion. I am grateful that when I enter a Mormon temple, I can go to our prayer roll and write down the name of someone who is in need of a blessing. While our temples, like Mecca, also restrict non-believers from entering, no one is excluded from our prayer rolls. Rather, their names are placed on our temple altar, one of our temple's holiest sites, and prayed for in a fervent and heartfelt manner. I have also reflected on my need to be a more active participant in temple work, where I do have the chance to give my deceased ancestors blessings in a space that they cannot physically occupy either.

I am grateful for a religion like Islam, which may restrict its holy city to believers, but will not forbid believers from sharing holy zamzam water and praying for non-Muslims like me. And I am grateful for Mormon temples that may limit its entrants to those who are sufficiently prepared, but where potentially anyone can be a recipient of its blessings.

Photo Credit to Kashif Aziz

Abercrombie's marketing from a 19th-century feminist position

Many of you are aware that Abercrombie 's CEO recently affirmed that his market clothing was "exclusionary," as it is supposed to only appeal (and fit) the "cool" kids. In fact, Abercrombie's clothing is so exclusive that it does not include a woman's size above a size 10--sparking outcry and vitriolic criticism worldwide.

Obviously, I do not condone Abercrombie's philosophy. But I think that the CEO's choice to exclude overweight women from their clothing is important to consider in a post-modern world. Society has come a long way in valuing women other than their fertility and physical attractiveness. In fact, it was long held that children inherited their physical body from their mother and their soul from their father. From this belief, women became associated more with beauty and men for their wisdom and knowledge.

Margaret Fuller, one of the most seminal 19th-century feminists, lambasted these views in Woman in the Nineteenth Century, as she recognized that these beliefs reduced women solely to a body, rather than a body with a soul. Moreover, she asserted that when men viewed women as simply a body meant for physical pleasure, they subsequently reduced themselves to the bodily sphere as well, as they were solely focusing on their carnal appetite. Rather, Fuller argued, both men and women had to be aware of the the need for the soul's nourishment, which came as a result of intellectual activity and an earnest search for truth. That is not to say that the body was inferior to the soul; physical exercise in her mind was vital in assisting the soul. But in focusing more on activities intended to fuel their vanity, women, in her mind, became a "blighted half-being."

Today, an unprecedented amount of women have more opportunity than ever to engage and enlarge their intellects, and, in many ways, Fuller's dream has been realized. But when we read comments such as those by the Abercrombie CEO, we are reminded that there are still threads of societal regression. We are still showing signs of valuing women to the extent that they are aligned with an ideal physical form. The outcry of Abercrombie's marketing brings me hope that society is moving in the direction of valuing the woman's souls over their bodies. And I hope that it continues.