Articles classés dans 'Baba Amte – 2009' ↓

La presse occidentale construit une image péjorative du monde Arabe. De ces représentations, un stéréotype a émergé. Les préjudices contre l’islam sont imputables à la dialectique de l’altérité. Ce filtre a permis d’articuler le rapport à l’Autre. Les constructions sociales de l’Islam aliènent l’occident des praxis musulmanes. Parmi les associations inconscientes, l’une des plus fréquentes, s’avère être l’agencement sine qui non avec le terrorisme. S’assoupir dans la condescendance de l’ignorance éveille l’idée d’un dangereux nationalisme négatif. Cependant, les distinctions avec l’Autre, minutieusement vivifiées, s’estompent lorsque nous comparons des pommes avec des pommes.

Grâce à une rencontre riche en information, j’ai constaté des ressemblances flagrantes entre le catholicisme, le néo-libéralisme et l’Islam. Nous verrons que le néo-libéralisme émane d’une mutation du Catholicisme. Donc deux termes quasiment interchangeable. C’est un type au nom de Mohad qui m’a fait découvrir le voile dont porte l’occident. Mohad, R’batii (qui vie à Rabat, Maroc) est un ami sincère et un musulman pratiquant. C’est lui qui m’a éclairé sur les principes directeurs de l’Islam, du coup me confrontant à mon ignorance. Il est surprenant de constater comment les règles prescrites et transmises d’une part par le Christ et d’autre part par Mohamed convergent à quelques exceptions près.

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Depuis Merzouga, c’est à bord d’un 4X4 land rover 1990, habilement manœuvré par Moustafa, propriétaire d’une auberge, que je me rends à Rissani, Maroc.   Nous sommes le 8 Mars 2009.  Localisé au centre du Maroc, Rissani est incorporé dans la région administrative de Mèknes-Tafilalet. C’est une petite ville de 20 469 habitants située à 55km nord-ouest de la frontière algérienne.

Durant le XIIe siècle, Moulay Ali Chérif meneur intransigeant de la dynastie Alouite venue d’Arabie saoudite, établit ce qui allait devenir l’un des plus importants centres de commerces de l’Afrique. Cette spécificité s’est pérennisée dans le temps. Au XXIe siècle, les marchands locaux convergent inlassablement vers le souk le mardi, jeudi et dimanche. Il s’est avéré que mon périple coïncidait avec l’approche des célébrations du prophète Mohammed. En l’occurrence, le souk était particulièrement agité.
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As I sit here in the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and write my blog, I cannot help but wonder how fortunate I am to be able to observe all this and work here.

The legal aid lawyers that are present, Seema and Jacob, are preparing for their cases. The legal aid centre here is set up in a way in a square shape where the JJB is on one side, the legal aid centre is on the other side, and the centre consists of the private lawyers and the juveniles that have charges against them with their families. I’m looking out at the centre and I see parents standing, pacing or sitting with their children waiting for the next thing to happen: to be called by the Board for their matter. It’s quiet busy, more than usual so the cause list that contains all the cases right outside the JJB must be full and interesting. I usually look at the cause list when I come to the JJB to see how many cases have been pending, for how long and what charges the adolescents have been charged.

There is boy, with his mother, that are here who had a theft charged laid against him. The next day of being released, he had two more charges against him for petty theft. He and his mother are now moving 30 km away from their home to be away from their current police district. It’s not uncommon for a child to be laid similar charges against him by the police as soon as they are released even if they have not committed the crime. Apparently, some police here are known to place charges on innocent juveniles in order to close the case matters quickly. It’s frustrating and I can not imagine how the process of rehabilitation comes in to play when a juvenile has actually committed one crime and then attempts to reform after his first offence.

A week ago, I was in Punjab with Seema. It was wonderful and the wedding was impressive. I had such a great time with her and her family; they were so kind and warm. I truly felt included in their family. She lives in a joint family, which was something very new to me. Although, I was aware that this was practiced in India, I never have known an extended family personally that lived under one roof. Seema, her father, his immediate family, along with her paternal uncle and their children and her paternal grandparents all lived in one large house.  At first, I thought how exhausting it may be and difficult to keep your privacy, but then I slowly became to appreciate it, as it must feel nice to live in a big family and to have a big strong social support system. Going out with her, her sister and her cousins, a total group of 8 or 9, was the most fun and lively time I had being in India

I was able to go to the Golden Temple in Amritsar as well, which was also a wonderful experience. Coming back to Delhi was difficult for me. We left Punjab at 4 am and arrived in Delhi around 10 am. Entering Delhi I felt somewhat tired and also distressed while in the auto because of the constant honking, traffic blockages and the pollution.

On the positive side, now that I’m back I can get back to my work here and also have a chance to see Delhi…we’ll only if there is time of course.

Samaneh

I think I’ve finally have adjusted into daily normal life in India and feel a lot less homesick and much more comfortable. I have made a few friends here, which helps and I have been busy with work and my projects. I’m also a lot more aware of my surroundings and can go places with Delhi without the presence of someone else.

Last week, I was fortunate enough to go out with Feruz from Alternatives who is responsible for internships in South Asia to ‘Humayun’s Tomb’. It’s the earliest temple of Persian influence and is a world heritage monument-the architecture is beautiful with the red sandstone and marble. Apparently it was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. The stories behind these rich architectural structures are so romantic that even bollywood could not compete with such romance. Humayun’s Tomb was built for Emperor Humayon by his grieving widow, Hamida Banu Begum and contains four gardens. Now that’s what you call love! Note to self: Next time don’t be content with just bouquet of flowers, expect a monument.

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WOW, what can I say…It’s my first 11 days in India, I arrived on January 20th and I feel like I’ve experienced things I probably would have been sheltered from in Canada-experiences in which some are good and some are not-so good. 

It began on our way from the Delhi airport to the HRLN guest house on our first day. Our cab driver was pointing to places, « here is this and here is that », he would say and at first it was amazing, I naively thought that I would be exposed to such wonderful things all the time…little did I know, five minutes later he pointed to a young boy either in his late teens or early twenties who sat in the middle of what was in between a highway and a road, with his friends trying to pick him up so that passing cars wouldn’t hit him…When I asked why he would do that, the driver told Shayla and I…he wants to die because of his life…We were both shocked and saddened! That image will forever be engraved in my mind, however, I realized that if felt such emotion seeing this, imagine the person who felt that way and felt so low that he chose that way to die.

The shower situation at HRLN was also one of our first experiences…hot water was hard to comeby…we had to heat it up first and the shower head…we’ll lets just say we opted for the bucket method….I will never again waste so much water and remember this when I take my time when attempting to sing in the shower back in Canada.

We were also able to go to the Supreme Court of India, now that was amazing. It was the day before India’s republic day so security was heightened and the flowers were out. I saw the head of my organization, Colin, argue against the demolitions of slums. He won his case, which I found very inspiring as I was able to see something concrete unfold before my eyes, knowing that the organizations hard work had paid off and they were making a difference. There was also another case in which the lawyers of accused terrorists were beaten and so Colin won the right for the accused terrorist to have the right of having lawyers defend them without fear of punishment.   

I was able to go to the Juvenile Justice Board I, JJBI, – essentially it’s for children below the age of 18 who have been accused of committing a crime and now have gone a few times and saw some disheartening, shocking and also good things there. I am actually doing a report on the implementation of the amended Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000…This report will require me to do a lot of research on India’s laws and international conventions concerning child rights, as well as a lot of field research conducting interviews with families of accused, probabation officers, child welfare officers, lawyers and visiting the observation home-in simplistic terms this is known as the children’s jail…It’s been great exposure.  

Other than that, I’ve had some experiences with people thinking that they can trick/intimidate me as I am the « foreigner », especially the issue with my landlord. For instance, without going deep in the story… my landlord and her friend are trying to get there way and thinking that because they want something for their own benefit than I should do it because ultimately I’m the tenant…I can’t help but laugh. I’m realizing that these things are making me a more experienced person, so I should step back and take it for what it is…the good and not-so-good experiences.

Samaneh