It is Mother’s Day Weekend, here, in the United States. Other countries that celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend? According to Wikipedia:
Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Cambodia, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Colombia, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kurdistan, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Phillippines, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vietnam, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe. http://en.wikipedia.org/...
I want to say “Happy Mother’s day” to all in these countries, but how? Unfortunately, it will not be much of a celebration for me because some of our sisters lost their little girls….
April 14, 2014, two weeks after Nigeria celebrated their mothers, nearly 300 girls were kidnapped by an extreme Islamic group, Boko Haram (http://en.wikipedia.org/...), which occupies the Northern regions of the Nigeria, while the girls were in school taking final exams. Many will be sold into slavery, or forced into marriages with male members of the group. There is a name for this and it is called “human sex trafficking.”
The “Boko Haram” have sent shockwaves around the world. It is horrific. According to sources, rapes of the girls have already occurred. This awful fact is not surprising to me. I grew up along the U.S.-Mexico Border. Laredo, Texas went from a sleepy little border town to the place located across the river from the main headquarters of “Los Zetas,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/...) a ruthless organization known for dealing in drugs, arms and human sex trafficking.
What surprises me most is that people are shocked this is happening. First, violence likes this always escalates. All the ingredients needed are greed, ego, religious doctrines that have been interpreted out of control and economics, and the victims are almost always women. Why? Because no matter what the situation, no matter what the state of the country, patriarchal designs are deeply embedded in society. Women are seen as second-class citizens, just barely above animals. And when I say barely, I mean women are seen as “cash cows.” The proof is in the pudding, as the old saying goes. The way these girls are being sold off makes me think of a cattle auction. By the way, in case it is not clear enough: WOMEN ARE NOT ANIMALS. WOMEN ARE HUMAN BEINGS! We have feelings, emotions and intelligence. And unlike a heifer, I would scream for days if my daughter were stolen from me and sold off! I would want to blow up the whole world, inch by inch, if that is what it took to find her! And I would NEVER EVER STOP looking for her! Those are the type of emotions HUMAN BEINGS have.
Second, how did the world expect women of this country to be treated when the Extreme Christians and Muslims view on homosexuality run parallel to each other? In areas of the North, the Muslim majority practices strict Sharia Law against Lesbians and Gays. The punishment in stoning until death. Western Christian preachers and organizations such as the Christian Broadcasting Network, which runs the 700 Club hosted by Pat Robertson, have sent their anti-gay malarkey over their broadcasts, which can be seen in two-hundred countries, including Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Another organization which supports anti-gay legislation is the “pro-family” (whatever) evangelical group called “MassResistance” who claim that homosexuality is leading to the spread of AIDS. The Catholic Church is staunchly anti-gay in this country. Nigeria enacted the “jail the gays” laws as a result of all the rhetoric and views homosexuality as a sin. These girls are Christian and were stolen by “Muslims.” With antiquated views on homosexuality and polarized religious practices running Nigeria, did the world somehow think that women would be treated fairly and with respect? No! They are bargaining chips. http://www.rightwingwatch.org/...
Finally, if a country such as the United States, with all our laws and protections, all our police and oversight, still has a problem with human sex trafficking, what makes one think that in a country with little oversight, other than religious paternalism, could not have seen this coming, especially since it has happened before? The economic situations in countries like Nigeria make human sex trafficking big business, and yet, it is not confined there. Take a look at the list of countries celebrating Mother’s Day this weekend, again. Every one of those countries have problems with the human sex trafficking, including Switzerland and Iceland. In other words, this is everywhere and getting worse. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
As for me, I am not celebrating Mother’s Day this year. My son and daughter understand, as well as my husband and parents. I am neither saint or martyr; I am pissed and sad. I grieve for those mothers in Nigeria. This is my protest because when you hurt one of our daughters this way, you hurt me, as a Mother. This is for you Nigeria. And this is for all the Mothers in every country without their daughters this weekend and beyond. #notcelebratingmothersday #bringbackourgirls #bringbackourdaughters “bringbackoursisters #womenarehumanbeingsandnotanimals