GINS #5 - The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

           My Forbidden Face is a touching story about a young girl, and the struggles that she faced under the rule of the Taliban. The most shocking thing about this tale is that every single word is true. A girl at the mere age of 16 was forced to witness the murder of many that she had known since childhood. Forced to witness some poor, innocent soul beaten to a pulp on the off chance that she chose to step outside of her once beloved home. Everyday being reminded of the freedom that she once shared with every single individual in Afghanistan.

            I have officially finished reading my Global Issues Novel Study, but we aren’t quite done yet. Recently we have begun to talk about the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and we decided that it was time to once again discuss, and apply, our knowledge of the novels we had chosen. Through this I began to think, with the way the quality of life was described in my novel, did Afghanistan even have any kind of constitution at that time? I realized after minimal thinking that even if Afghanistan did follow a constitution before the rule of the Taliban, it was completely thrown aside when they rose to power. The time period in which my book takes place was a time where the people’s voice and thoughts didn’t matter. Either way, I thought there must be something that I could use to compare to our quality of life based on the Charter. I found that Afghanistan today has a pretty solid constitution. Another thing I found, though it may or may not be practiced, is that their constitution had laws about the rights and freedoms of every individual was actually very similar to our own.

            Of course, the constitution is very long, so I am unable to talk about the whole thing. There were, however, some points that I found really jumped out to me. These are points that I personally thought were either most shocking or most important. I believe that the reason I chose these points over all the others was because they relate almost entirely with the sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They stated that discrimination, for any reason, is against the law. This just so happens to be the very definition of one of the sections in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Individual Rights, Equality Rights. It was also written that any citizen who wishes to move in, out, or around the country was free to do so, Mobility Rights, and they even believe in the policy that everyone is absolutely innocent until proven guilty, which just so happens to be a small part of the Legal Rights section. They fully believe in democracy. They have elections just like we do in Canada and even have a National Assembly, which is more than slightly similar to the Canadian House of Commons.

            Now with all these similarities between the Constitution of Afghanistan and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, how did the country manage to fall into such dark and cruel hands? Well it turns out that during the reign of the Taliban, Afghanistan didn’t have a constitution. Sure they had plenty of laws before the Taliban took over, but they never followed an absolute law. They had actually just begun to discover the benefits of living in a democratic society, due to the violence in Afghanistan’s history, so the concept was easy to tear down by the Taliban. During the time period in which my book takes place, the Taliban created all the laws. They told the citizens that the rules being made were from the Quran, which is the spiritual book of Islamic Culture, but in reality the rules were twisted in order to suit the Taliban’s needs and interests.

            I wonder, during the reign of the Taliban, if Afghanistan had found a way to somehow enforce something like the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms into their society, what would that time of history have looked like? How would Afghanistan today be different? I began to look into it and discovered that if they were to have enforced the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms into their country, the Taliban wouldn’t have existed. This is because practically everything that they did during their reign would have gone against everything in the Charter. In the book it tells you that one of the Taliban’s main goals at the time was to practically rid their country of its female citizens. Discrimination against anyone, for any reason (including gender), is against the law in Canada. Anther thing you can find is that many times throughout the book people would be beaten without any rhyme or reason. This clearly goes against our Legal Rights, because it states that seizure or search without reason is against the law. It also states that it is an individual’s right to say no to any cruel or unusual punishment.

            In the end, there is really no way that you can truly compare Afghanistan’s past with our present because the way of governing is completely different. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the constitution of a democratic country that believes in the power of the people. The rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan was a total dictatorship in which the people had no say in the way that their country was ruled. As we have learned time and time again throughout history, in a dictatorship, no matter how well it is organized, the people are never truly happy. So in conclusion, yes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, if applied to Afghanistan’s past and many other places in the world throughout history, would have completely changed the way our world was shaped today, but due to the differences in the government, there is now way for it to be applied without completely altering history.

GINS and Tumblr Mash Up

“We share and trade a lot in Kabul: Nothing useful should be wasted.” – Latifa, My Forbidden Face by Karenna Gore Schiff 

For those of you who don’t know, in school along with our consumerism project, we are also doing a Global Issues Novel Study (GINS). In this study we all got a chance to pick a novel, usually based on a true story, about an issue that we are interested about. Through this, we were meant to find ways that we could take action in these current issues. I chose a book titled My Forbidden Face. It is a true story about a young, teenage girl who has found herself a prisoner in her own home when the Taliban first made themselves known in Afghanistan. Her world spiraled, turning from a mostly modern society to a complete dictatorship. Countless rules, new ones being announced every day, taking the radio stations that once played music. I began thinking, how would my identity, values, and beliefs be altered if I was to live through and experience what the protagonist, Latifa, did. How it would feel to know freedom, in fact live half your life with the right, only to have it snatched away overnight. What would happen if I were to watch someone that I had known for practically my whole life be killed in front of my eyes.

As I was reading through the novel, I had an overlying question on almost every single page, why? Why are there so many rules, why isn’t anyone standing up against them, and why are the Taliban performing such cruel acts? Even if I can learn to accept their reasoning, I will never fully understand it. Who would be willing to become a part of the Taliban, knowing full well of all that they have done? Since Afghanistan is not considered to be a first world country, it has many different aspects that describe its’ collective identity, consumerism not being one of them. As you know, citizens of first world countries are often described as consumers. It has become such a big aspect of our lives that for us, living without consumerism would be the equivalent of living without our physiological needs. When I first began this post, I was thinking about how I can relate my consumer identity to that of Latifa, or others in Afghanistan. I found out very quickly that what people in countries like Afghanistan don’t waste their money on useless wants. They do whatever they can to survive. A really interesting idea that came up in this book was, “Joy and sorrow are sisters.” – Karenna Gore Schiff. It was something that really got me thinking about how two things that are such polar opposites can be true. After some consideration, I figured that she is correct. Without one, how can the other exist? That being said, I can never imagine what it would feel like to feel nothing but joy or sorrow. All I can say is that going through the hardships described in the novel.

Global Issues Novel Study #3

So we are still doing our Global Issues Novel Study, but we have completed a National Profile of our book. We took the country in which our book takes place (so Afghanistan for me) and tried to do some research that would allow us all to better understand the book. Unlike many of my classmates, I am the only one reading My Forbidden Face, so I had to change the assignment up a little bit. Instead of discussing my National Profile and book with others who are reading it, I had to find a few individuals who were in the same situation as me. Though the topics don't entirely relate, I believe that the discussion is quite powerful. Either way, here is our Roundtable Discussion #2 about our books and National Profiles that we have created!

Global Issues Novel Study (GINS) #2

Hello!

So we have continued with our GINS project in school. This time, we had a roundtable discussion with others, who may or may not have the same novel as you, and discussed things like what issues we were discussing, and our thoughts on the novel so far. Here it is!

Global Issues Novel Study (GINS) #1

Hello!

          So, we are once again starting something new in Hummanities. As we know, though at times our world may look perfect, there are quite a few things that occur in places all over the globe. Things that most of us can't even imagine. So our whole grade has gone and chosen a novel that relates to one of these issues (poverty, child soldiers, etc...). The books that we chose are thing that we are passionate about and want to learn how we can take action. Some are fiction, but most (like mine) are non fiction.
          My book, titled My Forbidden Face, is about a young girl named Latifa, who was a young lady in Afghanistan when the Taliban first took over. As you may or may not know, the Taliban have done horrible, horrible things to all the places they have managed to siege control over. Women become completely imprisoned and don't receive the simplest rights and freedoms such as speech and healthcare. Women who, since born in the twentieth/twenty-first century, grew up having freedom now must learn to live in fear. Murder in the name of "justice" is everywhere you look, if you are brave enough to leave your home, which is basically a new prison.
           I chose this book/topic for my novel study because it was a topic that, though I heard a lot about, I never really had any kind of understanding of. After reading just 20% of the novel, I have already learned so much that I didn't know. I cannot imagine what kind of life people who live in those situations must be living, but I can always count on books to pull me into their world. It is truly unbelievable and after gaining even the minimal amount of knowledge that I have, I really want to find a way that I can help.
           I have very minimal knowledge of this topic. All I know is that the Taliban are a group that twist their religion and force others to follow the practices that they have based off of their holy book. I also know that the knowledge gained by most all holy books (including the Koran) is basically the same. They all teach of how to live your life and what your ultimate goal should be.
          As I read through the first 20% of the book I came up with a lot of questions. There were of course things like definitions and such, but also things like what else happened at the time. One of the biggest questions I had was, if the Taliban are a group that are religious (as it said in the glossary) then where do they get the idea to do what they do? Another major question I had was that what did women do that caused them to be under such strict rules? Some other ones include, how would it be like to live in a place where most of what you know is fear? What would I do if I was put in that exact same situation? What would I do if I had been born and brought up in the same place at the same time?
           So far in the novel they have introduced (of course) Latifa who is the protagonist of this story. Her family has been introduced and we know that all members of her family have lived in fear for much of their life, even though the Taliban are not introduced until they are all quite old. The Taliban have begun to be introduced and they have briefly talked about Osama Bin Laden as well (this is the very beginning of when he started becoming "known").
          So that is it for now, I will be reading more of the novel and sharing my thoughts along the way. I hope that through this novel I can learn enough about the situation in those countries to take action and I encourage you to do so as well!

Litspiration Challenge #3

Hello! 

So we have once again been assigned to complete a litspiration challenge. This time I thought that I would try to incorporate multiple books, instead of focusing on just one. After some looking around, I decided that I would take certain quotes, ones that I connect with or ones that I find are really inspirational, from some of my favourite books and share them with you. These are from some of my favourite books of all time... but definitely not all of them. There are far too many to include them all. Also the quotes are in no particular order. Before the quotes I state the book and a slight summery for each.

The Giver - Lois Lowry

          In the future, you are told your life. You have no memories, everyone is equal. No one can experience strong emotion. No one can experience things like colour, and beauty. No one that is, except for Jonas. On the day at which you are given your job, Jonas is shocked when his name isn't called. Only to find out later on that he has been given the job of becoming the new Giver. This man or woman holds all the memories of mankind. They are the only ones who can experience love, true joy, and have the knowledge of happiness. On the other hand, they are also the only ones who must bear the burden of the pain and catastrophe that the world has faced. Hunger, poverty and war are unknown aspects to all but the Giver. When the life of one he loves is put into danger, he faces a choice. A choice that could change the lives of those all around him... forever.

“The worst part of the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”

I chose this because I cannot imagine being unable to share any of my memories. Even happy memories are not happy at all unless you have someone to share them with.

“If you were to be lost in the river, Jonas, your memories would not be lost with you. Memories are forever.” 

Even when you or anyone else is gone from this world, memories are where they live on. They are always there, somewhere in the world.

Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer

          So for this book I have done a book review on it, so you can find that further below. Basically this a story that is told by Miranda through her diary. The novel begins when the moon is knocked incredibly close to the Earth, completely destroying all the ecosystems of the world. Everyone has to struggle just to survive, without knowing if those you love are still alive or not.

“I wonder if I’ll have to decide which is worse, life as we’re living or no life at all.”

Even though Miranda has been through so much, she still cannot decide whether or not her life is truly worth living. This goes to show that no matter how hard things may become, the fact that you are alive is what counts. A quote that has practically the same meaning as this one, found in this book was, “But I don’t want to have to stop feeling. I really think I’d rather die than stop feeling.” The fact that without every emotion that you feel, even the bad ones, you would not be complete. It would feel like there is something crucial missing from your life, you just wouldn’t know what.

“I never really thought about how when I look at the moon it’s the same moon as Shakespeare, Marie Antoinette, George Washington and Cleopatra looked at.”

Until I read this quote, this thought never occurred to me.  I never realized that the same moon I look at every night is viewed and has been viewed by everyone and everything on Earth. This means that from this same moon many people have received inspiration, leading to greatness. It is the same moon that everyone in the world looks at every night.

“I wonder if I cry whether my tears would be gray.” 

This quote makes me wonder, could life ever really become so bleak that there is no longer any colour left? How would it feel like to lead such a life?

“What’s the point of God making us human if He doesn’t want us to act like we’re human?’ ‘To see if we can rise above our natures,’ Megan said.”

I really like this quote because it makes me wonder, can human beings ever truly rise above their nature. Even if the world manages to become a utopia, there would always be flaws... wouldn't there?

“But she is wrong about hell. You don’t have to wait until you’re dead to get there.”

This quote shows that life can sometimes reach such a low that it is the equivalent to living in hell. To think that someone’s life is bad enough to make such a comparison is completely unthinkable to many people, and yet the fact that there are people who lead such lives really makes you stop and think about whether or not your life is really that bad.

Once A Witch - Carolyn McCallough

          This story takes place in a world of fantasy. Everyone in Tamsin's family has a special gift.  Everyone, but her. She has grown up with the pity of her cousins and family, and she is tired of it. Little does she know that she does indeed have her own gift. One that could completely change the lives of everyone she loves, for the worse.

“You’re not going to do anything stupid are you?’ You mean intentionally?”

I really like this quote. First off because it is completely true for me! Secondly because it shows that everyone does stupid things, you can choose to embrace the fact or beat yourself up over it.

“The future is written in water.”

This quote goes along with the saying "the future is never carved into stone." The fact that you shape your future and one slip is all it takes for everything to change. 

Charlotte's Web - E.B. White

          I am well aware that this is a children's story, but the message that it gave me when i read it as a child has stayed with me. This is a story about a pig, Wilbur, and his best friend, a spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur finds out that he is about to be slaughtered, he becomes absolutely distraught. In order to save his life, Charlotte creates a web with writing on it, something that humans assume that Wilbur has done. 

“After all, what’s a life anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die.”

I feel that this quote tells you that the end is inevitable. You can either embrace and work to make your life worth while, or you can live forever in fear. 

“Never hurry and never worry!”

The reason that I like this quote is because of the message it gives you.

Divergent - Veronica Roth

          Divergent follows the story of Beatrice Prior, or Tris. In a futuristic society with five different factions, you must choose one that will become what you revolve your life around. They are certain qualities that the new world feels the old world was lacking, which led to its doom. There is Abnegation, who are the selfless, the Candor, who are the honest, Amity, who are the peaceful, Erudite, who pursue knowledge, and finally the Dauntless who are the Brave. Everyone fits into one of these factions, except for a select few individuals who are called the Divergent.

“I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different.”

I feel that this is actually very true, but I also feel that all good acts (the ones from the five factions especially) are incredibly similar. I don't think that it would be possible to fully believe in just one of those five.

“… there is power in self-sacrifce.”

Sacrifice is a truly powerful thing, but self-sacrifice is the strongest of all. 

“One choice can transform you.”

The fact that one small thing. One decision that you jump into head first, can completely transform you, is a scary thing. Something that, until you acknowledge you can never understand the importance of your decisions.

“Lies require commitment.”

If you produce even the smallest lie, you will find yourself struggling to keep it alive. On top of that, the bigger the lie gets, the more you have to struggle, so why waste so much time and energy, that could be used to accomplish something greater?

“Humans can’t tolerate emptiness for long.”

Everyone needs someone or something that they can fully depend on. Without anything, you begin to feel empty, and no one can last like such for long, without completely changing.  

My Poetry Anthology