November Roundup
Newsletter 015 -- World Cup. Iran. Where we're finding history's breadcrumbs today.
Hey friends!
As you might expect, there’s some World Cup analysis ahead, because futbol is life — but it’s also political. As I’ve been enjoying the World Cup, it’s been, at times, uncomfortably obvious to me, the imperialist context within which we find ourselves.
Qatar, a former British protectorate, only just gained independence from Britain in 1971. Is the current criticism of Qatar constructive? Not always. Is it warranted? Yes. Does it make my blood boil that criticism is largely coming from the imperialists who intentionally kept Qatar from independent global engagement and stunted its modernization to achieve their own imperialist goals? Naturally.
Speaking of imperialists stunting progress: On the 2020 campaign trail, Biden spoke of creating a foreign policy for the middle class and working people. It was the pillar of his foreign policy that I was most excited about because the creation of pathways for everyday people to engage in foreign policy has felt vital for some time now. Today, the Iranian diaspora in the U.S. is reeling trying to define their role and leverage their unique privilege to help carry the freedom movement forward. For Iranians in the U.S., this is made more difficult by the fact that there hasn’t been a U.S. diplomat to Iran since 1979 when the U.S. terminated diplomatic relationships with the country. The State Department, where all foreign policy is done, operates outside of the democratic process — meaning we don’t vote on foreign diplomats or our other international representatives, nor do we have a say in policy initiatives. I think it’s essential to American life that foreign policy be brought into the democratic process.
Oops, that was a long intro. Enjoy!
» Americans chanting: “It’s Called Soccer!” — OverheardWorldCup
Empires of Soccer
“In fact, I find it hard to think of a global event that could be more à la mode than this World Cup, a tournament so deeply steeped in contradictions and challenges. Here we have a great global bonanza for a onetime British sport hosted by a onetime British protectorate that has now insured its independence by becoming the host for the new military superpower, the United States.” (quote from the article)
For some, focus on World Cup host Qatar highlights Western double standards
Qatar is the first Arab, Muslim country to host the World Cup so it shouldn't surprise anyone that the critique of Qatar would be so unforgiving, in comparison to the critique previous hosts have received in the past. It is necessary and valid to point out and criticize the human rights violations that occurred while Qatar prepared for the World Cup, including the thousands of deaths of migrant workers from South Asia. What makes critique of Qatar different from other countries, is that now the critique is cloaked in islamophobia. The main source of criticism comes from Europe and the United States, who self-righteously point out discrimination in the Arab world, while racism and discrimination are rampant in their own countries. We should understand that duality exists here — we can criticize both Qatar’s human rights abuses and the hypocrisy of the West. Recognizing this duality is particularly important as we see governments pointing out human rights abuses to distract from, or justify, what is happening in their own country. For example, Iran questioned the first Black captain of the U.S. soccer team about how he feels about representing a country that discriminates against Black folks, and the U.K. media pointed out homophobia in Qatar. Many reporters and citizens of Europe and the U.S. have happily attended these games whilst partaking in performative allyship which included posting on social media, or holding signs. If they felt strongly about the injustices they keep pointing out, not attending the games would’ve had a much more significant impact on Qatar, and would have sent a stronger message. — Sarah
Dreams of Wealth Turn to Dust for Bangladeshi Workers in Qatar
Before I begin, I want to offer redirection to the cognitively dissonant West, as Western media has found themselves frenzied by the horrific stories coming out of Qatar. Condemning the exploitation of workers and deadly working conditions in Qatar is the correct response, but for the West to speak as if deadly working conditions and exploitation are anomalies to their own capitalist systems… *eye roll*. Here is the context in which the exploitation of migrant workers ahead of the world cup exists: many Middle Eastern and Gulf nations, have systematized exploitative labor practices under the kafala system. The kafala system was created in the late 1950s, to supply Middle East and Gulf nations with cheap migrant labor at a time when the region was in the midst of rapid economic growth. Governments provide the kafeel (sponsor; usually a local business or individual) with permits to employ migrants as laborers or domestic workers. Because the system is under the jurisdiction of the interior ministries, and not the labor ministries, these workers have little-to-no protections under their host country’s labor laws. On top of that, a workers’ employment and residency visas are linked, and the sponsor decides when and if they want to renew or terminate a visa – giving the sponsor full control over the workers’ legal status and fortifying the visceral and exploitative power imbalance that exists in the kafala system. Only recently have abuses under the kafala system been recorded and shared widely. Here are a few examples: 1) employers will restrict the workers’ movement and communication with others by confiscating their passports, visas, and phones, 2) employers will reduce or withhold pay, arbitrarily and without notice, 3) sponsors will illegally sell a workers’ visa to another employer, and the new job might be completely different or even pay them less. Quitting isn’t an option for migrant workers under the kafala system, as leaving a job without the permission of their sponsor can lead to imprisonment, in the most extreme cases. There are substantial differences between labor practices in the West and the kafala system, but the compulsion to engage in exploitative practices for profit is the same. — Alexis
» Culture & History Today
During their colonial rule, Britain controlled and classified the Hijra community in India and tactically turned them into a threat to their power, thereby justifying the laws put in place to bureaucratically and violently police them. This instance of created marginalization and social othering can be found across the span of history, proving that conditions like poverty and marginalization are manmade, and that gender is a construct. — Alexis
Traditional Palestinian Techniques Taken Form on ADISH’s Levi’s Collaboration
The story of ADISH is a story of four people coming together in thoughtful allyship to create beautiful and functional apparel while sharing the traditional craft practices of Bedouine and Palestinian communities. Palestinian craftswomen in the occupied territories, craftspeople from Bedouine communities in the Negev, and New York-based Palestinian artist, Jordan Nassar, are responsible for the Tatreez designs and other embellishments adorning ADISH’s pieces. I’m not just lauding the functionality of their wares, but their overall ethos as well – how they have managed to facilitate economic opportunity, cultural exchange, and leverage Palestinian soft power to subtly subvert the Israeli occupation. The ADISH team is intimately aware of the intricacies of occupation and the importance economic freedom will play in setting in motion possibilities for the future: “We believe that building business and personal relationships between Palestinian and Israeli people, which take into account the unequal power dynamics and the role of Israel as the oppressor, can disrupt the state of paralysis and contribute towards freedom for Palestine and peace” (from their website). For an occupation to be effective, control of the cultural narrative is as important as geographic, physical, and economic control. It is a less obvious (yet, still violent) practice of occupation. In order to establish their cultural dominance in the land, Israel’s cultural campaigns have outright erased, appropriated, or intentionally blurred the origins or history of Palestinian culture and Palestine. And, ADISH is openly pushing back against this particular practice of occupation, “There is a long and shameful history of deliberate cultural appropriation of Palestinian symbols by Israelis, including the co-opting of the keffiyeh, which is part of the uprooting of the reality of the Palestinian experience. We aim to buck this trend by centering the living craft of Palestinian Tatreez, using our privilege as a half-Israeli company…” (from their website). This Levi’s collaboration brings the rich storytelling and beauty of Tatreez, as well as the reality of Israel’s occupation of Palestine, to an even wider audience and I hope ADISH’s ethos encourages more thoughtful allyship. More than that, I hope this sheds light on the many facets of the project of occupation and how, out of necessity, the occupier must so efficiently abrogate all aspects of everyday life, history, and the culture of the oppressed group. — Alexis
Twitter May Be Dying. Its Time to Build our Own Social Network
Musk’s takeover of Twitter is a huge loss to those who have, for many years, used the platform for organizing, information sharing, and all of the good and positive things social media allows us to engage in. Although segments of the platform strayed from this, its positive output in society – gathering people far and wide, globalizing information sharing with incredible speed – was exponential in comparison. At its genesis, Twitter was a place for writers and thinkers, as well as the aimless thoughts of the youth looking to understand the platform for themselves. Social media platforms in general, but Twitter more specifically, were touted as tools meant to better our everyday lives and make us more connected than ever before. It certainly connected us, but more than anything, I think it made us more aware of each other – people and communities we would never have known about. During the Pandemic, when COVID-19 made the world feel smaller than ever, people turned their focus to their direct communities, the few square blocks or roads they were allowed to meander – organizing food deliveries, coming together to figure out how to support kids to mitigate learning loss, starting community refrigerators. I credit the widespread interest in mutual aid, and the many civil protests that followed in the summer of 2020, to the unavoidable acknowledgment of our humanity thrust upon us during the nervous unknown that was the pandemic and lockdown. Social media fanned the flame of protest, spreading it far, wide, and rapidly. But the impetus, I believe, began on the ground during the month of lockdown, when people were engaging in a different kind of social networking. There is incredible value in digital social platforms, and as we rethink their purpose, and how to keep ourselves safe in these spaces, I want us to also consider how we get back to the intended purpose of these platforms as tools. There is a proper place and proper work for every space – so we must get specific about what we can actually build in digital spaces, that can’t be done the same elsewhere, and how these digital networks and platforms will bring meaning to our real-life relationships and impact the conditions on the ground in our communities. — Alexis
» What Else is Happening?
In this episode, they go over the points and conditions brought to the table during peace talks between the Ethiopian federal government and Tigray forces. They also discuss the role and involvement of the leaders and nations outside of the country that influenced the conflict’s dynamics and the peace negotiation process. The agreement would end the long and bloody war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. — Alexis
SEKEM
Due to my Egyptian heritage, COP27 in Egypt was even more front and center for me than usual. I personally knew a variety of people, companies, and organizations who attended and presented at the conference, so I wanted to highlight an organization whose work I really admire. One such organization was SEKEM, one of the largest sustainable, biodynamic farms in the MENA region – the MENA region is rarely recognized for its many sustainability projects and innovations. The CEO of SEKEM, Helmy Abouleish, participated in a few discussions at COP27 this year, and one of his more notable presentations was around accelerating the implementation of regenerative farming, ranching, and forestry methods around the world. SEKEM uses biodynamic agricultural methods for farming, and truly embodies the intersection of sustainability and community. But SEKEM isn't just a farm. They host social and self-care events for their staff, have on-site schools for their employee’s children, and they offer comprehensive health and reproductive care. Additionally, SEKEM will run on 100% renewable energy by the end of this year! One of their main goals is to support Egypt in becoming a country that functions solely on renewable energy by 2057. COP27 taking place in countries of the Global South, like Egypt, offers local initiatives, organizations, and projects, an international platform and allows communities most affected, and therefore at the forefront of innovation, the opportunity to share their learning and be a part of the conversation. — Sarah
Protests have broken out across China as citizens become fed up with the Zero Covid Policy measures which have been lifted only incrementally in the last three years. In this episode, they discuss how President Xi might be interpreting this very public about-face happening among Chinese citizens. — Alexis
Suppression of Protests; Iran says it will not cooperate with the UN fact-finding committee
There have been nonstop protests in the streets of Iran, and constant police brutality against the protesters and citizens for the last eleven weeks following the arrest and fatal beating of Mahsa Amini by Iran’s morality police. Numbers were released showing that 448 Iranians have been killed including 60 children by the Iranian regime during the protests so far. Iranians in Iran are risking their lives in the streets while the diaspora scrambles to figure out how best to support and amplify the voices of those on the ground. In addition, the Iranian diaspora grapples with the foreign policies of the countries they currently live — unable to participate in tangible ways, like voting. Iranians are pleading for the global community to put pressure on the Iranian government — even if it’s as simple as posting on social media to spread awareness. Since the Iranian government controls the two news outlets in the country, uplifting the voices of the Iranian people is crucial. — Sarah
» Updates
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In Solidarity,
The 823 Team