Filmmaker Wants To Stop Fathers From Giving Up Their Daughters
July 01, 2015 8:47 AM ET

She fights for the rights of women by telling stories about heroic men.

"The struggle to end violence against women has always been carried out by women activists," says Samar Minallah Khan, who makes documentaries about gender-based violence in her native Pakistan.

"Women have worked very hard to bring awareness, but it will never be enough." That's why she brings men into the picture. And her approach has won acclaim from both men and women.

Khan is one of five women honored with a Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices, a group founded by Hillary Clinton after the World Conference of Women in Beijing in 1995. At the presentation ceremony, held at the Kennedy Center last month, a packed house of women gave her a standing ovation when she dedicated the award to the men in her life: "my amazing supportive and loving father, my husband, my brothers and my son."

Khan's films focus primarily on the practice of swara, where a daughter is given away as compensation for a crime. Swara happens mainly in poor, rural areas.

An anthropologist and documentarian who grew up in Pakistan but was educated in England, she started investigating swara in the early 2000s. The more she learned, the more upset she became. In 2003, her documentary Swara — A Bridge Over Troubled Water, profiled victims and their families.

Khan went into rural regions and spoke with men who had been forced to give a daughter or sister away as compensation for a crime or to settle a family feud. Her work challenged the norms in very traditional areas of Pakistan; she faced intimidation and death threats. And she still does. Most of the initial footage for her most recent documentary on swara was unusable because the cameraman was shaking from fear.

Those challenges have led Khan to find an unlikely protagonist for her documentaries. Over and over, she was impressed by the men who opposed this practice.

"Men, too, face hurdles for speaking up and for challenging norms," she says. "Standing up in the face of society and country expectations, that takes a lot of courage."

She tells the story of one father who had committed a crime against someone in his community. The crime victim wanted the father's daughter in compensation. Khan says the father came to her with tears in his eyes, saying he would rather give away all of his possessions, all his land and money, than lose his daughter. In the end, he gave away all of his money and many of his possessions but kept his child at home.

Such stories weren't being told before Khan started making her documentaries.

In her documentaries, Samar Minallah Khan focuses on men to change the way women are treated.

"There is a theory that stories are based on ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances," says Khan. "I choose instead to make films about ordinary people in ordinary circumstances that make the extraordinary choice."

In 2004, in response to her documentary, Pakistan officially outlawed swara. No longer can women legally be given as compensation for crimes. The punishment for offenders is three to 10 years in jail.

"You can never underestimate the power of law," she says. "But it's too soon to see how it will be implemented."

Khan has continued to make documentaries that shine a light on this practice, and she actively works to raise awareness about the law. In the rural tribal regions of Pakistan, changing the opinions of the powerful is as important as changing the laws.

And almost as difficult.

At the Kennedy Center ceremony, videos highlighted the work of the five honorees. Khan's video featured interviews with young men wrestling with the changing culture in Pakistan.

As one young man said, "It boils down to what is seen by boys of this age as being cool. Being cool is being independent, being straight-faced and wearing dark sunglasses. But maybe in a decade, being cool is being a feminist."

Until feminism is cool in rural Pakistan, Kahn will keep advocating for women - by working with men.

LTme posted >>>
Webb has an impressive r�sum�.

But I've read, he'd run to the left of Hillary.

Takes care of that.

What I don't understand 2A,
why is Bernie Sanders attracting larger crowds than any other candidate OF EITHER PARTY?!

wtf

MsHarmony posted >>>
Congress has defined a hate crime as a '�criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender'�s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.'
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/hate_crimes/overview

"Domestic terrorism" means activities with the following three characteristics:

Involve acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law;
Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination. or kidnapping; and
Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition

the definitions are nearly identical,,,id say all hate crimes are not terrorist but all terrorist acts are hate crimes its harder to call it terrorist if its addressed at specific people,so If I dont like mexicans and I am out drunk and run across a mexican and terrify them and run them over,, thats a hate crime

if I know mexicans meet at a certain place on tuesdays, and I am upset the government allows mexican illegals certain privileges,, and I shoot them all up,,,,,including some statement of why I fell mexicans are a threat,,,,,,Id call that domestic terrorism

the former being an in the moment hateful impulse
the latter being planned and motivated also by a political agenda or to make a political statement ,,,ie an act of terrorism

but I agree, the definitions,, (at least via the FBI) seem to mostly have only a subjective difference based upon who wants to label the action,,

Although most States allow broad categories of predicate or underlying offenses to be charged as a hate crime (such as assault, vandalism, and a wide variety of misdemeanors and felonies) and provide for penalty enhancements, only about half the States have enacted statutes that require data collection and offer victims a specific recourse for recovering damages. Statutory provisions addressing the training of law enforcement personnel to deal with hate crime exist in only 12 States. On the Federal level, a 1994 law mandates longer sentences for hate crime committed under Federal jurisdiction. These differences in laws from State to State—and on the Federal level—make it difficult to ensure consistency in the prosecution of hate crime.

williamseanoh asked >>>
are these poets?

buttons stated >>>
What are your thoughts on someone you have only emailed with asking to meet you for coffee then once you are in line they say.. "oh I will treat" if you are not even reaching for your wallet or purse?< there was a person ahead of us in the line> curious.. was I asked out then expected to pay for it? that is how i kinda took it.. I was polite and just said oh thank you that is very nice of you.... Im really not sure if that should of even been mentioned as we were standing in line? i can see this being said before i agreed to go for the $2.10 coffee but in line? I spent my date with scattered thoughts thinking about this.. was i supposed to say "oh no....I can pay for my own" or "oh no, I can pay for our coffee" not sure what to think about this...

Lukinfolov asked >>>
Why do parents expect their children to accept the religion of the family?

Is it not logical that a child be exposed to all religions as history lessons so that he can form his own opinion when he matures?

I feel this world would be a better place if we were allowed to choose our religion after eighteen.

Your thoughts.

America Ferrera Thanks Donald Trump for
Energizing Latino Voters Against Ignorant Bigotry

July 2nd, 2015



It'��s a pathetic situation in America when the queasy combination of celebrities and politics can literally result in '��celebrity politicians'�� -�� carnival freak shows like Donald Trump whose name-brand recognition is enough to propel his ignorance to the top of U.S. presidential polls. There'��s of course no reason why passionate celebrity activists shouldn'��t use their intelligent involvement to raise awareness of social issues, as America Ferrera demonstrated so beautifully when she took part in the transformative Women'��s Rights documentary, Half the Sky (along with Diane Lane, Olivia Wilde, Nicole Kidman, Eva Mendes, Gabrielle Union and Meg Ryan). That, we applaud. Today America Ferrara made news with a blistering open letter to the GOP travesty called Donald Trump, thanking him for energizing Latino voters against the repulsive attitudes that he (and a weirdly large number of the Republican electorate) represent. She thanks him 'for reminding us that there remains an antiquated and endangered species of bigots in this country that we must continue to combat.'��

**** her full letter ****>>>
Dear Donald,

You'��ve said some pretty offensive things about Latino immigrants recently, and I think they'��re worth addressing. Because, you know, this is the United States of America, where I have a right to speak up even if I'��m not a billionaire. Isn'��t that awesome?

Anyway, I heard what you said about the kind of people you think Latino immigrants are -�� people with problems, who bring drugs, crime and rape to America. While your comments are incredibly ignorant and racist, I don'��t want to spend my time chastising you. I'��ll leave that to your business partners like Univision and NBC, who have the power to scold you where it hurts. Instead, I'��m writing to say thank you!

You see, what you just did with your straight talk was send more Latino voters to the polls than several registration rallies combined! Thank you for that. Here we are pounding the pavement to get American Latinos to the polls, while your tactic proves most effective. Remarks like yours will serve brilliantly to energize Latino voters and increase turnout on election day against you and any other candidate who runs on a platform of hateful rhetoric.

Do you know why that'��s such a big deal, Donald? Because Latinos are the largest, youngest and fastest-growing constituency in the United States of America. That'��s right! You are running for President in a country where the Latino population grew by over 49 percent from 2000-2012, while the rest of the country grew by 5.8 percent. What'��s more, we are the future. The median age of the average Latino is 27 years old, compared to 42 years old for white Americans. In case you need a translation, that means there are a whole lot of Americans who are Latino and have the right to vote. And, we'��re not going anywhere.

This is the America we are actually living in. I hope by now you understand that without the Latino vote, there is no chance of you ever winning this election. If you don'��t believe me, you could ask President Bush or you could even ask President Obama.

You, Mr. Trump, are living in an outdated fantasy of a bigoted America. Last week, America celebrated some amazing milestones -�� marriage equality, universal healthcare, removing of the confederate flag - making it clear in which direction the country is moving. That is why racist remarks that play to extremists won'��t change the tide, no matter how hard you try. They will only serve to rally more Latino voters to the polls. Your negativity and your poorly thought out speech ignited a fire in our community. Thank you, Mr. Trump!

Thank you for reminding us that there remains an antiquated and endangered species of bigots in this country that we must continue to combat. Thank you for reminding us to not sit complacently at home on election day, but to run to the polls and proclaim that there is no place for your brand of racial politicking in our government. Thank you for sending out the rallying cry.

You have made your thoughts on the Latino community clear and you continue to stand by them. And in return, we will do more than tweet about our indignation and beat pinatas of your likeness. We will silence you at the polls. We will vote and use our growing position in U.S. politics. Our fellow Americans who understand and value our contributions will join us. We know there is nothing that scares you more.

The truth is, Mr. Trump, that your comments mean that you fail to see that immigrants are what have made this nation. They are at the core of our ideals, and they are the foundation that keeps us afloat. No, Mr. Trump, you may not reduce us to drug dealers and rapists. We are moms and dads, sons and daughters. We are valedictorians and honor students. We are college graduates, bankers, police officers, entertainers, teachers, journalists, politicians and we are the future of America.

Thank you for helping us in our work to energize the Latino vote and to usher in our shared future! Keep it up!

Sincerely,
America

Jim Webb
Former United States Senator

James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is an American politician and author. He has served as a United States Senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense, congressional staffer, and Marine Corps officer. In the private sector he has been an Emmy-award winning journalist, a filmmaker, and the author of ten books.

Born: Feb 09, 1946 (age 69) Saint Joseph, MO

Spouse: Hong Le Webb (Since 2006)
Jo Ann Krukar (1981 - 2006)
Barbara Samorajczyk (1968 - 1979)

Previous offices: United States Senator VA (2007 - 2013)

United States Secretary of the Navy (1987 - 1988)

Party: Democratic Party
Education: United States Naval Academy - University of Southern California - Georgetown University - Georgetown University Law Center

Children: Julia Webb (Daughter) - Georgia LeAnh Webb (Daughter) - Amy Webb Hogan (Daughter) - Sarah Webb (Daughter)

Timeline

1978: Fields of Fire written by Jim Webb was first published in 1978.

1981: His second marriage was to health-care lobbyist Jo Ann Krukar in 1981 who also assisted in his 2006 Senate campaign.

1987: In 1987, he served as Secretary of the Navy, becoming the first Naval Academy graduate to serve as the civilian head of the Navy.

***************************
Mr. Webb, who set up a presidential exploratory committee in November, released a statement promising a “fresh approach” and saying the country needs to “shake the hold of these shallow elites on our political process.”

Witnesses: Boko Haram attacks kill 145 in northeastern Nigeria
By Steve Almasy, CNN
Updated 4:54 PM ET, Thu July 2, 2015

(CNN)—At least 145 people were killed after Boko Haram militants raided three villages in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno, witnesses said Thursday.

The Islamist militant group's attack late Wednesday in the Kukawa fishing village killed 97 people, resident Kawu Aisaye told CNN.

A senior Nigerian military official confirmed the attack, adding the military conducted airstrikes following the raid and is sending troops to assess the damage.

The official was unable to provide details about casualties.

A lawmaker in the region, Mohammed Tahir, told CNN that Boko Haram killed 48 people and injured 11 others Wednesday when the militants stormed two other villages near the town of Monguno.

Boko Haram, which loosely translates to "Western education is sin" in the Hausa language, is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. It has been brutal against civilians and authorities alike as it tries to impose its extreme version of Sharia law over an expansive territory.

Residents of Borno state, which borders Chad, and other parts of northeastern Nigeria know this all too well. For years they have dealt with Boko Haram assaults, bombings, abductions and mass kidnappings -- the most infamous being the taking of more than 200 schoolgirls in the town of Chibok in 2014.

Earlier this year, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS.

no1phD asked >>>
Sooo.. if he is against illegal immigrants.. who's going to build his shiny big towers of... you know the monuments to himself.. who's going to build those if there are no immigrants...hmmm..... not that unions..ohh.noo.... I'm starting to think the price of a loaf of bread is going to skyrocket really soon...lol

IamWhoIam replied >>>
Just send him an inflatable doll with a vibrator.

IamWhoIam asked >>>
What happened to satan wasn't gay?

There are too many options and it's confusing people. They can add those if they wish. Let's simplify and narrow down to 2 types.

There are 2 basic foot types.

<---- The Roman - all toes perfectly proportioned in size order.

The Greek - the second toe is longer than the big toe.

Which foot type do you have?

Is it really terrorism?
Lynch'��s assessment of the historical concept of domestic terrorism has not squelched calls to treat Roof and other white supremacists as more than just hate criminals.

Slippery definitions
Not every scholar in criminology will agree that what Roof did was terrorism. An agreed upon definition is apparently hard to come by.

FOX posted >>>
Pictures are needed here

IamWhoIam replied >>>
I believe the expression is moth to flame.

IamWhoIam stated >>>
Roman is supposed to be the common one but I see the Greek ones all the time.

Debbie posted >>>
happy. after a long wait, its going to happen.