We both may not have considered what the other brings to the table. You can respect who I am, my viewpoint and where I’ve come from. I can respect who you are, your viewpoint, where you’ve come from. Most importantly you must engage in conversation with me in a tone that is not accusatory, aggressive, or hostile. You must keep silent as I speak as I have done with you. You must be willing to hear what I have to say in response to what you have said. But what you must offer in return is your ear. I can offer you silence as you share your thoughts. I can offer you a space in which to speak with me. Why can’t we all just get along?īut then I begin to wonder can we all just get along? Can we engage in debate with one another without turning on each other? Is there enough room to engage in healthy debate with one another without taking it to a place where we cannot come back from? Will we ever be able to do that? What can I do?Īnd that’s when I decided here’s what I could offer. But these thoughts keep coming back to one simple phrase. I am uncertain about one too many things these days. This commentary is occurring across all social media platforms. I have seen friendships begin to deteriorate. These arguments have gone from minor disagreements to hostile to volatile. Over the past few weeks as conversations continue around the upcoming election and social justice issues I have seen friends argue with other friends. I had gotten on the bus that very morning thinking about how we are at a crossroads.Ĭrossroads in our country, in our relationships, in our own thoughts. I began to wonder, as I had been on the bus, what is going on in the world? Is this my everyday now? People living in fear of each other? People living in fear of living? My “no thank you” had nothing to do with my fear of him but rather my desire to not attend a NYC tour but to him my quick response had everything to do with my fear of him. I turned the moment I heard him say that and we locked eyes.
He was the one who responded to my “no thank you”, as in no thank you I’m not interested in a tour today as I live in this area and know the city, with “you don’t have to be scared of black men”.
I kindly said no thank you to everyone I passed but one gentleman in particular caught my attention. If you know me at all you know I’m addicted to chocolate so how could I pass up that opportunity? You’re right, I couldn’t.Īs we walked in that direction we encountered the daily “hey see this tour” folks as they worked to gear up business from the people passing by. We were both heading that way but we decided to make a pit stop at the Hershey’s store because I had not been there yet.
Eye for an eye makes the whole world blind full#
When we were both full and done we began to walk back towards the port authority. We engaged in great conversation over great food. However, the world would be a better place if these attacks did not happen in the first place.I went to New York City yesterday to have brunch with a friend. Women like Bahrami, who have the courage and spirt to fight injustice, will make the world a better place.
Women throughout world face acid attacks because they are born female and want to have more autonomy in their lives. Essentially, her story teaches us that silence is not the way to battle acid attacks that are intended to victimize and control women. After all, acid attacks against women in Iran have not ended, and the people have protested on the streets to call the attention of the authorities.īahrami’s story opens so many debates about the way we should respond to these heinous attacks. These consequences have made Bahrami wonder whether she made the correct decision, pardoning her attacker. However, she has not been paid her compensations and the man who attacked her has been released from the jail. Instead of retribution, Bahrami requested financial compensations from her attacker that she needed for her treatments and surgeries.
After years of hard work, she obtained the permission from the courts to blind her attacker with acid, but things did not happen how she intended.Īt the last moment, just before blinding the attacker, she pardoned him. In other words, Bahrami wanted to punish the attacker with an “eye for an eye” type of justice. In retaliation Bahrami sought a unique form of justice from the Iranian courts under the Sharia Law that allowed her to blind the attacker with acid. The acid attack blinded and disfigured Bahrami, changing her life forever. In 2004 a man threw acid on Ameneh Bahrami, a young woman lived in Teheran, Iran because she had refused to marry him. Imagine how you would feel if someone threw acid in your face because you wanted autonomy and your choices to be respected. Imagine how you would feel if someone threw acid on your face because you did not want to marry that person. The struggle of a woman who sought retribution after a man blinded her with acid.īy Samantha Wickramasinghe, CCASA Blogger
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