Michael Smith writes: >It seems to me the "possibility" of the poor young woman >being forced to marry against her will is rather being almost >forcefully insisted upon by Allen with no evidence whatsoever.
The words I used in criticizing Dr Afkhani’s article were that (given his psychological viewpoint) he failed to mention that the young woman’s symptoms “may possibly relate to…”, and that he failed to “even touch on the possibility" of, reluctance on the part of the young woman to marry a relative chosen for her as determined by her father. I think it is evident that I was raising it as a possibility that should have been considered by Dr Afkhani, not “almost forcefully insisting” that this was the case. Michael suggests that what I wrote was: >Another example of American cultural insensitivity? Interesting comment, given that I linked to a Kurdish Women’s Rights organisation campaigning against quite common extreme violence against Kurdish young women who fail to conform to the cultural norms expected of them in Kurdish Iraq: http://www.kwrw.org/ And was it an example of cultural insensitivity when I wrote: “I’m not saying that Dr Afkhani should have advocated that the Kurdish healer should have necessarily delved into her situation to find out exactly what was at the root of her anxieties. Unfortunately in such traditional patriarchal societies a young woman who openly rebelled against being forced to marry against her wishes (if such were the case here) might find life virtually impossible, and coming to terms with her situation could be making the best of a bad situation.” Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London [email protected] http://www.esterson.org ------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Smith <[email protected]> Subject: Re: A Doctor in Iraq Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:35:40 -0600 It seems to me the "possibility" of the poor young woman being forced to marry against her will is rather being almost forcefully insisted upon by Allen with no evidence whatsoever. Another example of American cultural insensitivity? -------------------------------------------- From: Jim Clark <[email protected]> Subject: Re: A Doctor in Iraq Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:01:19 -0600 Hi I believe you would have to say "British cultural insensitivity" in Allen's case, although generally it does seem common to lump all those Eurocentric types together. As for the question of "being forced into marriage" as a possible explanation for the girl's distress, personally I would tend to give it greater credence than demonic possession, even absent evidence in this specific case, much as I would be more likely to attribute someone having the sniffles to a cold, sadness, and the like rather than a spirit trying to find its way out the nose. Not all hypotheses are created equal. And it hardly seems like much of a stretch, given widespread concern about forcing girls into marriage and related acts among certain cultural groups, and the dire consequences for girls who resist. Following article describes problem in UK, for example. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/11/forcedmarriageswhocounts The article and subsequent discussion makes clear that getting firm figures on the extent of the problem, even in the UK, is a real challenge. Imagine how much more challenging to get sound information in Iraq and other middle eastern countries, especially in rural areas. Take care Jim James M. Clark Professor of Psychology 204-786-9757 204-774-4134 Fax [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=7567 or send a blank email to leave-7567-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
