The words he is using in regard to women and daughters can be very dangerous territory to diplomatic relations. They can easily be misinterpreted to give false meaning. Sometimes it is in the translation as well.
If I can be as so bold as he to allow slight insight to the canyons of difference Secretary Clinton faces everyday in her missions.
Women are a commodity in some nations. The meaning of their 'person' / 'their body' carries different meaning for different people, hence, different nations.
One of the most extreme differences occurs with in the Islamic faiths. Sunnis and Shi'ites are not simply ethnic divides they are very, very profound religious divides. To akin it to something the average American can understand: To ask a Sunni to accept the Islamic value system of a Shi'ite is a violation of their foundation precepts. It would be like asking the Catholic Pope to accept nuns as priests.
There are hierarchies of 'paths' to godliness. Clerics and Imams and Ayatollahs have to have a genetic path to Mohammad. They cannot be ordained in the way a common person can be ordained as a Catholic priest.
In the Sunni faith it is only the male children of the genetic path to Mohammad given validity to become clerics, etc. In the Shi'ite faith any child, male or female, are valid paths to Mohammad, yet, their holy men are men only and not women at all. It is the genetic path that is different between the two Islamic faiths.
When President Obama states women must have equality, it can easily be interpreted as an endorsement of the Shi'ite faith over the Sunni faith.
Why?
Because these nations do not separate religion from governance. So, to state women need equality even as girls to education, is to say to a Sunni Muslim their daughters are the correct path to all that is great with Mohammad. To govern is to be right with god in many instances. So, it is very tricky.
Today, at the United Nations, President Obama is seeking to break down barriers for the values we hold dear in the USA. To allow a new ability to value women and girls. Not to threaten faith in any way but to see the god given potential in their female children. To provide for greater dignity of women within their societies and end the deep misunderstanding of faithful purpose of women and their bodies in relation to their abilities to serve and govern. He is asking nations to expand the potential of their brain trusts to include all their citizens regardless of gender.
His speech is huge. Let's hope all leaders at the United Nations today are up to the challenge.
Secretary Clinton has her hands full, but, I have never known her to ignore a chance to commune with women of any nation to bring home the message they are valuable and she cares about them.
If I can be as so bold as he to allow slight insight to the canyons of difference Secretary Clinton faces everyday in her missions.
Women are a commodity in some nations. The meaning of their 'person' / 'their body' carries different meaning for different people, hence, different nations.
One of the most extreme differences occurs with in the Islamic faiths. Sunnis and Shi'ites are not simply ethnic divides they are very, very profound religious divides. To akin it to something the average American can understand: To ask a Sunni to accept the Islamic value system of a Shi'ite is a violation of their foundation precepts. It would be like asking the Catholic Pope to accept nuns as priests.
There are hierarchies of 'paths' to godliness. Clerics and Imams and Ayatollahs have to have a genetic path to Mohammad. They cannot be ordained in the way a common person can be ordained as a Catholic priest.
In the Sunni faith it is only the male children of the genetic path to Mohammad given validity to become clerics, etc. In the Shi'ite faith any child, male or female, are valid paths to Mohammad, yet, their holy men are men only and not women at all. It is the genetic path that is different between the two Islamic faiths.
When President Obama states women must have equality, it can easily be interpreted as an endorsement of the Shi'ite faith over the Sunni faith.
Why?
Because these nations do not separate religion from governance. So, to state women need equality even as girls to education, is to say to a Sunni Muslim their daughters are the correct path to all that is great with Mohammad. To govern is to be right with god in many instances. So, it is very tricky.
Today, at the United Nations, President Obama is seeking to break down barriers for the values we hold dear in the USA. To allow a new ability to value women and girls. Not to threaten faith in any way but to see the god given potential in their female children. To provide for greater dignity of women within their societies and end the deep misunderstanding of faithful purpose of women and their bodies in relation to their abilities to serve and govern. He is asking nations to expand the potential of their brain trusts to include all their citizens regardless of gender.
His speech is huge. Let's hope all leaders at the United Nations today are up to the challenge.
Secretary Clinton has her hands full, but, I have never known her to ignore a chance to commune with women of any nation to bring home the message they are valuable and she cares about them.
