Saturday, October 30, 2010

A limerick for Lauren


There once was a sister of Blair
For her people she didn't much care
First she worshipped the Other
Then decided she'd rather
Wear the hijab over her hair.

14 comments:

  1. Alte, Kilroy, thanks.

    I initially tested this out in the comments as I wasn't sure if doggerel would work - thanks Jesse for the encouragement.

    There's some more information that's come to light on Lauren Booth's background. I think it helps to explain her life path.

    In short, she feels that her father abandoned her. Her father, an alcoholic actor, married four times. He had eight daughters all up, including Cherie Blair. Most of the daughters have forgiven and forgotten, but not Lauren.

    The fourth wife says of the husband/daughter relationship:

    ‘His other daughters — especially Cherie — have found a way of dealing with Tony. They accept him for who he is, with all his failings.

    ‘Sarah has never been able to do that. She wants her father to be the sort of man that fathers should be. Tony can never be that man.’


    A lot of politically radical women have the same father abandonment issues.

    It highlights the way that fathers represent to children the larger social world. If the relationship with the father is poor it can lead to rebellion not just against the man personally but also against the larger society.

    It seems to happen particularly often to the more "intellectual type" women.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And from her latest column explaining her decision to convert:

    "Growing up in an alcoholic household with a dad who was violent, has left a great gap in my life. It is a wound that will never heal"

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yeah, I figured that about Lauren. That is why I said (in the other thread) that she was searching for patriarchy. Finding that is so absolutely amazing for a woman who's been searching. You can see how she glows on that stage. She feels like she's come home; she's found a new Father and she feels like she's finally safe; surrounded by men who are really men and women who are really women.

    I'm not going to criticize her because I know what that feels like. As she says in her speech, "It felt like love. It felt like peace." It does feel like that. She sounds sincere to me.

    I wish she'd found patriarchy in the Christian Church. It's there, if you look hard enough.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yeah, her latest article confirms it. Patriarchy is very attractive and her father is absolutely horrid.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ugh. Do not, do not, do not read the DM comment sections of these articles. All of the criticism focuses on Islam's patriarchy. Islam is famous/infamous for patriarchy so women who want patriarchy convert to Islam.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment is good, though:

    Modern society has lost the true distinctions between men's and women's roles, pushes women away from the roles of motherhood and childraising, and discourages modesty. Islam offers the things that modern hedonistic society is taking away.

    But the more traditional understanding of the Catholic Faith offers these things to a much higher degree of perfection.

    - Ron, Manchester, 27/10/2010 3:53


    Yes!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mark, well its very funny.

    Alte, its interesting that you saw her on stage as strong. My impression was that she was weak, like an alcoholic at the end of their rope at AA, it was just my impression though and the emotion was genuine. The point in my opinion is she thinks Islam is about "peace, joy blah", but its not. Its a ridiculous stretch to arrive there. What happens when she finds out its not really like that? As others have pointed out welcome apostasy laws.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm going to post here part of a comment Alte made on an earlier thread:

    Christianity offers women by far the best deal and the best potential mates. We basically blow the religious competition completely out of the water, which is why Christianity spreads like wildfire wherever the real Christian truth is taught. Personal dignity, a loving husband, unique and respected female roles and role models, a strong Church family, help in times of need, hope for the future on Earth, and an afterlife spent in the presence of God.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sorry for all of the girlish enthusiasm yesterday. I...couldn't...stop...posting. Women do tend to rant on sometimes when we get excited, don't we?

    That's what she's doing right now, you know. Ranting on about her new infatuation with Allah. She wants to tell everyone about it, and cover herself with signs of her reversion. I went through the same thing. I can totally understand about the headscarf. When I found out that Catholic women still sometimes cover their heads, I was like, "Yes!" But my husband was like, "No!" LOL. So, no scarf. I just get to wear a little cross. Women love to use fashion to make a statement like that, and flaunt their superior allegiance to everyone around them. That's why it's stupid for men not to tell their women what to wear. Women love that! Unless they think their man is an idiot, of course.

    its interesting that you saw her on stage as strong

    Submission to a benevolent force makes women feel safe and at peace. That gives them inner strength. She looks a bit giddy, but she'll calm down eventually and turn a bit haughty.

    The point in my opinion is she thinks Islam is about "peace, joy blah", but its not.

    Does that matter? I think my husband is attentive and caring, but other people think he's controlling and domineering. I think they're all stupid and don't know what they're talking about. I think that Christianity is liberating and empowering for women, others think it is subjugation and misogyny. I think they're all stupid and don't know what they're talking about.

    She knows what it's really like, and she doesn't care. I know Christianity's chequered history, and I don't care. Why should? My God is better than her God.

    You have to think like a woman to understand a woman's actions.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Interesting, I have much to learn from you Alte ;). She can't leave latter though if she wants to and as a leftist that must be likely. Do you think the other Muslims will listen to her when she tries to tell them to moderate their stances? Of course not. Remember that the crowd cheered when she said "I'm a Muslim", not when she said Islam was about peace.

    ReplyDelete
  11. They won't moderate. She'll harden and become more conservative. If the guys are hard enough. If they're not hard enough, she'll leave and they'll let her go.

    I had a thought you might appreciate: the patriarchal God versus the LJBF God.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Remember that the crowd cheered when she said "I'm a Muslim", not when she said Islam was about peace.

    I found that interesting too.

    ReplyDelete