Think, Inspire, Listen, Learn

Artful New Families

Something I’ve been meaning to tell you The India Tube

Families are fretful, complicated things. Especially now, in an age when domestic structures have rapidly changed and even the definition of “family” has grown, expanded and morphed into something more layered and nuanced than mere blood relations. The group photography and video exhibition at Vadehra Gallery, curated by Sunil Gupta and Vidya Shivadas, takes the word and throws it up into the air, freeing it from dated notions and the shackles of tradition.

We would love to meditate our way into the new day at Anne of Carversville, but there’s no time. Truly, no time!!! As part of our new content approach, we WILL make every effort to begin the day by listening, viewing, feeling an inspiration from around the world.

Our learning journey begins today in New Delhi at the Vadhere Okla Gallery. Janice Pariat writes a thoughtful review of an art show devoted to India’s changing families. Let us also introduce you to The India Tube.

Boys Club

Egyptian Banker Arrested for Hotel Maid Sex Assault NY Daily Intel

Egyptian businessman Mahmoud Abdel-Salam Omar is led by NYPD from the 19th precinct early today. Vic Nicastro for Daily NewsEgyptian businessman and former chairman of the Bank of Alexandria and the Egyptian American Bank Mahmoud Abdel-Salam Omar was arrested on Monday afternoon at New York’s Pierre Hotel on 61St off Fifth Avenue. The businessman remains in police custory overnight on charges of sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment, forcible touching and harassment. His arraignment is expected this afternoon.

Allegations are, according to the NY Daily News:

He had called for room service requesting tissues and answered the door in his pajamas, police sources said. When the maid, whom he had not specifically requested, arrived at his 10th-floor room, he asked her to put the box of tissues on a table, sources said. As she moved toward the table, he locked the door.

“He locked her in the room and had her trapped,” a police source said. “He grabbed her breasts, groped her. He was grinding against her.”

Omar then asked the maid for her phone number, a police source said. After she gave him a made-up number he let go, and she fled the room.

Egyptian military defends virginity checks UPI

An Egyptian general have changed his story about virginity checks performed on women arrested during a demonstration on March 9. Maj Amr Imam has denied allegations that the 17 women arrested were subjected to the virginity test.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, another senior general agrees that the virginity tests were administered, defending the practice as a protection against possible allegations of rape.

“The girls who were detained were not like your daughter or mine,” the general told CNN. “These were girls who had camped out in tents with male protesters in Tahrir Square, and we found in the tents Molotov cocktails and [drugs].”

The general confirmed that none of the women were virgins. Read much more AOC coverage about women of Egypt.

Headlines

Domestic Rape in Congo a Rapidly Growing Problem VOA English

Bill Allowing Military to Cover Abortions for Rape Victims Introduced Ms Magazine

Is there such a thing as a ‘credible’ rape victim? Goff@NJ.com

Strauss-Kahn assembles crisis team to fight back Reuters

People

Chocolate Diva?

Naomi Campbell Rips Cadbury Ad Likening Her to a Chocolate Bar Adweek

Naomi Campbell is not at all amused that Cadbury traded on her name and skin color in a billboard campaign for its Bliss chocolate bars with the line, “Move over Naomi, there’s a new diva in town.” Says Campbell: “It’s upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women. It is insulting and hurtful.”

It’s easy to suggest there’s an over-reaction here, although the arguments about millions of Naomis in the world is an empty bucket. There is only one Naomi, who is also a diva in Britain — and the US, too.

We like this comment on Huff Po:

See, I would have never seen this as racist. But then again, if I had been called “Chocolate Bar” in school I would see it totally differently. I think I would be very upset. It is hard to understand the experience of black people in America if you aren’t black. The same goes for any minority. Which is why when people see something and are hurt by it we should listen, even if we can’t see it at first. Shoot, it wasn’t THAT long ago that women were not allowed to vote, and only a bit before that they were seen as outright property.

Linda Wells. Deborah Robert, Jane Jertzmark Hudis and Steven Teitelbaum,, MD. Photo by George ChinseeAnne agreed, posting a link to the discredited research anaysis of London School of Economics professor Satoshi Kanazawa. He recently caused a huge uproar with his now discredited analysis of research data suggesting that black women are perceived as being less beautiful.