Author: abukar.15

Text Review- Another Cinderella Story

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The movie Another Cinderella Story is about a talented orphan girl, Mary whose dream is to go to a performing arts school. She lives with her evil stepmother and stepsister. As her stepmother and stepsisters enjoy the luxuries of life, she is forced to be a maid and slave for them, despite her inheriting the money her father left her when he died. As the movie progresses, she found herself falling in love with the pop star, Joey who came to high school to have a normal life. Joey for the longest time didn’t know who she was as she didn’t reveal herself at the party to avoid getting in trouble with her stepmother, Dominque. At the end of the day, Mary leaves her stepmother while she’s sick to pursue her dreams and never looked back. The movie discusses the topic of the power dynamic and identity struggle, subaltern, Master-Slave relationship.

The master-slave concept is seen between Dominque and Mary. Mary being the slave is abused by Dominque and told to clean her room and the rooms of her stepsisters. Once she finds out the mp3 player that was lost at the party was Marys’, she forced her to teach her stepsisters the songs so they can dance with Joey. Dominque’s money and power made life hell for Mary and fall victim to the verbal abuse and slaving because she had no other option. She was treated as a subaltern where a voice and opinions didn’t matter to her self-centered stepfamily and were considered insignificant. She struggled with her identity as she is seen wearing a mask at the party to avoid being recognized as she wasn’t supposed to be at the dance and her not able to tell Joey it was her to avoid getting in trouble. She had to hide who she was from the guy she loves to avoid being seen as Dominque’s maid and change his perspective on who she is.

I think the movie Another Cinderella Story wanted the audience to know the effect of power abuse, and it affects the person who falls victim to it. Mary who once was rich becomes a slave through a power shift. It also shows us at the end how you use your power leads to your faith. If you use it for evil at the end of the day, you’ll be neglected just like Dominque and Okonkwo. It makes one wonder the injustices they caused towards people realize what they did was unacceptable.

 

 

Diary of Systemic Injustices Showcase: Oppression of Uyghur Muslims

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Systematic injustices happen all around the world. A post on Instagram I came across recently was about Uyghur Muslims being mistreated by the Chinese government. It talked about how a place in China called Xinjiang is a concentration camp where Uyghur Muslims are held against their will. The article on the post then mentioned that a million Uyghur Muslims are imprisoned and put under religious restrictions by abstaining from fasting, forcing them to drink alcohol, and eating pork. Under the Chinese government, they fall victim to sexual assault, sterilization, and rap.

Statistics showing different concentration camps in Xinjiang, China where Uyghur Muslims are held.

 

The article and treatment of Uyghur Muslims represent an example of systematic injustice that is happening globally, as the Chinese government is stripping a group of people’s identities and torturing them as they hold them in concentration camps. Their idea of thinking that is okay to force one to do everything against their belief, take them away from their families, and abuse them. Not to mention all these abuses and torturing that could contribute to causing psychological trauma and mental distraught towards Uyghur people, their families, and loved ones. It could also cause them to turn away from their religion due to fear and escaping torture which confuses their identity. These higher powers should be the ones making policy to abolish such treatment does not normalize it and play a role in this injustice activity. All these factors represent forms of systematic injustice that are contributed globally to our society.

The treatment of Uyghur Muslims falling in the hands of the Chinese government is an example of the concept of “othering” or Spivak’s subaltern as these Uyghur people’s voices are shut and their rights stripped from them. The Chinese government won’t allow them to express their religion as they are prevented from praying. This shows the Chinese government as the One and the Uyghur people as the other whose voices are not heard and considered and tortured if they talk or share their opinions. This injustice is opening eyes to other countries like the United States who considers as an act of genocide towards the Uyghur Muslims and obstruction of human rights. This awareness by the United States and other countries could be an opportunity to help end systematic injustice in Xinjiang, China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

An image symbolizing Uyghur Muslims as voiceless people.

Reference:
Maizland, Lindsay. “China’s Repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.” Council on Foreign Relations, 1 Mar. 2021, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-repression-uyghurs-xinjiang.

Shesgreen, Deirdre. “The US Says China is Committing Genocide Against the Uyghurs. Here’s Some of the Most Chilling Evidence.” USA TODAY: Latest World and US News – USATODAY.com, 2 Apr. 2021, www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/politics/2021/04/02/is-china-committing-genocide-what-you-need-know-uyghurs/7015211002/.

Dooley, Ben. “Inside China’s Internment Camps: Tear Gas, Tasers and Textbooks.” AFP.com, 30 Jan. 2019, www.afp.com/en/inside-chinas-internment-camps-tear-gas-tasers-and-textbooks.

 

 

Persepolis Film: Oppression and Repression of Freedom

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Just like the book, the film “Persepolis” talks about life in Iran during the ruling of the Shah, the uprising of the revolution, and the start of a new Islamic Republic.  It portrays the struggles through the life of Marjane and her family. Marjane at a young age saw the revolution take place and the oppression that came with the new Islamic government where women were forced to wear the veil and other civilians were imprisoned. The film clearly shows that she stands against her own believes causing her to get into trouble by the police for wearing makeup, hanging out with her boyfriend. She discovered Iron Maiden and punk music to help her stay true to herself. As the oppression and violence increased in Iran her parents became worried about her and took her out of the country for her safety. Citizens of Iran were oppressed under the Islamic government as they were repressed from their freedom and tortured for expressing their beliefs.

 

Before the Iranian Revolution, Iran under the Shah was a westernized country where people had the freedom to express themselves enjoy alcohol and pork. As some individuals opposed those practices and violence uprise during Shah’s ruling, eventually lead to his exiling and the establishment of the new Islam Republic led by Ruhollah Khomeini. Khomeini’s refusal to accept the secular practices and western liberalism thus introduced this new Islamic Republic (Nurrzzaman, para. 5).  Under the ruling of Khomeini, inequality dispersed as women were oppressed due to their liberal beliefs and were forced to wear veils while others were imprisoned. This oppression and lack of freedom are all the negative effects of the Islamic Revolution that still affects modern Iran. (Priborkin, para 15).

 

An example similar to the oppression and lack of freedom seen today through Marjane’s story is Uyghur Muslims in a concentration camp held by the Chinese government. Forcing Muslims to eat pork, drink alcohol, and renounce their religion is oppression and repression of freedom.  They are put under these restrictions and forced to share the same beliefs as the communist party. This shows that government goes against their civilian’s rights and beliefs. This is also seen through Marjane’s story and the Islamic Revolution.

 

 

Nuruzzaman, Mohammed. “The Iranian Revolution at 40: Shifting Grounds, Continuing Resilience.” E-International Relations, 14 Mar. 2019, www.e-ir.info/2019/03/14/the-iranian-revolution-at-40-shifting-grounds-continuing-resilience/.

 

Priborkin, Emily. “40 Years Later: Iran After the Islamic Revolution.” American University, 8 Apr. 2019, www.american.edu/sis/news/20190408-40-years-later-iran-after-the-islamic-revolution.cfm.