蘑菇短视频

Introduction

Throughout the pages of Radix, students have resisted systemic bias, celebrate their gender identities, advocated for gender equality in their religious traditions, and share personal experiences at the intersection of gender and spirituality.听

Examples of Artwork and Writing

Using Religious Wisdom to Advocate for Women's Rights

In "Practice What You Preach! An Ideology for Equality" (Feb. 2001, pg. 1)听one unidentified author discusses the tensions between gender-equality positive teachings in Sikhism and traditions cultures, seeking for wisdom from the past to inform a more inclusive and empowering future. They write, 鈥淪ikhism is a religion whose ideas were revolutionary at the time it was born. It was the first religion to have an egalitarian ideology behind it, one where men, women and children were treated equally. However, as is the case with many religions, what is preached, is sometimes not practiced. There still exists a major gap between Sikhism and Punjabi culture. I think that there has been a double standard set by older generations, which I feel my generation needs to break...

"As a Sikh and as a Punjabi, I think that we need to rise above this kind of backward thinking and put forth a more positive view of young women that emphasizes trust and confidence over gossip and suspicion. Through education and awareness I believe that we have the power to bring about true equality that would bring us closer to our egalitarian roots. After all, what is the point of withholding the gift of experience and knowledge from the individuals that make up half of our society?

"The issue of how young Sikh women bear the consequences of a double standard is something that has bothered me for quite some time. But this year I have resolved to create awareness on this subject so that my daughter will be free to live her life according to her own good judgment. To move forward, I think that we need to look to our past. We should look to our Gurus, their scriptures and their teachings for inspiration and guidance."

Shedding Light on the Authentic Choices of Women and How to Better Reach Them

Murtaza Shambhoora shared an honest insider perspective of hijabi in "The Niqab Controversy" (Summer 2010, pg 6-7):

鈥淭he question we must鈥�ask ourselves is whether or not Western democracies would like to emulate such totalitarian regimes in the Middle East by taking away the right for immigrants to express their religious preferences. While Western society may be trying to eliminate the oppression of women, in doing so it is violating the right to express one's religion.

A ban on the Niqab is the wrong approach to take on this issue if Western scholars and politicians are trying to preach the equality of genders. It will only result in increasing frustration by Muslims around the world, further ruining the delicate balance that has been achieved between the West and the more Islamist regimes in the post 9/11 era.听If Western governments really do want to integrate women who wear Niqabs into their societies, they must take a more gradual approach, explaining to them the Western values of liberalism. A ban will only alienate these women from society, discouraging them from living in a country that no longer accepts their culture.

"Finally, we must also eliminate the impression that many Westerners have of the Niqab being a piece of clothing that glorifies a misogynistic way of life. We forget the fact that many women choose to wear the Niqab regardless of societal or familial pressures. Islamic scholars are divided upon their opinions of whether or not the Niqab is obligatory (varying upon their interpretation of The Qu'uran). Historically, it is said that the Prophet Muhammad's wives were required to wear the Niqab; women today choose to wear the piece of clothing in order to 'bring themselves closer to God' and 'emulate' the great wives of The Prophet.

"My recent experiences in Saudi Arabia have led me to believe that despite the presence of a large population of women who still choose to wear the Nigab, the infiltration of Western ideas in the Middle East have led to increasing liberalization within the Islamic philosophy. Many women who have stopped wearing a Nigab choose not to not because there is a law preventing them from doing so, but because they have learned the Western concepts of equity and themselves view the Niqab as being a form of oppression and sexism. This is a clear example of how the rational preaching of Western morals is a more viable alternative to slapping a ban on religious clothing."

Expressions of Feminine Spirituality

In an essay that explores womanhood, spiritual experiences, and relating to the earth as a mother, "Palms of a Mother" (Fall 2024, pg. 18-19), Malek Medkour writes:

"One of my most vivid memories is of an afternoon at the beach of my childhood. My mother was teaching me to float on my back. I remember, with an almost unsettling clarity, the sun's rays warming the tip of my nose, the support of my mother's palms beneath my back, and her encouraging voice reassuring me: "You are light, Malek, stretch out your arms and legs, lift your hips, and you'll see how you float." And so, my love for my mother grew and deepened, just as the depths she taught me to conquer expanded. These memories accompany me every time I return to the sea. The Palms of a Mother Malek Medkour 19 Today, I went to the sea without my mother. I was floating on my back, when an echo of my mother's voice seemed to whisper to me: "You are light." At that precise moment, I understood something essential. To me, I could no longer separate the sea from my mother, nor my mother from the sea. They were two intimately connected entities, intertwined in an eternal embrace.

"There, on the shore, where the wind carries the voice of the sea in waves, my mother whispers for me to cherish this sound, thoughtfully crafted by the Creator. There, as I float, the sea cradles me and dances beneath my back the choreography of my mother's palms."

Ellen Cools explores the experience of a girl seeking solace, meaning, and connection in nature after enduring disruption and fracture in her family in her poem "Transformation" (Nov. 2014 pg. 18). The poem parallels cycles of breakdown and decay in nature and in relationships, expressing how the inner self of the subject seeks to normalize and accept a painful situation that is beyond her control:

The wind picks up speed, the swirls

no longer beautiful but a menacing fall,

quickly collecting against the window

making it hard to see the ground.

It is part of life, says the snow,

reminding her of years ago, a transformation

which shocked her to the core, a transformation

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so deep it sent her mind in swirls.

Outside was bright and sunny, no snow

in sight, but the threat of a fall

lingered in the house, the ground

tiptoed upon, no noise heard from the window.

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Standing by the window,

she had longed to be outside, part of a transformation

of nature, and not of family. The ground

they based their strength on, now swirls

away, into darkness, the fall

of her family like the endless falling snow.

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Outside the wind howls with the snow,

the girl can only see white out the window,

the blizzard has started. The fall

of her family is over, their transformation

into a broken unit, and yet her mind swirls

until she feels as if the ground

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will crumble and fall. Watching the transformation

of everything familiar through the window, as she swirls

out of control like the snow, waiting to crash to the ground.

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Celebrating the Inclusion of Queer Love in Sacred Rituals

While attending the 2021听Parliament of the World鈥檚 Religions with MORSL,听Ryan Brown witnessed the wedding of Vasu Bandhu and Johnny Martin, which was streamed live during the gathering. He reflected on this special ceremony in a poem. He explains, "The first verse reflects on the interfaith nature of their wedding which was officiated by an imam, priest, and monk from the Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist traditions respectively. Through this interfaith nature, these religious authorities sent a powerful message across faiths endorsing a brand of love (between two men) which has had a tumultuous relationship with religious structures and rites (notably including marriage) throughout history.

鈥淧assion in Action; Love in Form鈥� (Fall 2021 pg. 6):听

the Imam, the Priest,听听

the Monk; all of them at once endorsing听听

love between two men听听

not only as acceptable听听

but as sacred.听听

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the power of the moment听听

as metaphor for love听听

for what鈥檚 possible with love听听

overshadowed only听听

by its immanent beauty.听听

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right then in front of my eyes听听

a union transcending boundaries听听

subverting history听听

and empowering faith听听

all at once听听

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passion in action; love in form.听

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As Ryan explains, "Boundaries of faith were transcended, heteronormative expectations of marriage were broken, the history of the relationship between these components was subverted. The faith of Vasu Bandhu and Johnny Martin as a Buddhist and Muslim respectively was empowered by these transcendental subversions rather than diminished. The final line reflects the active nature of this moment. Love displayed in real form, passion in a moment of real action."

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