Monday, 20 June 2016

Six killed during teacher protests in Mexico

Six people have died and 53 were injured in Mexico when clashes broke out between members of a teachers' trade union and police at a protest that police say had been infiltrated by armed individuals who shot at officers and threw petrol bombs.

The violence on Sunday erupted as anti-riot police moved in to dislodge protesters blocking a highway in the southern state of Oaxaca.

Television footage showed chaotic scenes of men running from police as gun fire rang out.

It was the worst incident in a spate of protests over the past several months against education reforms that the government pushed through three years ago.

Enrique Galindo, the head of Mexico's federal police, said masked individuals who were not affiliated to the union were behind much of the violence, lobbing Molotov cocktails and shooting at police and civilians.

"These kinds of radicalised protests generate violence," he told a news conference in the state capital of Oaxaca City.

State Governor Gabino Cue gave the casualty figures, and said most of those who died were young people and only two had "links to the union."

The protest on Sunday near the town of Nochixtlan, about 80km northwest of Oaxaca City was the latest of several in recent days that saw protesters blocking other highways with burning tyres.

Earlier in the day, police escorted 120 tanker trucks carrying chemical waste from the nearby Salina Cruz refinery, owned and operated by state-run oil company Pemex.

On Friday, Pemex warned it could be forced to shut operations at the refinery in "a few days" if the highway blockade persisted.

The unrest escalated after police arrested the leader of the local teachers' union during the previous weekend. Ruben Nunez, head of one of the most combative factions of Mexico's CNTE union, was detained on suspicion of corruption.

Nunez is secretary general of the CNTE's Section 22 in Oaxaca, a hotbed of resistance to government efforts to reform the education system.

Similar, if less violent protests, have frequently caused chaos in Mexico City. CNTE has led efforts to resist the education reform, in particular its mandate to carry out evaluations of teachers.

Response: This article describes the current unstable political situation in Mexico A local teacher's trade union, CNTE, is protesting against the government. The demonstration is rather serious because anti-rioting police are involved to curb the protests. Also, the crisis worsens as more protesters are getting injured and even dying. I detected a substantial amount of bias in this article. First of all, the article does not specify why the protests are being held. By not indicating the teacher's reasons then it implies that they did not have a valid reason. Furthermore, the phrase: "a hotbed of resistance to government efforts to reform the education system" is very biased. This phrase describes the protests as a defiance to the government. But the phrase then goes on to describe what the government has been doing and the word reforms implies that the government has been actively working to improve the teacher's conditions. Also, this article is very vague when it mentioned that there were masked people who shot at the police and civilians. It does not expound on who it could be and their purpose for instigating violence. Other than that the article informed the public on the current crisis in Mexico, but I would encourage people to read other articles regarding the same issue.

Source: "Six Killed during Teacher Protests in Mexico." Sky News.com.au. Australian News Channel Pty Ltd, 20 June 2016. Web. 20 June 2016.

Monday, 13 June 2016

Qatar 'Rape Victim' Convicted Of Adultery

The Dutch tourist claims she was drugged and raped, but her alleged attacker says they had consensual sex and she asked for money.

10:31, UK,Monday 13 June 2016

An aerial view shows Doha's diplomatic area

A 22-year-old Dutch tourist, who claimed she had been raped while on holiday in Qatar, has been convicted of adultery.

The woman, who was not present for Monday's hearing in a Doha court, was handed a one-year suspended sentence and also fined 3,000 Qatari riyals (£564).

Her lawyer, Brian Lokollo, said she was on holiday with a friend and went out for drinks at a hotel bar in the Qatari capital.

Mr Lokollo said she believes someone "messed with her drink" and her memory became hazy.

He said she later awoke alone in an apartment she had never been in before and found her clothes had been torn.

It is then that she "realised to her great horror, that she had been raped".

Dutch media quoted him as saying: "She was arrested in March on suspicion of adultery, which means having sex outside marriage."

The woman maintained she was not guilty of the accusation made against her.

The male defendant, also not in court, was sentenced to receive 100 lashes for adultery and 40 lashes for consuming alcohol.

He insisted their night together had been consensual and that the woman had even asked for money.

A Dutch Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said the woman was released by Qatari officials after the hearing.

Response:
This article gives quick facts about the controversy surrounding a potential rape case that happened in Qatar. Compared to the very publicized Stanford rape case, this article did not have sufficient details. The only bias I detect in this article is in the title. The quotation marks around rape victim gives the impression that perhaps it was not a case of rape. The way the article presents this case it seems like it is only the people's word against each other. Surely there must be some evidence if the victim's drink was messed with. Since it happened in a hotel, evidence could be found on the security cameras. Due to the scarcity of details within this article I researched the same article on different news websites. A BBC article expounded on the issue, the woman was detained about 3 months ago but the family recently went public with this story. The fact that the woman also woke up in a strange apartment with her clothes torn strengthens her claim of rape. I personally think that it was a case of rape because she said she did not give any consent. The same type of issue is surrounding the Stanford rape case. The attacker claims that she consented because she was drinking and they danced but even in that case if no consent is given then it is rape. I do not see a gray area.

As I researched more on this story, I discovered that the lady was convicted with the crime of 'zina' under the Islamic law. Since there were doubts about the consent both parties were charged with zina- having extramarital sex. Even though I do not think this charge is just, it is what the law of Qatar is. These Islamic laws will become even more of a reality for foreigners because of the 2022 Fifa World Cup. So I think it is important to define the boundaries when the law of a country is violated vs consequences that violate human rights. Additionally, cases like the one the article highlighted are not as rare as I previously thought. In 2013 a similar event happened in the United Arab Emirates to a Norwegian woman. Fortunately, she was pardoned from her prison time and returned to Norway.

Source:

"Qatar 'Rape Victim' Convicted Of Adultery." Sky News. 2016 Sky UK, 13 June 2016. Web. 13 June 2016.

Tuesday, 7 June 2016

Protests in Kenya as opposition marks 'Day of Rage'

At least two dead in police firing in Kisumu city as opposition supporters protest against electoral body.

There were widespread scenes of looting and two supermarkets were destroyed [The Associated Press]

'DAY OF RAGE' PROTESTS

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) has organised Mondays's protest
It's led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga
Odinga has accused Kenya's electoral body, the IEBC, of bias towards the president
President Uhuru Kenyatta beat Odinga in a result disputed by the opposition
Violence erupted after the 2007 elections with about 1,200 people killed and 600,000 forced from their homes

At least two demonstrators were killed in police firing on Monday, as opposition supporters in Kenya blocked key roads and set fire to tyres in a "Day of Rage" protests aimed at overhauling the country's election commission.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) alliance, which alleges that the electoral body is biased towards the president, has been staging weekly protests every Monday.

Protests took place in several towns but in Kisumu, an opposition stronghold in western Kenya, police opened fire before using tear gas and water cannon to quell the protests.

Watch: Kenya - Democracy on trial?

Word of the shootings fueled heavy clashes in the centre of Kisumu and the working class district of Kondele. There were widespread scenes of looting and two supermarkets were destroyed.

A bullet wound was visible on one corpse, laid outside a hospital morgue by protesters who said he was hit by police fire.

Six protesters were taken to Kisumu's main hospital suffering from gunshot wounds, the Red Cross said.

Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga led peaceful demonstrations in the capital, Nairobi.

At least three people died in similar protests in western Kenya on May 23, two of them when anti-riot police opened fire in Siaya, while a third fatality, according to police, resulted from a fall while fleeing from tear gas in Kisumu.

The protesters, many of them supporters of Odinga, had blocked roads in Migori early on Monday, setting the scene for potential confrontation with government forces.

"This is not fair. We cannot have police shooting people every other time they are exercising their rights. This man has been shot dead while protesting," Michael Omondi, a demonstrator, told the AFP news agency.

Word of the shootings fuelled heavy clashes in the centre of Kisumu and the working class district of Kondele [AP]

According to images posted on Twitter, businesses and schools were also shut and transport along the busy Sirare-Kisii highway - linking Kenya with neighbouring Tanzania - had been blocked.

Many Kenyans elsewhere took to Twitter to protest against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) with the hashtag #IEBCMustGo trending in the country.

CORD wants the electoral commission scrapped. [Al Jazeera]

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from Nairobi, said hundreds of protesters were also amassing in the capital's Freedom Square and were planning to advance on the electoral commission building.

Kenya is to hold general elections in 15 months and the main opposition leaders have threatened to boycott them if the IEBC is not reformed.

On Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta reiterated his call for CORD to end the protests, saying parliament's legal committee was ready to start hearing public views on how to reform the electoral authority.

"We want dialogue like yesterday but it must be held within the confines of the law. Dialogue is not about going to the streets or meeting in tea rooms," Kenyatta's office quoted him saying.

CORD wants the electoral commission scrapped. Its electronic vote results transmission system collapsed during the 2013 election that brought Kenyatta to power, beating Odinga, a result disputed by the opposition.

There are fears of a repeat of violence that erupted after the 2007 elections. About 1,200 people were killed and 600,000 forced to flee their homes.

Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, were on opposing sides in 2007 but, in 2013, they united in a coalition.

They were both charged by the Geneva-based International Criminal Court with fomenting the post-election violence.

Both denied the charges, which were later dropped by the court.

An opposition supporter uses a sling to hurl stones towards their opponents during a protest in Nairobi [Reuters]

Response:
This article explains the political unrest that is currently happening in Kenya. I did not detect much bias in this article because both sides of the story were adequately explained. However, in the first paragraph there is some bias against the CORD party. The paragraph stated that the CORD party has been staging weekly protests. That statement is controversial because it implies that the CORD party has been enabling the violent protests as well. The CORD party takes responsibility for the peaceful protests in Nairobi as the article later clarified. Led by Raila Odinga CORD has taken the fight against corruption to the streets. President Kenyatta agreed to hear the protestor's arguments but in a law based setting. I would assume that the conflict would be resolved with President Kenyatta's diplomacy, however the conflict is still very tribal based. Kenya is healing from the tribal clashes that occurred in 2007 and 2008. The current crisis is stirring up those wounds. The Odingas and Kenyattas have had a rivalry that has ran through generations. One influential factor is that they are belong to different tribes. Kenya has really progressed from tribalism. But the claims that the CORD demonstrators are making are closely tied to tribalism. Personally, I think one strategy to approach this crisis is to promote Kenyan nationalism instead of individual tribalism. Also there has to be a significant decrease in corruption. The next elections should be very transparent and straightforward. Unlike the 2013 elections where the electronic voting system crashed. Nonetheless, this crisis should be dealt with very carefully because at this point it can go 2 ways. It can spiral like the violence of 2007 or it could lead Kenya to a less corrupt state with amended reforms.

Source:

"Protests in Kenya as Opposition Marks 'Day of Rage'" Aljazeera. 2016 Al Jazeera Media Network, 07 June 2016. Web. 07 June 2016.

Monday, 9 May 2016

Holocaust Survivors Finally Get Bar Mitzvahs 70 Years After WWII

MENAHEM KAHANA VIA GETTY IMAGES

Dozens of Jewish holocaust survivors read from the Torah scrolls during the ceremony.

A missing rite of passage — now made right.

On May 2, 50 Holocaust survivors who never got to experience a traditional coming-of-age ceremony had their bar and bat mitzvahs during an emotional event at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

The event, organized by the Israeli government, included 13 men and 37 women who had missed their ceremonies due to the war and its complex after effects.

“I am not embarrassed to say that I was moved to tears,” Solomon Moshe, a 79-year-old Jewish man who fled Greece during World War II, told CNN. “Soldiers were saluting us like we were heroes.”

Gal Moshe, an 80-year-old survivor, was 9 when World War II ended and could have had one in Poland, which is where his family immigrated after the war, but it never occurred.

“The economic situation was so difficult for us that we didn’t even think about doing the bar mitzvah,” he told The Times of Israel.

Dozens of Jewish holocaust survivors wear the Tefilin or the Phylacteries and the Tallit prayer shawl.

Yitzhak Rezink, who was a child during the Holocaust, had an entirely different reason why he never had a bar mitzvah. After the war, he ended up in the Soviet Union, which suppressed religion.

“The Russians took over at the end of the war and we couldn’t leave until 1970,” he told Times of Israel.

According to a 2015 study published by the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel, nearly one-third of Holocaust survivors still alive are poor. A report put out by Center For Research and Aging also noted that researchers in 2003 found that 40 percent of the survivors in Israel were living below the poverty line.

Yet, for the 50 Jews who participated in the ceremony at the Western Wall on Monday, it was a particularly moving experience. A funeral prayer to commemorate those lost during the Holocaust was sung by European Jews, moving many to tears.

“After we finished, everyone had a spirit of harmony. Here we are, we have done it,” Solomon Moshe told CNN. “We are here today more complete, and we feel that we got back what was missing.”

Jews who participated in the ceremony pose for a photo

Monday, 2 May 2016

Historic ivory burn covers the sky in smoke and ash

Nairobi National Park, Kenya (CNN)Twelve ivory towers burned in Kenya on Saturday, sending thick plumes of ash and smoke over Nairobi National Park as elephant and rhino tusks smoldered.

A rainy Saturday afternoon brought together heads of state from several African nations and hundreds of onlookers to watch Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta set fire to over $172 million worth of illicit wildlife goods.

A somber mood took over the crowd as the event began. They listened to the gust of wind feeding the flames, and the crackle of burning ivory, rhino horn and other items. Bright red embers bloomed inside the 10-foot high by 20-foot wide pyres, turning the coveted white ivory tusks to nothing more than charred animal remains.

Record number of rhinos slaughtered last year in Africa

This was the most significant demonstration against poaching in the region and the largest burn of illegal wildlife products in history.

"The rising value of elephant ivory trade, illegally on the international market, has resulted in a massacre in the rainforest of Africa," Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta told the crowd. "In 10 years in central Africa we have lost as many as 70% of the elephants. The elephant, as has been said, is an iconic symbol of our country. Unless we take action now we risk losing this magnificent animal."

It took Kenya's Wildlife Services 10 days to build the crematorium that contained the 105 tons of elephant ivory, 1.35 tons of rhino horn, exotic animal skins and other products such as sandalwood and medicinal bark. This was Kenya's fourth such burn in a practice that goes back to 1989 -- an idea hatched to combat the worsening poaching crisis.

In Tanzania, helicopter pilot dies trying to protect elephants

Priceless and worthless at the same time

The tusks alone -- from about 8,000 elephants -- would be worth more than $105 million on the black market, according to wildlife trade expert Esmond Bradley Martin. The rhino horn, from 343 animals, would be worth more than $67 million.

That's one and a half times more than Kenya spends on its environmental and natural resources agency every year.

But the Kenyans say that the stockpile is not valuable -- it's worthless.

China's master ivory carvers cling to a controversial art

"From a Kenyan perspective, we're not watching any money go up in smoke," Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Kitili Mbathi said. "The only value of the ivory is tusks on a live elephant."

Mbathi, who oversaw the burn, explained how a fuel pumping system that combined kerosene and diesel had been built to aid the combustion of the pyres, which would take about a week to completely burn.

Critics of the burn worry the destruction of this stockpile will increase the price of ivory in the black market and encourage more poaching.

"That is an ignorant idea," renowned conservationist Richard Leakey told the crowd at the burn ceremony. "We did it before and prices went from $300 down to $5 within three months of that fire. It is quite shameful the slaughter of these wild species in a world that seems hell bent on destroying itself anyway -- let's give our support to nature and the endangered species."

Sending a public message

3Elephants are under serious threat. Every 15 minutes, an elephant is killed for its tusks. And some 1,338 rhinos were poached in Africa last year, a record number and the sixth year in a row that the number of poaching incidents has increased.

"Today's event allows Kenya to send a very public message to the international community and here in Kenya, that it does not tolerate and it will not tolerate the illegal trade in wildlife," John Scanlon, spokesman for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), told the crowd.

"Not only it has a devastating impact on the animal themselves and their ecosystem but it has an impact on security, on livelihoods and on economy," said Scanlon.

Kenya's tourism, based mostly around its wildlife, makes up about 12% of the country's GDP. Over its life, a live elephant generates 76 times more in tourism revenue than it does for its ivory, according to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant rescue and rehabilitation group.

Tigers in the wild increase for first time in a century

Back at Nairobi National Park, the clouds of smoke have turned the sky a fetid gray shade of green. Organizers hope this image, and stigma, will be burned into memory forever.

Response:

This article is discussing a solution to the epidemic in Kenya and other east African countries. To fight the illegal poaching of ivory tusks, the Kenya Wildlife Services along with Kenyan politicians burned a lot of tusks that were illegally acquired. This article hardly contained any bias because it reported what happened with facts. The only bias I detected is the arrangement and order of the information presented. It started out and placed more emphasis on the side for the burning of the tusks. However, the article also included the argument of the other side opposed to burning tusks. It then quickly switched back to supplying support for this act. In my opinion, this article hits home and I support burning illegal tusks. Some may look at it as a waste of money, but by doing this the nation of Kenya takes a stand against elephant and rhino poaching.

Citation:

Duggan, Brianna. "Http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/30/africa/kenya-ivory-burn/index.html." CNN. 2016 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., 1 May 2016. Web. 2 May 2016.

Tuesday, 26 April 2016

Zika: Warning Over Possible Spread To Europe

The UN's health agency says the virus linked to birth defects is on the decline in Brazil - but could spread to other areas.

The UN's health agency has warned of the possible spread of the Zika virus to new parts of the world including Europe - even as the outbreak declines in Brazil.

The World Health Organisation warned Zika's range is likely to expand beyond Latin America and the Caribbean as summer - and the mosquitoes that transmit the virus - arrive in the northern hemisphere.

The organisation's assistant director general Dr Marie-Paule Kieny told a conference in Paris: "As seasonal temperatures begin to rise in Europe, two species of Aedes mosquito which we know transmit the virus will begin to circulate.

"The mosquito knows no borders."

:: Zika Virus: Will It Spread And Can We Stop It?

Dr Kieny warned that the added risk of sexually transmitted infection "could see a marked increase in the number of people with Zika and related complications".

She also said cooler temperatures in the tropics and subtropics meant the outbreak in Brazil, which has been hardest hit, was "clearly on the decline" - although she did not provide numbers.

Scientists are in broad agreement that Zika causes microcephaly, a form of severe brain damage in newborns, and adult-onset neurological problems such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which can cause paralysis and death.

But at the Zika conference - attended by 600 experts from 43 countries - scientists expressed concern about gaps in knowledge about the virus.

David Heymann, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told AFP: "We can't make recommendations (for prevention) if we don't understand the full potential of a virus or bacteria."

Describing Zika as a "global emergency", Dr Kieny said the most urgent priority was for new tools to quickly diagnose Zika - particularly among pregnant women.

Play video "Tour Of Zika Breeding Ground"

She said particular vigilance was required in Africa, where the virus was first discovered in Uganda in 1947.

For Europe, the risk is lower because the mosquito Aedes albopictus, present in 20 countries in summer, is less "prone" to causing outbreaks than its cousin A. aegypti in the tropics, according to new research unveiled by the Pasteur Institute.

While cases of local transmission are possible, the risk of a full-blown European outbreak "appears low", French immunologist Jean-Francois Delfraissy said.

Citation:

"Zika: Warning Over Possible Spread To Europe."

Sky News. 2016 Sky Uk, 25 Apr. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

Response:
This article explains the potential the Zika virus has on spreading to Europe which may turn into a global crisis. One of the purposes of this article was to raise awareness on the Zika virus. The article achieved this purpose by answering this question. Even though early on the article assumes that its readers have some knowledge on the Zika virus, later the article defines what the Zika virus actually is. It explains the harmful effects of the virus such as it causing microcephaly, a form of brain damage. It then continues the to list the risks of it spreading to Europe as the Zika virus is mostly prevalent in South America. However, the tone of the article changes towards the end of the article. In the beginning the tone is more urgent regarding the Zika virus. The quote, "The mosquito knows no borders" implies that the spread of the virus is in fact critical. On the other hand, the tone of the article implies that the chances of the outbreak is very unlikely to happen. This article contains little to no bias because it accurately describes the current problem concerning the Zika virus.

Monday, 7 March 2016

Widows in India: My children threw me out of the house

Widows in India:

My children threw me

out of the house

Many communities in India still shun widows and they are abandoned by their families due to superstition.

Showkat Shafi | 06 Mar 2016 13:33 GMT | Human Rights, Women, Asia, India

Engagement: 3283

Vrindavan, India - Self-immolation, sati, on a husband's pyre may have been banned in India, but life for many widows in India is still disheartening as they are shunned by their communities and abandoned by their families.

"I used to wash dishes and clothes in people's house to earn money, but the moment they heard that I am a widow, I was thrown out without any notice," said 85-year-oldManu Ghosh, living in Vrindavan, a city in the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Vrindavan is home to more than 20,000 widows, and over the years, many shelters for widows run by the government, private enterprises and NGOs have mushroomed in the city. The city, which is considered holy by Hindus, has become known as the 'City of Widows'.

"I had to sleep on the street as even my family abandoned me after my husband's death. I was married off to him when I was 11 years old and he was 40.

"My daughter died of malnutrition as I could not give her food since nobody wanted to help a widow.

"After her death, I decided to come to Vrindavan. A woman should die before her husband's death so that she doesn't have to live through hell like this," Gosh says.

The women often live in acute poverty and are ostracised by society due to various superstitions - even the shadow of a widow can wreak havoc and bring bad luck, people believe. Lack of education and any source of income forces them to beg on streets and many turn to prostitution for survival.

"My children threw me out of the house after my husband died," says Manuka Dasi. "I try to earn money by singing devotional songs in temple and manage to get one meal for the day. I am just waiting to die so that I can be out of this life of misery."

Follow Showkat Shafi on Twitter: @ShowkatShafi

Thousands of widows, most of them disowned and abandoned by their families, live in deplorable living conditions in the cities of Vrindavan and Mathura. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

'I was barely nine years old when I was forced to marry a 40-year-old man,' said Pingela Maiti, 85. 'He died within a few years, and I returned to my maternal home as a child widow. They made me shave my head, and I was forced to beg for food. I ran away from that life and moved to Mathura to be with the widows. I found others like me here and a purpose in life.' Mathura is another holy city in Uttar Pradesh where widows have found refuge. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

Maya Rani, 80, says: 'I have no one in this world. I am all alone. Being a widow is the biggest curse for a woman. Throughout my life, I have longed for respect and some dignity.' [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

Forced to leave their homes, these widows find solace in each other's company. They share rooms in the shelter and try to live like a family. The shelters are cramped with dingy rooms and become these women's homes for life. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

Rada Dasi, 82, said, 'It's a lifelong sentence of humiliation and struggle. I have been in this temple for more than 60 years, and now I don't remember anything about my home-town. I wait for death every day so that I get some relief.' [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

'My husband died. I had one son and three daughters. I left them with my parents as I didn't want them to suffer because of me,' 90-year-old Lolita Debnath remembered. 'Everybody taunts widows. In all these years, my son came just once to see if I was alive.' [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

'My children abandoned me after the death of my husband,' 67-year-old Subudra Dasi said. 'I walked, hitched rides from truck drivers, slept on roads, and finally reached Vrindavan. These widows are my family, and here I lead a life of dignity.' [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

Response:

This is article does not use conventional techniques to convey its point.

Instead, the majority this article utilizes photo journalism to voice the

unheard stories of these widows. Although, the first part of the article acts

like a lead to introduce violation of human rights widows in India have

been undergoing for a long time. It is necessary to bring such an issue to

the global light because it is a crime against mankind when human rights

are not being protected. However, this particular case in India is very

complicated because culture and traditions are carefully intertwined with the

abuse of the widows. With that being said, globalization is an essential tool

in improving aspects of cultures that are harmful to member's of a society.

Now turning the focus to the article, the journalist first makes the assumption

that the audience has prior knowledge of Indian culture. In the first sentence,

sati or self-immolation is used casually. Personally, I had to conduct research

to discover the meaning of this ancient Indian practice. Other similar references

are made within the article, such as mentioning the holy city, Vrindavan with

little background information. As I read this article, I detected little to no bias

because the journalist first explained the cultural importance there is to shunning

widows from society. He continues to show vividly through the picture-quote

combination the horrors and devastation this brings to widows. Some of the

widows would probably turn to the practice of sati due to their current

inhumane living conditions. Since this article does not provide a practical

solution on how to stop this issue, its main goal seems to be to spread

awareness and ensure these widows voices are heard. The underlying tone

this article portrays is that not everything in culture is right, and the aspects

that are causing more harm than good should be stopped. Finally, it also

encourages the work of NGOs and private enterprises that are providing aid

to isolated widows.

Source:

Shafi, Showkat. "Widows in India: My Children Threw Me out of the House."Aljazeera.

2016 Al Jazeera Media Network, 6 Mar. 2016. Web. 7 Mar. 2016.