The Wellesley Globalist: Volume IV, Issue 1 "Outcasts"

the Wellesley Globalist Volume IV, Issue 1

OUTCASTS

Photo Credit: World Bank

Letter from the Editor Dear Globalist Readers,

This semester, a array of topics were proposed regarding current global events such as the European Debt Crisis, the Refugee Crisis, Russia, and the immigrant experience to name a few. All of these, though vastly different, could still be boiled down to a single word, “Outcasts�. We challenged our writers to think outside the scope of Wellesley and came up with insightful articles, ranging from experiences of being an immigrant in a foreign country to a discussion on the treatment of the mentally disabled in society. We hope to spark conversations on issues that affect not only students at Wellesley but the bigger global community.

On behalf of The Wellesley Globalist staff, we would like to thank all of our contributors, for without their hard work and dedication, we would not have this magazine. We hope you enjoy this issue of our magazine and encourage you to contribute writings or photographs to our next issue. Please reach out to us through our Facebook page or email us at Globalist@wellesley.edu.

Best regards, Your Editors-in-Chief

Shannon Lu Computer Science and Economics Class of 2016

Wendy Ma Biology Class of 2017

Editorial Staff Business Director Caylene Parrish

Publicity Chair Erika Lowry

Managing Editor Zarina Patwa

Webmaster Karen Moorthi

Production Editor Kanika Gupta

Copy Editors Amanda Kraley Audrey Choi

Secretary Mira Craig-Morse Treasurer Helen Jin

Event Coordinators Christine Yang Emily Moss

Associate Editors Andrea Aguilar Esa Tilija Sarah Moinuddeen Sarah Jeon Sam Muller Pauline Day Naomi Whitney-Hirschmann Mallika Sarupria Kat Schauer Photo Editors Anne Claire Kim Sarah Berry

Centerfold Editors Luci Navas-Sharry Portia Krichman Victoria Yu Layout Editors Cissy Hao Eliza McNair Maddie Haughton Rachel Utomo Susan Liu

Table of Contents Gender

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The Case for Feminism in India Check your Feminism

Culture

13 17

American Culture Shock Watching the Third Intifada from Wellesley

Centerfold

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ISIL, Boko Haram, and Beyond: Contextualizing Global Terrorism

Economics

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Bear at Bay: Why Sanctions on Russia Are Not Working

Current Events

31 37 41

Rise of the Renegade Terrorist Group: ISIS’s singular use of social media The Consequences of Current Immigration Rhetoric People of the Floating Coffins

Wellesley and Beyond

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Gazmend Kapllani and Excerpts from A Short Border Handbook

The Case for Feminism in India

By Kanupriya Gupta

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“A decent girl won’t roam around at 9 populations lag behind. o’clock at night. A girl is far more responsible For most Indian girls in urban regions, for rape than a boy,” claims one of several men being on your period causes, at most, the ordeal convicted for the rape and assault of Jyoti Singh, of hiding your pads at the checkout counter and also known as Nirbhaya, that shook all of India in not being able to enter the temple. In rural ar2012. Nirbhaya, who died from the injuries she eas, however, the stigma against menstruation is sustained, afterwards became known as “India’s more extreme. During their period, young girls are Daughter” for shedding light on the heartbreak- prevented from living normal lives and receiving ing reality of sexual discrimination and assault in proper education, as many stay home from school India. and yet are isolated from their families. According

Nirbhaya’s case exemplifies how girls are to an NPR report by Jane Greenhalgh, in some ruconstantly victimized in India in every spectrum ral Hindu villages, girls on their periods are forced of their lives. They are victims of different types to live in sheds in total alienation from their famof discrimination: from public harassment known ilies for the five to seven days they are menstruatas “eve-teasing” to the cultural taboos that result ing, due to the practice known as “chhaupadi”. in period shaming. In the worst cases, young girls In addition to the fact that these sheds are also face rape and sexual assault. Therefore, there dehumanizing and isolating, they are also unsanis a strong case for investing in feminism in India, itary, forcing girls to live together in a cramped as feminism can improve the space with no access to medical quality of life for all. help or even standard hygien Feminism exposes ic care. Overall, this practice is how these injustices are part “Menstruation is damaging to society. As a report of a bigger problem of a paby Rose George for Jezebel states, simply a reminder “India loses 6.4 per cent of its triarchal society that overlooks the problems women GDP to health and other costs of a woman’s are forced to face in every caused by its lack of sanitation.” aspect of their lives. Since

Furthermore, by banishing ability to carry Hinduism — a religion that girls to sheds for a natural prolife.” celebrates femininity — is cess essential for life, we teach practiced by many in India, them that these taboos are above it should not come as a surprise that feminist ideas their education, their character, and their humanishould be discussed. Unfortunately, many people, ty. Should we really be banishing girls to sheds for especially in the rural parts of India, still believe a whole week because of something required by that the idea of feminism is too progressive and nature? Secondly, these women lose all social connon-traditional. In more urban regions, howev- tact, as they are not allowed to touch their family er, we see new dialogues on feminism arising and members or even enter the kitchen. bringing about change.

The reason this practice still remains to Even though India is known for honor- day is because it is rooted in outdated tradition. ing goddesses for their divinity, it has also shamed Greenhalgh discloses that this practice is derived women for their ability to carry life. Feminism from ancient Hindu text, which states that during simply argues that these women who have been a woman’s period, “all her body is so weak that vishamed deserve equal care for their health needs ruses come out of her mouth and her limbs” and, and respect for their roles as mothers. essentially, these women become “untouchable”.

Menstruation is simply a reminder of a The only way to combat this kind of retrowoman’s ability to create life. It is therefore alarm- gressive thought is to educate the rural population ing that period shaming is a pervasive problem that on the basics of women’s health. In modern Inhas existed in for centuries in India. Today, India is dia, we see many people using feminism to pioneer a dichotomous country; while urban populations education on feminine health in order to change have almost erased this stigma and embraced an attitudes towards period shaming. One pair of open-minded stance towards menstruation, rural students has innovatively constructed a comic

known as “Menstrupedia”, which aims to educate girls about their periods while taking shame and embarrassment out of the equation. They have made comics accessible online on various topics including “Puberty and Menstruation”, “Physiology of Menstruation”, “Hygiene Management”, and “Menstrual Myths”. Furthermore, there is an “Ask” feature that allows users to ask for help or advice, to which community members and admin can respond.

This kind of light-hearted comic takes away the stigma, as it allows girls to inquire and learn about their health without feeling shame.

This modern innovation reiterates that we cannot blame people living in rural areas for their ignorance, because there is simply a lack of understanding on what menstruation is. To fight this stigma, we must educate.

Another form of discrimination that pervades the lives of many Indian women is sexual harassment. “Eve teasing”, the colloquial name given to the practice of the public sexual harassment of women by men, is well-known and easily spotted. There is an astounding number of reports of young girls being assaulted while going to

school, going home, traveling to work — essentially as they live their lives.

As stated by Dhananjay Mahaputra for The Times of India in 2013, two eve-teasing cases were reported every single day in Delhi. This statistic is especially alarming, seeing as how most cases go unreported. The same report states also that Delhi saw five reported rape cases per day. 23 year-old Nirbhaya’s case of a brutal gang rape and assault on a city bus, just one of these many reported cases, brought the unavoidable problem of rape to the forefront of India’s attention in 2013.

One reason rape has been such a devastating problem, however, is that it is committed by those hold the authority under the law. This is exemplified by a case, reported in Time magazine, of a 40 year-old woman who was brutally set on fire by two policeman after they sexually assaulted her, all because she wanted to learn the fate of her detained husband.

Even more concerning is that according to Monica Sarkar in CNN, in 94 percent of rape cases in India, rape is committed by someone the victim knows, making victims more vulnerable and less likely to speak out. A lack of justice for these

Photo Credit: Ramesh Lalwani on Flickr

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Photo Credit: Dave Gill on Flickr

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victims is also seen at the legislative level, as marital rape remains legal in India, reinforcing the notion that a wife is her husband’s “property”. We need feminism to give married women the same rights that husbands have in a marriage.

We must combat this gender inequality by attacking the source of disrespect towards women. To do this, we need to open a discussion about the rights we have ascribed to women in today’s society — all women. One way this has happened recently is through media. The popular movie, Queen, received critical acclaim as one of the first Indian movies to have a female lead who denied marriage to seek her own life. Queen follows the story of a rural woman who goes on her honeymoon alone after being left by her fiance and reiterates that women are capable of finding happiness without the need for marriage.

Another upcoming movie, Angry Indian Goddesses, which advertises itself as the Indian version of Bridesmaids, actually promises to do something much more profound — unapologetically tell the stories of modern Indian women, with all of the inherent complexity and nuance.

These discussions about feminism can help men as well as women. Many men who engage in “eve-teasing” and street harassment are victims of

misguided social conditioning. Therefore, these individuals view interaction with women as their prerogative, even if the woman outwardly shows no interest.

Peter Pudaite, an Indian entrepreneur and popular contributor on Quora, suggests that harassers view their unwanted sexual advances as illustrating their “persistence in pursuit,” which they have been deluded to believe is “a good quality, as it demonstrates the degree of interest.” This reiterates the need for a change in the societal attitude towards women, so that they can be seen as active members of society, rather than passive objects of interest for the male gaze.

One way to bring about this change is by championing feminism through outlets such as social media and Bollywood that infuse the life of every Indian. Through these platforms, there is hope that feminism will gain traction. This past summer, Prime Minister Modi initiated the #selfiewithdaughter initiative, encouraging fathers to post pictures with their daughters to highlight the importance of raising daughters with the same care given to sons. This was part of his grander initiative of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao”, which translates to “Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter.” But if we are to continue this progress, we must have

more dialogue about feminism, and how dismantling the patriarchy can improve the quality of life for women as well as men.

I believe our greatest hope for change will come from innovative uses of technology, as social media is becoming increasingly accessible to peo-

ple in rural areas. It allows for unlimited discussion and exposure of the burden some issues women face. To see real improvement, we have to celebrate femininity, instead of shaming it. Therefore, to bring about change, in the words of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “We should all be feminists.�

Photo Credit: Amra Padatik on Wikimedia Commons

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Check Your Feminism

By Kelechi Alfred-Igbokwe

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Photo Credit: Dying Regime on Flickr

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There’s a new kind of feminism around town: one that seeks to uproot traditional feminism and revolutionize the meaning of gender equality.

It is known as intersectional feminism and it stems from the revolutionary idea that activism for gender equality should intersect with race, sexuality, gender identity and class. Previously, white, Western, cisgender, middle-class women served as the face and voice of feminism. Feminism catered to issues that affected only those kind of women while excluding women of color, transgender women, LGBTQ+ women and lower class women. Intersectional feminism aims to raise awareness about the issues that every woman faces without excluding anyone.

The term “White Feminist” is so often misunderstood and misconstrued. To clarify, a white feminist is not a feminist who is white. A white feminist is someone whose feminism generally ignores problems that affect women who fall outside the boundaries of being white, cisgender, heterosexual, middle-class and Western.

As a black woman, marginalization is a double-edged sword. Feminism has always historically excluded black women, while the black rights movement has historically excluded black women as well. When black women are cut out of both movements that are supposedly meant to be for us, it seems that our lives are always valued as less than other lives. As women, we are worth less than men in the black rights movement. As black people, we are worth less than white people in the women’s rights movement. It is disheartening to study famous feminists in history who fought for suffrage yet completely disregarded their black counterparts.

I remember the revulsion I felt watching a video of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a leading figure of the early women’s rights movement, declaring that women deserve to get the right to vote before black people. It was as though she had conveniently forgotten that black women exist. It is that kind of erasure that has historically pervaded the feminist movement when it comes to black women like me.

There is a troubling lack of representation

of women of color in the media. When it comes to female narratives, white women’s narratives are usually dominant. One need only take a look at the TV show “Girls” created by Lena Dunham. “Girls” is meant to be a depiction of the typical female millennials, yet, there is almost no focus on women of color except to prop up the main characters, all of whom are upper middle-class, cis, white girls.

In the film industry, just six of the top 500 box office films of all time feature a protagonist who is a woman of color, and five of those films are animated films. We need intersectional feminism because everyone deserves equal representation in the media they watch and consume. Women of color are often the most underrepresented group, and frequently are portrayed as stereotypes. The media is rife with stereotypes of black women as “the angry black woman,” for example.

Even when women of color are represented, there tends to be colorism in the selection of who gets to be represented. When I see Indian, Latina and Black women on television and in movies, they tend to be light-skinned.

This reinforces the notion that darkness is unwanted and unappreciated. Darker skinned women are rendered invisible and seen as not as beautiful as their lighter counterparts. A Sundance film festival breakout hit, “Dope,” which came out this June, was praised for its favorable depiction of young black people outside of stereotypes. However, to my dismay, all of the black women in the film (Chanel Iman, Zoe Kravitz, and Kiersey Clemons) are light-skinned. Once again, darker-skinned black women cannot be found in leading roles.

The intersectional feminism movement has graced with historical role models, such as bell hooks and Angela Davis, but now there are also young girls today who are standing up for feminism that embraces all types of women. We are blessed with fierce, outspoken proponents of the modern day movement, like Amandla Stenberg (who stars as Rue in “The Hunger Games”) and Rowan Blanchard (the star of Disney’s “Girl Meets World”). Amandla Stenberg uses her social media presence to eloquently and ardently shed light on issues that affect young women of color. Stenberg

“To clarify, a

white feminist is not a feminist who is white.”

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awareness about cultural appropriation of black white women could vote since 1920, Black women hairstyles. Likewise, Rowan Blanchard has spo- could not vote until 1964. ken at the United Nations for women’s rights, and When praising Miley Cyrus for being “sexwritten an essay intelligently ually liberated” and proud, detailing why we need femendeavour to remember inism that is intersectional. that Miley Cyrus appropriAmandla is just 17 years old, “It is only white womating black culture while usand Rowan is only 14 years ing black women as props. I en who make 77 cents could go on, but I’ll just get old. They represent today’s youth and the next gener- to a white man’s dollar. to the most important thing. ation of mainstream femiWhen women of color want Black women make 68 to talk about issues that afnists. Check your feminism.

When talking about cents to the dollar, and fect them, do not say that the wage gap, do not forget they are being “divisive” or Hispanic women only to mention that it is only invalidate their experiences. white women who make 77 Instead, just listen, empa57. ” cents to a white man’s dollar. thize, and care. The only Black women make 68 cents way your feminism means to the dollar, and Hispanic women only 57. anything is if you actually stand up for issues all

When remembering the date “women” women face and not just issues white women face. in the United States got the right to vote, keep in The only feminism that I believe in is one mind that August 18th, 1920 was actually when that includes every type of woman, regardless of only white women got the right to vote. While race, gender identity, sexuality and class.

PhotoSavage Credit:on AnneKim Photo Credit: McKay Flickr

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American Culture Shock

By Meher Vohra

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Photo Credit: fady habib of Flickr

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When I first came to Wellesley, I immedi- become heightened and even irritating to the indiately romanticized my experience of America. It vidual. was new, and I was in love. The food was tastier, For instance, even matters as minute as probigger, and richer. I could buy at least 20 differ- nunciation were a source of frustration and debate ent varieties of white chocolate online and have it for me — is the letter ‘h’ a “hetch” or “haitch?” Is delivered to my doorstep! The weather was cooler “can’t” pronounced with a broad-a or short-a? Beand less humid. The people were friendlier. I know, cause international students often possess a medley however, that this experience is not unique to me. of different accents — usually amalgamated with I was one of some British and American English and many internathe possible infusion of numerous other actional students cents, such as Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, and “ The shiny façade Spanish — words that may be common are experiencing the “honeywhich I had created frequently pronounced differently and thus moon” phase of difficult to understand. As the twentieth in my mind began to culture shock. century British playwright and Nobel-Prize Culture winner George Bernard Shaw said, “Encrumble.” shock is the disgland and America are two countries dividorientation that ed by a common language.” international students face when entering a new Words themselves also carry difculture and is made up of three main stages: hon- ferent meanings. I initially found it incredible that eymoon, rejection, and acceptance. During the people in passing took the time to enquire, “How honeymoon phase, one’s new social environment are you doing?” I made small talk enthusiastically, seems fascinating and holistically positive. During even if they were complete strangers. I soon realthis phase, many international students find the ised, however, that this outwardly genuine quesfood, habits, people, and pace of life in their new tion was not to elicit a lengthy diatribe about my “home” nothing short of enchanting. life, but rather a polite rhetorical greeting, not a

I have grown up in a fairly international question that sprung out from the fount of human environment: Singapore, my native country, is a kindness or curiosity! The idiosyncrasies of Amermelting pot of cultures,.My school boasted more ican English were frustrating. than 150 nationalities, and I watched

Another my fair share of global television. But no time, I was takamount of Friends could have prepared me “ Culture shock is an en aback when for the differences between American and friend looked experience full of tur- my my hybrid international culture. My first at me funny for few weeks at Wellesley were filled with bulence and homesick- asking if she had linguistic faux pas, the frequent struggle ness as it forces you to a rubber: I was to grasp nuances in customs, cravings for doing a problem take a giant step out familiar cuisines, and endless complaints set, and needed to about the weather. of your comfort zone” erase something

The shiny façade which I had that I had written. created in my mind began to crumble.

Little did I know The euphoria disappeared, and the homesickness that “rubbers” in America refer to something else slowly began to creep in. The “rejection” phase of all together... The differences in diction were endculture shock was about to commence. This is the less. A lift was a forklift truck for carrying objects stage that involves the difficulties of adjusting to and not people. What I wanted, to go from one a new culture, in which the new culture is often floor to the other, was an elevator. dismissed and treated as being inferior. Differenc- The metric system: a subject significant es between the old and new culture become more enough in America to warrant the attention of striking and regularly lead to feelings of frustra- Democratic Presidential candidate, Lincoln Chation, anxiety, and anger. Small aspects of daily life fee, who has said that he hopes to convert the U.S.

Photo Credit: George A. Spiva Center for the Arts of Flickr to it. Culture shock made me idealise the metric system, with kilometres and grams just a distant, fond memory. Having been well informed about New England’s volatile weather conditions, hearing that it is 30 degrees outside always makes my heart race in anticipation of the warmth. But then I realise that it’s Fahrenheit we’re talking about, in which 30° means that winter jackets and layers abound. 30° Celsius is a temperature I could only dream of. Goodbye sunshine.

The final stage of culture shock is “acceptance”: Forming a globalised and open-minded view, appreciating the surrounding environment, and cultivating positive feelings and attitudes about one’s new culture. It requires an extended

period of time, after which one is able to see the advantages and disadvantages of both her home culture and American culture, while being able to participate fully in the latter.

Culture shock is an experience full of turbulence and homesickness as it forces you to take a giant step out of your comfort zone. But at the end of the day, it is undeniably beneficial: it helps you to become a global citizen by thinking on your feet and immersing yourself in new experiences, and it also allows you to learn more about yourself.

Perhaps I’m not at the “acceptance” phase just yet, but when I finally am, I’ll be fully settled, integrated, and appreciative of American culture, and at home here at Wellesley.

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Watching the Third Intifada from Wellesley

By Mira Craig -Morse

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Photo Credit: David Ortmann

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Nablus is a beautiful city – a slice of land headlines from Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron and between two mountains, always visible from every- Jenin. President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahwhere you stand. One mountain is home to the few moud Abbas, does his best to deescalate the growremaining Samaritans in Palestine, descendants of ing tension across Israel and Palestine. the Israelites who remained in Palestine during Unlike the Second Intifada, a Palestinian the Babylonian Exile. The other mountain houses uprising from 2000 to 2005, there has been no decnewcomers, Jewish settlers who build illegally upon laration or call to action by a political or religious Palestinian land, blocking roads and agricultural leader. Nor are there any suicide bombs, the main property from Palestinian access. mechanism for violence during the Second Intifa Nablus is one of the West Bank’s more con- da. Nevertheless, knife attacks are reported almost servative cities and home to under 150,000 inhab- daily throughout Israel and Palestine. itants. The almost three months I spent there this Sometimes attacks are more sinister spring weren’t always fun. Gossip was rampant in and deadly. On October 13, 2015, a Palestinian the community and our group of volunteers, there rammed his car into a bus stop and emerged from to teach English, French and other “Western” ac- the car to attack pedestrians with a meat cleaver. tivities, was not always viewed with appreciation or Each of these attacks is as suicidal as strapping a acceptance. bomb to your waist. A crowd of Israelis scream,

Yet every weekend I would return from a “He’s got a knife, he stabbed someone,” and, betrip to other parts of the West fore he takes another step, he is Bank or Israel and was remindshot dead on the sidewalk, as ed of my love for the beautiful, was the case of 19 year-old Ali aging buildings, Roman ru- “Nevertheless, knife Alloun in Jerusalem. ins, mountain views, delicious Israeli gun laws have eased attacks are desserts and kind, welcoming considerably since the beginreported almost people. Then I was grateful to ning of October, making it be there, even for such a short much easier to obtain a gun daily throughout time. permit. Jerusalem mayor, Nir Israel and Pales On October 1, 2015, Barkat has encouraged licensed two Israeli settlers were shot gun owners to carry firearms tine.” and killed just outside Nablus throughout their daily lives in as their four children watched anticipation of further attacks. from the back seat of their car.

This permits Israelis to shoot In a swift response, the city was sealed off at both and kill anyone they perceive as a threat. entrances by Israeli forces. Houses were raided, ar Out of those pictured bleeding on the rests made and demonstrations suppressed across sidewalk, collapsed and alone at the center of a the city for weeks. frantic crowd, most are young, in their late teens.

Meanwhile, far away in the shelter of I see the so-called “terrorists” lash out, harming Wellesley College, I watch every video shared on Israelis, and the whole hollow narrative crumbles Facebook, read every article regarding Nablus – around me. How can we not see that these are kids there are precious few – and compulsively message -- desperate to live their lives without the occupafriends from the West Bank to hear updates. I find tion taking everything from them, desperate to live it difficult to focus on school work and cannot stop their lives free or not at all? thinking about the fifty, eighty, now ninety-one Pal- Fouad, my friend in Nablus messages me estinians killed since the beginning of October. late at night, “How do I leave?” Sweden rejected

I cannot stop thinking about the patient at his application for a visa and he is afraid to apply to Rafidia Hospital who was kidnapped from his sick the US for fear of immediate rejection. Joining the bed by Israeli soldiers. Another undercover raid on millions of refugees fleeing across deadly waters a hospital in Hebron resulted in the death of a pa- for Turkey is becoming, to my horror, an increastient’s relative as he emerged from the bathroom. ingly valid option for him. Fouad speaks English

Then there are the markedly more violent like a west coast stoner – slow, smooth, natural…

except for when he speaks of leaving Palestine. His desperation surfaces in dreadful grammar, jumbled pronouns and mixed tenses. It illustrates how miserable he is in Nablus; he can’t find work, he hates school, he can’t be himself.

During my time in Nablus, Fouad dropped out of university. After I left, things got worse. His friends saw him spending time with another American volunteer, a man in his thirties, and assumed Fouad was an informant for the CIA. They rejected and abandoned him, leaving him to gloomy reflections on Palestine and dreams of success in Amreeka.

When I spent time with him, learning about Palestine through him, I felt he was special – somehow smarter and kinder than most people his age. But to an outsider, he is just another desperate youth, another Arab living too close to an Israeli settlement on the West Bank.

Each morning I wake up in my dorm to dozens of notifications on my phone: a stabbing, a terrorist attack, three Israelis and a Palestinian dead, live bullets shot across the West Bank, a pregnant woman and young child killed in Gaza leav-

ing a husband and father rolling in anguish upon a bed. He kisses his young daughter’s lifeless body; all is lost to him.

Each day the crisis escalates, and I lose a little more hope. Before, I strived to bring my stubborn stance against the Israeli occupation to a place of dialogue and compromise. Now, as violence fills the streets, compromise seems a dream of the past.

Can we not see that the rising generation of Palestinians must have equal opportunities – go wherever they wish and live in houses, upon land, that will never be taken by force? And to the those using knives in the streets of Jerusalem, I want to ask, Can’t you see, this is not the answer, either?

That it is futile and senseless to hurt the other side because you’ve been hurt?

For now, my heart continues to break for them, for Fouad, for Ali Alloun, for their families and for all of Israel and Palestine in this time when peace seems so far away. But whatever happens this year, or the year after that, I will be hoping -- hoping for an end to all injustice, an end to the cycle, the hatred, and the inhumanity.

Photo Credit: Laura’s Eye

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ISIL, Boko Haram, and Beyond: The last two decades have seen a surge in terrorist Text attacks across the globe. Most terrorist organizations operate locally while a select few operate across borders, attracting international attention.

Media reports of incidents are constant though not all become global headlines; some countries are affected more than others,but innocent people suffer injuries and fatalities. Friday the 13th may just be a superstition, but that did not stop the world from witnessing yet another horrific incident.

On the evening of November 13, 2015, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks consisting of mass shootings, suicide bombings, and hostage taking occurred in Paris and in its northern suburb, Saint-Denis. The attacks were the deadliest seen in France since World War II, and the deadliest in the European Union since the Madrid train bombings of 2004. Shortly after recovering from the Charlie Hebdo attack earlier this year, the people of France and the world are again shaken to their core following most recent event. President François Hollande publicly declared that the French borders were to be closed to prevent any suspects from leaving or entering the country.

Unsurprisingly, social media exploded with responses to the attacks specifically in France. Twit-

ter, Instagram and Facebook gave live updates of the situation with hashtags such as #PrayforParis trending and Facebook’s French flag overlay option for profile pictures and safety check activated. People across the globe responded in red, white and blue with prayers and open doors to tourists stranded by the borders closure.

While the people stood in solidarity, France launched its single largest airstrike, “Operation Chammal,” in retaliation toward Al-Raqqah, the ISIL headquarters in Syria on November 15, 2015.

For many, this uncomfortable reminded them of September 11, 2001 when the Twin Towers in NYC collapsed and the United States declared war on Al Qaeda terrorists, thus becoming heavily involved in the Iraq War. In the days following the Paris attack, Brussels entered a terror lockdown with continued investigations while Spain also beefed up security at a Real Madrid and Barcelona football game that happened November 21.

However, Paris was not the only victim of that week. On November 12, 2015, just one day before, a bombing orchestrated by ISIL killed between 37 and 43 people in Beirut, Lebanon. The bombings were the worst terrorist attack in Beirut

Terrorism in Western Countries - Deaths by Terrorism

Non-Western Countries 97.4%

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Western Countries 2.6%

Contextualizing Global Terrorism

By Victoria Yu and Portia Krichman

10 Highest Impact Text of Terrorism 8 6 4 2

Low Impact of Terrorism

0.1

No Impact of Terrorism Not Included

since the end of the Lebanese Civil War. These attacks came twelve days after the bombing of a Russian airliner killed 224 people over the Sinai Peninsula. ISIL claimed responsibility for all three attacks.

While ISIL dominates headlines due to its activities in the Middle East and Europe, Boko Haram continues to wreak havoc on the African continent. Tuesday, November 17, 2015, a bomb blast hit Yola, Nigeria, which killed 32 people and injured 80. Nigerian authorities blame Boko Haram, which is currently named the world’s deadliest terror group. Their activities have branched out of Nigeria and into Chad, Niger, and northern Cameroon.

Less than a week after attacks in Paris and Beirut, another African terrorist group, Al-Mourabitoun, led a terrorist attack in Bamako, Mali. They took 170 hostages, including diplomats, a celebrated Guinean singer, aircrews from France and Turkey, as well as Indian and Chinese nationals. At least 21 people died. Facebook has activated safety checks for these attacks after their initial use of the tool for Paris. Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

said at a visit to the hotel after the attack, “Mali will not shut down because of this attack. Paris and New York were not shut down and Mali won’t be.

Terrorism will not win.”

The world is becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme violence. In the wake of Paris, refugees are being blamed, though the terrorists are the same people many refugees left home to escape.

State leaders have to decide how they want to approach targeting terrorism globally and how to react within domestic communities.

France made a statement when the bombs fell in Al-Raqqah. German Chancellor Angela Merkel came under pressure following the attacks.

Stefan Wagstyl reporting for the Financial Times in Berlin wrote that Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz said Paris showed “how great a mistake it is to try to settle a large Muslim immigrant community in Poland”. Former French conservative Justice Minister Rachida Dati accused Merkel of “an error of judgment” over refugees and called for better EU external border controls, saying “if there is no security there can be no freedom”. However, according to Deutsche Welle, the German

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Photo Credit: Matt DeTruck

Chancellor and her cabinet members have disText everything but war. Interior Minister Thomcussed as de Maiziere has urged Germans to continue going to public events, to soccer stadiums and to stroll through Christmas markets. Remaining calm and continuing with life has become a sign of freedom and courage. Refugees will still be widely accepted, but a quota was initiated due to pressure.

Another Financial Times article by columnist, Wolfgang Münchau, was titled “Paris Attacks Highlight Need to End the Folly of a Borderless Europe”. He states that the attacks will lead France to more spending on security and especially on intelligence. This also includes the other members of the Schengen area.

Schengen is the name for the passport-free travel zone made up of 26 European countries, including 22 EU states. It became clear the security network that supposedly operates quietly and efficiently in the background of Schengen is not working. What does it say about Schengen if one of the world’s most wanted criminals was able to move freely between Syria, France and Belgium?

Across the Atlantic, American Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, in a recent interview with Yahoo News said that Muslim immigrants and Syrian refugees entering the US should have special identification badges. He says, “You look at the migration, it’s young, strong men. We

The economiccosts costsof of The economic terrorism reachedthe thehighest highest terrorism reached level 2014 level inin2014

US $ 52.9 BILLION

2014

61%

10x

increase since 2013

increase since 2013

2013

Rank Country Score 1 Iraq 10.0 2 Afganistan 9.23 3 Nigeria 9.21 4 Pakistan 9.07 5 Syria 8.11 6 India 7.75 7 Yemen 7.64 8 Somalia 7.60 9 Lybia 7.29

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10 Thailand 7.28

2000

According to the GTI Index, more than one third of the terrorism victims in the world are Muslim.

Text

cannot take a chance that the people coming over here are going to be ISIS-affiliated.” This came under scrutiny for being exactly what the Nazis did with the Jews.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also found a revival of support for his hard stance on ISIS in light of recent events. According to Reuters, Putin sent a telegram of condolences to Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and said “the widest international cooperation” was needed to confront global terrorism, according to a statement by the Kremlin. He pledged to hunt down the militants as well as intensified air strikes against militants in Syria. Putin and French President Francois Hollande also spoke by phone on and agreed to boost coordination of their military actions in fighting jihadist militants in Syria.

Global responses to terrorism are calling for solidarity among the people and heightened security. Military action in Syria is increasing amid concerns that civilians in Syria will suffer. This may

even exacerbate the refugee situation. With the majority of responses coming from Western sources, it is possible to lose perspective of the larger picture. According to the Institute for Economics and Peace’s Global Terrorism Index, the top fifteen countries affected by terrorism to do not include France, the UK, or US.

While Western countries are shocked when horrible violations against humanity are committed, it is important to realize that the majority of terrorism affects countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Each attack is not an isolated act of terror, but an attempt to divide and conquer. Only by raising more awareness and educating the public on existing terrorism and how it fits into world relations at large can we hope to educate the public and provide an understanding of the broader situation. As members of society, and investors in our future, we must not allow divisive powers to get what they want. #PrayForHumanity #WorkForPeace

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Photo Credit: Matt DeTruck

By Shannon Lu

Bear at Bay: Why Sanctions on Russia Are Not Working

By Shannon Lu

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Photo Credit: Sasha Maksymenko

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Photo Credit: Arron Hoare

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On March 6, 2014, US President Barack sanctions imposed on Russia actually affected the Obama signed Executive Order 13660, autho- Russian economy, then? Are sanctions effective in rizing sanctions on institutions and individuals achieving their expected goals at all? In order to deemed complicit or responsible for violating understand the effects of the sanctions on Russia, Ukraine’s sovereignty. The order was in response we will first broadly discuss sanctions in general, to the presence of unidentified based on Gary Hufbauer, Jeffrey — suspected Russian — troops Schott, and Kimberly Ann El“Only 34 percent of in the Crimean peninsula, liott’s study of the past 174 cases which was part of Ukraine at sanctions were at least of economic sanctions imposed the time. Since then, a broad partially successful in by the US since World War I. spectrum of countries, led by

If the effectiveness of sancachieving their the U.S. and the EU, has imtions is defined as whether or posed a series of additional intended political goal.” not the target country concedes sanctions, including travel to the demands of the sanctions bans, asset freezes, and import sender, then several factors that and export bans. should be considered include the type of relation Since March 2014, Russia’s economy has ship between the sender and target countries; the steadily declined, experiencing a GDP contraction type of government in power in the target country; of 2 percent for the fourth straight quarter. While how other countries are involved; and, of course, many believe that the sanctions imposed by the the types of demands being made. Economic SancU.S. and the EU are responsible for the decline in tions Reconsidered by Hufbauer, Schott, and Elliott, Russia’s economy, evidence presented later in the published originally in 1985 and updated in 1990 article suggests that sanctions played only a lim- and 2007, is widely considered to be a cornerstone ited role. In fact, extensive research on past U.S. of sanctions analysis and even served to guide the sanctions has shown that only 34 percent of sanc- implementation of sanctions policies in the 1990s tions were at least partially successful in achieving and 2000s. For the purpose of this article, we will their intended political goal. Exactly how have the focus only on three key points:

1) Little evidence supports the widely held belief that sanctions have a large enough impact on a target country’s economy to cause it to meet the demands of the sender.

2) Economic sanctions are most effective when imposed on ally countries with whom strong diplomatic and trade relations are shared.

3) Sanctions are unlikely to precipitate compliance from “strong, stable, hostile, and autocratic” governments.

Sanctions, loosely defined as the withdrawal or threat of withdrawal of customary trade relations, are often implemented as a form of political coercion by one government against another.

If the target country is left with no other options, then indeed, the government will have no choice but to concede to the demands of the sanctions sender. International trade relations are very rarely this isolated however.

As is the case with the sanctions on Russia, the sender country will often form a coalition with other countries to jointly impose sanctions on the target country. The U.S. and the EU were quickly

joined by countries including Canada, Australia, Japan, and Norway in declaring sanctions against Russia.

Similarly, the target country can also find new trading partners and negotiate new trade agreements. Though counterintuitive, sanctions also provide incentives for some third party countries to actually increase trade relations with the target country. These third parties can sell at higher prices and buy at lower prices from the target country, using the target’s inability to trade with other countries as leverage. Since March 2014, Russia has increased trade relations with China and the Philippines, increased crude oil exports to Japan despite Japan’s sanctions, and is in the process of negotiating a $100 billion trade deal with Turkey.

Frankly, the drop in oil prices was a more salient perpetrator to Russia’s suffering economy than the sanctions imposed upon it. Russia is one of the world’s leading producers of oil and natural gas and the ninth largest export economy— between 1998 and 2008, Russia’s GDP averaged

Photo Credit: European Union

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an annual growth rate of seven percent, rivaling Another key factor that determines the efeven that of China. During the 2008-2009 glob- ficacy of sanctions is the type of government in al financial crisis however, Russia was one of the the target country. This matters because sanctions hardest hit and its annual GDP growth rate plum- have trickle-down effects to the general population, meted to approximately -12 percent. Though the even when designed to target specific individuals growth rate rose to five percent in 2011, declining and institutions. One U.S. dollar today exchanges oil prices persistently drove Russia’s economy back for almost twice as many Russian rubles as cominto recession. pared to just two years ago. Additionally, accord Even as the economy declined, it was es- ing to a report by the Public Broadcasting Station timated that at the end of 2013, trade relating to (PBS), prices of basic food products such as buckoil and natural gas accounted for 68 percent of wheat have risen by more than 70 percent in RusRussia’s total export revenues, 52 percent of Rus- sia, putting a serious strain on the average consumsia’s federal budget revenue, and approximately 16 er’s spending budget and creating widespread fear percent of Russia’s GDP. It is therefore difficult to of social unrest. substantiate any claim that there is more than a In countries where government officials weak correlation between the economic effect of are elected by the public, the governing body must imposing sanctions and concession to demands. make decisions while accountable to its constituAt best, the sanctions have ency. Threat of domestic unonly served to exacerbate rest is usually a strong enough the economic downturn, incentive for democratic gov“In effect, the sancnot cause it, and Russia has ernments to accede to the stood obstinate against all sender’s demands. However, tions have not motidemands. a “strong, stable, hostile, and vated Russia to ac In the same vein, autocratic” government unthe second point made by beholden to its citizens is less cede to the demands Hufbauer et al. alludes to the likely to be swayed by public of the sender counfact that bans on imports dissent. Although President and exports will do little to Putin was democratically tries in the least. ” a country’s economy if that re-elected in 2012, there is still country shares only few incontention that the election teractions with the sender country to begin with. was rigged.

An ally or close trading partner stands to lose much In effect, the sanctions have not motivatmore from sanctions, both diplomatically and fi- ed Russia to accede to the demands of the sender nancially, than a rival country with limited political countries in the least. In fact, Russia has continued and trade relations with the sender. As it stands, it to defy, if not directly oppose, U.S. foreign policy. is safe to say that Russia and the U.S. have never Instead of withdrawing troops from Crimea as the shared a particularly close relationship.

U.S. demanded, Russia proceeded with the annex Russian-American political relations ation of the Ukrainian peninsula. Furthermore, thawed with the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, on September 30, 2015, Russia began its military but iced over again during the overlapping years intervention in the Syrian Civil War, sending airthat George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin held strikes against military groups, including those presidential office in the U.S. and Russia respec- backed by the U.S. government. tively. Though Barack Obama attempted to reset Though multiple sanctions have been relations with then president, Dmitry Medvedev, slapped on Russia by a number of different counin 2009, tensions mounted yet again after a series tries, the sanctions are effective merely as politiof political confrontations upon Putin’s re-election cal statements, censuring Russia’s actions. All the in 2012. In contrast, Russian-American trade re- while, Russia continues to forage for deeper ecolations simply never became a major issue, since nomic and political ties with China, the PhilipRussia trades mainly with Europe and China, and pines, Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, among oththe US trades mainly with Canada and Mexico. er countries.

Photo Credit: Sasha Maksymenko

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Rise of the Renegade Terrorist Group: ISIS’s Singular Use of Social Media

By Mallika Sarupria

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Photo Credit: Cristian Iohan Ştefănescu

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The 21st century has witnessed the rise of many global terrorist organizations, the most recent and notable being the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Despite being the youngest terrorist network to have been formed, ISIS has quickly consolidated itself globally and has successfully recruited thousands of people, both local and foreign, to join its cause. This remarkable feat, would not have been possible without the use of social media. ISIS has used social media to not only propagate its message, but to also recruit as many members as possible from all parts of the world. As Craig A. Evans and Jeremiah J. Johnston claim in their book, Jesus and the Jihadis: Confronting the Rage of ISIS: The Theology Driving the Ideology, “the marriage of social media and extremism is an innovation.” Indeed, ISIS’s success can be attributed to its strategy of targeting groups or individuals on social media who may feel like outcasts in society.

The use of media by terrorist groups isn’t a new phenomenon and global terrorist groups have been reliant on conventional forms. For instance, Al Qaeda continues to rely heavily on printed propaganda such as magazines like Sawt al-Jihad (Voice of Jihad) and Zurwat al-Sanam or books written by its most influential members. Similarly, ISIS has not entirely forgone conventional media to propagate its message. For example, its primary media source is the I’tisaam Media Foundation, which distributes propaganda through the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF). It has also recently formed the Al Hayat Media Center, which produces propaganda in English, German, Russian and French in order

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to target Western audiences, and the Ajnad Media Foundation, which releases jihadist audio chants.

How, then, do the propaganda methods of Al Qaeda and ISIS differ, and why? Erick Stakelback, an expert on terrorism, explains that “Al Qaeda is launching wordy publications like Inspire or announcing a new terrorist franchise in the subcontinent of India…ISIS is using Instagram and Twitter to deliver shorter punches and gain maximum exposure.” Different media is used because the organizations have different messages and different target audiences. Al Qaeda uses its propaganda to create religious assertions that are made for the create of the ummah i.e. the global Muslim community, and this is best done through mediums like books written by prominent leaders and fatwas.

On the other hand, ISIS intends to provide its followers a combination of religious virtuousness and power and a sense of self and community. Thus social media is ideal to promote such a universal notion that appeals to people all around the world.

On June 29, 2014 when it uploaded a video named “End of the Sykes Picot Plan” and made its social media debut by starting the Twitter hashtag #SykesPicotOver to reinforce the video. Through this video, ISIS announced that the it was prepared to destroy the two political entities created in 1916 by the British and French: Iraq and Syria. This laid the basis for its future propaganda.

According to the author James P. Farewell, ISIS has “employed Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to influence adversaries, friends and journalists alike.” Through Twitter or Facebook, any video or message posted can be retweeted several times by others, allowing information to spread to new, larger audiences. But what is the message that ISIS is spreading through these various mediums?

The message of victory is recurrent in the videos and images ISIS posts on social media. The beheading videos they post usually communicate the extent to which the organization is willing to go to obtain this goal of victory and therefore intend to intimidate opponents.

Social media has effectively facilitated ISIS’s expansion of its global terrorist network.

ISIS has successfully utilized Twitter for recruitment, with approximately 46,000 ISIS supporter accounts on the public social media platform. After reaching these supporters, ISIS moves them onto encrypted messaging platforms to continue com-

municating with these supporters without any in- Yaken that appeals to young Muslims living in the terference.

West is that his story is similar to theirs. This is be Furthermore, ISIS developed an app called cause ISIS fulfills the need for the sense of commuDawn of Glad Tidings which was available in the nity and identity, something they are unable to find Google store of Android phones. This app allowed in Western societies. users to give ISIS the ability

Moreover, the video to use their Twitter channels footage posted by ISIS on and propagate its message.

“The 21st century has twitter and other social meDue to this, ISIS was able to dia cause secondary trauma witnessed the rise of use many Twitter accounts if the individual empathises to tweet the same hashtags many global terrorist with the people affected in that would begin to trend on the conflict zones. Thus, organizations, the most Twitter and therefore make most young Muslims feel the information they were recent and notable be- a sense of loyalty towards tweeting available to a largthose who are killed and ing the Islamic State of er audience. still portrayed as killers by

An instance of this Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.” the Western media. Lastwas during the World Cup ly, there is a notion of “jiwhen ISIS began using hadi cool” that is spreading hashtags like #Brazil2014, amongst the younger pop#ENG, #France and #WC2014. Through this tac- ulation who believe that belonging to ISIS gives tic, even if Twitter users weren’t searching for ISIS, them not only a sense of community but also a the World Cup hashtags would inevitably redirect sense being part of something that is considered to them to the group’s propaganda. It is evident that be cool or “gangsta jihad” as Anne Speckhard puts Twitter has inadvertently provided a large public it. platform for ISIS to not only declare its actions and Through its propaganda, ISIS projects an intentions, but to also refute accusations that would image of fostering an environment that encouragundermine its efforts. es the well-being of its followers. To show that ISIS

More than any other terrorist organiza- is providing its younger recruits with a safe haven, tion, ISIS is trying to recruit younger Muslims the videos online show soldiers eating Snickers and from the Western world who feel disconnected playing with kittens which is a reference to Prophet from their current societies and are searching for Muhammad who was known for liking cats. meaning and a place to belong. According to Erick Another group that ISIS has been activeStakelbeck, there are three aspects of ISIS online ly recruiting more than any other terrorist orgathat have made it so attractive to “young Muslims nization is women. Michael Steinbach, head of raised in the West: 1) social media savvy, 2) glorifi- the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, stated,“[The cation of brutal violence, and 3) hip-hop slang and FBI] have seen everything from female fightcocky irreverence.” Furthermore, he claims that er-dedicated groups of women fighters-and those since today’s youth have been exposed to brutal who have come over to support foreign fighters by and violent movies and video games from a young marrying them.” age, they have become desensitized and may even There are many reasons that motivate these be attracted to the violence and brutality for which women to join ISIS and support its cause, from ISIS stands. seeking adventure, power, and a sense of identity,

ISIS wants to project the idea that it is pos- wanting a connection to “true Islam,” disillusionsible to appreciate Western culture and simulta- ment with their Western societies, to promises of neously be jihadist. This is represented by Islam material wealth and emotional support in the form Yaken, a wealthy Egyptian who has recently joined of families. For example, a Christian girl was alISIS. Yaken’s example is therefore extremely at- most recruited simply because she posted questions tractive to adventure hungry, tech obsessed West- about the ISIS beheadings on Twitter. Consequentern extremists. The most important aspect about ly, ISIS members contacted this girl and according

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to Anne Speckhard began to “befriend her, help tactics in recruiting women is extremely apt, espeher learn more about Islam and ultimately to talk cially for young vulnerable women who are easily her into leaving home and family to marry into drawn towards such behavior. the movement. They warned her against going to Social media is an extremely effective her local mosque and instead propaganda tool because it worked to isolate and win her reaches a larger audience and over.” allows ISIS members to talk “For example, a

Firstly, through this to possible recruits and have example it is important to Christian girl was alconversations that can lure note how active ISIS is on people into joining the group. most recruited simply social media and therefore is

More importantly, ISIS, able to grab any opportuniunlike other terrorist organibecause she posted ty to recruit new members. has a “visceral appeal” questions about the zation Secondly, and more imporand therefore social media is tantly, due to ISIS’s access to ISIS beheadings on a suitable medium to promote social media, they are able to its message and subsequently Twitter.” answer any questions people recruit members. In order to from any part of the world reach out to less conventionare asking, allowing them to al members — women and lure people towards their cause through a com- youngsters from the West — ISIS has developed plete conversation and not only propaganda videos specific strategies that cater to the interests and or messages. needs of these groups and used social media as a

Also, as seen from the case of the French medium to communicate with them. To a large exjournalist Anna Erelle, experience with ISIS shown tent, social media has made ISIS’s ability to recruit concern and care, while being promised material outcasts extremely successful and accessible, makwealth, fame, belonging and purpose if she were ing itself a unique pariah among global terrorist to join ISIS.” This further explicates that ISIS’s networks.

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By Natalia Marques

The Consequences of the Current Immigration Rhetoric

By Natalia Marques

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Photo Credit: longislandwins of Flickr

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Photo Credit: Joseph Voves of Flickr

As conservative campaign platforms gain as a rising power. Politicians from both parties are momentum in the United States, controversial lambasted for supporting free trade policies with terms used to describe immigrants, such as “illegal” China and this distrust can lead to suspicion of and “alien” have become more and more common. Chinese-Americans.

These terms are extremely popular among Repub- Stephanie Song, a second-generation Chilican candidates, but, surprisingly, are also legal nese student at Wellesley, describes how people terms within United States law. Recently, however, have often asked her if she is a communist and the xenophobic statements used by public figures whether or not she will move “back to China”, dehave become even more inflamspite the fact that she has lived matory with Donald Trump rein the United States her entire ferring to Mexican immigrants life. as “rapists”.

“The problem with These experiences, how The problem with this ever, are felt among first and this type of language type of language is that it strips second-generation students immigrants of their humanity. of all backgrounds. A secis that it strips For example, the term “illegal” ond-generation Korean stuis rarely used to describe human immigrants of their dent recounted being told beings in any other context. Jose “ching-ching-chong” by anhumanity.”

Antonio Vargas of Time magaother student who brushed zine explains that a 14-year-old it off as a joke. She also dedriver is always deemed an “unscribed an experience in midderage driver” and an intoxicated person a “drunk dle school when a friend’s parent referred to her as driver” — none are described as “illegal” drivers. an “oriental.” She recalled how strange the expe Among first and second-generation immi- rience was, given she had never heard of the term grants, this type of rhetoric can create feelings of “oriental”, which is often used to imply the otherbeing a foreigner in their own homes. For example, ness of Asian people. here in the United States there is distrust of China More subtly, however, anti-immigration

rhetoric also implies that all immigrants are the same. When large, diverse groups of people are branded as “oriental” or “illegal”, their personhood is erased in favor of the more generalizing adjective. Yet each immigrant is an individual—a reality that many important leaders and institutions have chosen to ignore.

A common stereotype about immigrants is that they are economically desperate and, therefore, steal jobs by accepting lower wages. On Donald Trump’s campaign website, he equates immigration reform supported by liberal candidates with the support of cheap labor. Song concedes that opportunities were more limited for her parents in China than in the United States, but refutes the idea that sheer desperation drove her parents’ decision to move to the United States. “My mom was a surgeon when she left. By now she would’ve been the head surgeon… my dad started a company, but he also left that to come to America… it’s not like they needed to come here.”

Sometimes, however, lack of opportunity is indeed the driving force behind an immigrant’s decision to move. Lianet Rosado, another Wellesley student and a Cuban immigrant who arrived in Miami when she was eight, explained how in Cuba, “even if you were to get a degree, if you were to work in the countryside, there’s nothing really that you could do besides maybe teach or work in a field.” Her dad was a teacher for a while, but “realized that it wasn’t worth it because the dis-

tance to commute to the school was too far.”

Rosado has also experienced having the stereotype of the desperate immigrant imposed on her by Cuban-Americans in her hometown. She describes a term called “balseiro”, meaning ‘rafter’, based on the tendency of Cuban immigrants to come to the United States on a raft. This term implies that “you don’t know English, you’re uncultured, you’re rude, you’re loud.”

Over-generalizations are also becoming commonplace to describe the current European refugee crisis. Back in July of 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron was criticized for his use of the word “swarm” to describe Syrian refugees. Michael Burleigh of The Daily Mail also referred to refugees as a “tidal wave” and “the biggest threat to Europe since the war.” As recently as September, a CNN headline read, “Syrian refugees swarm Turkish port city.” David Shariatmadari of The Guardian explains how use of the word “swarm” to describe migrants reinforces stereotypes regarding migrants.

Using a term meant to describe insects towards people subconsciously indicates that those people are part of something negative. I asked my interviewees for ideas on how to counter this type of language. Rosado suggested “getting to know [immigrant] struggles so maybe you can learn from them, and at the same time see if there’s any way that you could offer some support. Just listen to their story.”

Photo Credits:

Photo Credit: Michael Righi of Flickr

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People of the Floating Coffins

By Sarah Moinuddeen

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Photo Credit: Overseas Development Institute on Flickr

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Photo Credit: Overseas Development Institute on Flickr

In May 2015, the world was shocked to see such marriages—known derogatorily as kabya— pictures of hundreds of Rohingya people drifting were abhorred by the native Burmese populace as in boats on the Andaman Sea. Although most of their Burmese mothers were seen as rejecting Burthe world was unaware, the Rohingya have been mese society and culture, as well as Buddhism by uniquely victimized for decades. According to the marrying immigrants and converting to Islam. The United Nations, the Rohingya are “the most per- disempowerment that Burmese males experienced secuted minority on Earth.” The predicament of as they were passed over for these immigrants from these 1.3 million people is, oddly, well documented India and Bangladesh gave rise to the perception but not well known. To fully understand the severity that Rohingya immigrants were stealing from the of suffering that has been inflicted on the Rohing- Burmese people and degrading their culture. The ya, one must first take a step back into Myanmar’s 1897 issue of the popular Burmese publication history.

Picaresque contemptuously described the Muslim

The origins of the Rohingya are largely dis- Rohingya from India and Bangladesh—known deputed. Many Burmese Rohingya trace their origins rogatorily as Kalars—stating: to the Rakhine state in Burma, the country now known as Myanmar. However, after the British col“...they...have the appearance of mere savages. The onization of Burma in 1824, there were also perivast amount of naked skin they show is almost odic waves of ethnically Rohingya Muslim immiblack in complexion, and they have almost no edugrants from India and Bangladesh into Burma who cation beyond the bare necessities of finance.” were fleeing persecution and seeking jobs within the British administration. Due to the timing of the This unification of religion and race to dearrival of these refugees, the native Burmese asso- termine national affiliation produced an environciated the Rohingya with the imperialist Britishers. ment in which interracial marriage became a sym During British occupation, the Rohingya bol of disloyalty to the Burmese culture, religion often became employed in powerful positions and and people. were therefore considered better marriage pros- A new chapter in the Rohingya’s plight pects for Buddhist women due to the economic was written in 1941 when the Japanese aided the stability they represented. Mixed-race children of Burmese people in a revolution against the British

imperialists. The British recruited the Rohingya to ceased to recognize these 1.3 million people as citassist in the counter attack; this decision and the izens. Even though the Rohingya had lived in Burensuing violence between the Rohingya Muslims ma for generations, the Citizenship Law, passed in and the Rakhine Buddhists claimed more than 1982, rendered them stateless and stripped them 25,000 lives, forever pitting the two groups against of all rights; they could no longer vote, hold jobs or one another. run for political office; they were denied access to

Though British colonization ended in 1948, a fair judicial system and medical and educational it left the nation marred with facilities, plunging their comcivil war. In 1962 the Burmese munity into a state of poverty army, led by Ne Win, took and oppression.

“The forces that control of the government.

In 2013, the governWin, a known xenophobe, perpetuate this type ment went as far as to restrict implemented apartheid-like marriages and limit the numof persecution—xe- ber of children Rohingya laws, declared the Rohingya to be second class-citizens and women could have. Before nophobia, Islamexiled the majority of the Rolong, the Rohingya were reophobia, racism— duced to living in what can hingya into western Burma, specifically the Rakhine state. only be described as tent cities. are relentless. ” By now the nationalist and Many reporters, after seeing patriotic movements became the desolation, have gone as far synonymous with a Burmese Buddhist nation, and as to call them concentration camps. Barbed wire because the majority of the Rohingya were Mus- permanently separates the Rohingya from the rest lims, expelling them became a politically favorable of society, isolating them without food, water, or stance to hold. medicine. Even what little aid humanitarian orga Not only did the Burmese government ex- nizations provide is largely restricted by the Myanile the Rohingya from their homes, it eventually mar government. For example, Doctors without

Photo Credit: Overseas Development Institute on Flickr

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Borders was banned from resuming its services in the concentration camps in Rakhine in 2014.

The forces that perpetuate this type of persecution—xenophobia, Islamophobia, racism— are relentless. The 969 Movement, a nationalist anti-Muslim campaign conducted by Burmese citizens and Buddhist monks, targeted Rohingya and Burmese Muslim communities with violence in 2012. This led to both a proliferation of violence against these communities and a boycott of all Muslim businesses, products and relationships; the resultant widespread anti-Muslim riots left more than 167 Burmese Rohingya murdered and over 100,000 more displaced.

The persecution of the Burmese Rohingya will not end so long as leaders like Ashin Wirathu, the “Buddhist Bin Laden” according to TIME magazine, are given a platform to spread their hateful rhetoric against the Rohingya people and Islam.

Wirathu, a well known Buddhist monk, vilifies the Rohingya as “snakes,” “mad dogs” and “Bengalis,” accusing them of illegally immigrating from Bangladesh and systematically raping Buddhist women and “destroying our country [Myanmar], our people and the Buddhist religion.” Wirathu inspired his followers to join the ranks of the 969 Movement in droves and successfully pitted the Burmese Buddhists against the “enemy” Rohingya Muslims.

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Human rights experts now call the situation in Rakhine a genocide, while Human Rights Watch, an international NGO dedicated to exposing human rights violations, has stated that Myanmar is perpetrating “ethnic cleansing” and committing “acts against humanity.” According to the International State Crime Initiative at Queen Mary University of London, there are five stages of genocide: stigmatization, harassment, isolation, systematic weakening and mass annihilation.

In little more than a century, the Rohingya have eclipsed all stages and mass annihilation can already be found, for example, in the numerous mass graves of Rohingya discovered in Thailand.

In October 2015, Al Jazeera confirmed genocidal practices were being intentionally organized and conducted by the Myanmar government. For example, in the 2012 riots, the government organized buses, provided meals, and payed Rakhine Buddhists to travel to the outlying Rohingya concentration camps to participate in sectarian violence. The government was also found to be using hate speech to arouse fear against the Muslim communities and even paying hardline Buddhist nationalist groups to endorse anti-Muslim government policy.

Seeking refuge from over four decades of suppression by the Burmese government, the Rohingya people began migrating west into Bangla-

Photo Credit: Overseas Development Institute

desh and east across the Andaman sea to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Because these surrounding nations no longer admit refugees, the Rohingya are forced to migrate illegally, frequently falling prey to human traffickers. When numerous countries cracked down on trafficking, boats carrying Rohingya were often abandoned on the Andaman Sea.

Although Thailand claims to provide aid to the refugees, it still refuses to allow them to enter the country for asylum. Malaysia and Indonesia, both predominantly Muslim countries, also announced that refugees are not welcome. Bangladesh recently began deporting refugees who were initially living in camps along its southeastern border with Myanmar.

In 2015, Christophe Archambault, a photographer with Agence France Presse, documented boats carrying hundreds of Rohingya refugees drifting aimlessly on the Andaman Sea, a phenomenon recently coined as “floating coffins” by the United Nations.

The resulting international outcry caused Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand to schedule an emergency summit for May 2015. Here they agreed to host the Burmese Rohingya refugees for a year on the conditions that financial and operational assistance would be provided by the international community and that refugees taken in would

be repatriated or resettled elsewhere within a year.

Myanmar and Bangladesh refused to attend the summit.

International law provides three solutions for these refugees: (i) voluntary repatriation to Myanmar, which would not be an effortless solution given Myanmar’s discriminatory policies and attitudes; (ii) local integration, with economic and political support, allowing refugees to become citizens of host countries; or (iii) permanent resettlement of refugees in a third country. The United States has announced that it is ready to take in some Rohingya refugees screened by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Ultimately, there will be no long-term solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis until Myanmar complies with its obligations to not commit humans rights violations, desists from systematic discrimination and undertakes fundamental reforms that incorporate Burmese Rohingyas as full and respected members of Myanmar’s society. If necessary, the international community, including the United Nations, should impose trade embargoes and economic sanctions against the Myanmar government. As Volker Türk, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, stated, Myanmar “granting citizenship [for the Rohingya] is the ultimate goal.”

Photo Credit: Overseas Institute on Flickr Photo Credit: Development Overseas Development Institute

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Theme Lecture Featuring Gazmend Kapllani

Immigration, Borders and the Refugee Experience

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It was our great pleasure to have Gazmend Kapllani give The Globalist’s theme lecture this semester. Kapllani is a well-known author, journalist, and scholar from Greece. Our theme, “Outcast,” closely relates to the subject of Kapllani’s written work on totalitarianism, the immigrant experience, and borders, both cultural and geographical. As an Albanian who left his country of birth after the fall of the totalitarian, Stalinist regime, Kapllani has first-hand knowledge of the isolation and struggles that immigrants face in a new country.

In the lecture, Gazmend Kapllani discussed the experience of being an outcast in modern society. Most notably, he pointed out that works of literature and film gravitate towards stories of outcasts, yet in reality, outcasts are rarely given the chance to be heard. The outcasts, Kapllani said, are now the ethnic minorities, the migrants, and

the refugees.

Quoting several political philosophers and thinkers, including Michel Foucault, Hannah Arendt and Zygmunt Bauman, Kapllani reiterated the increasing separation of the world between those who have freedom of movement and those who have no choice but to continue moving. Many people attended the lecture, especially in light of the refugee crisis currently hitting the Middle East and Europe. “This is not a European problem,” Kapllani emphasized, “this is a global problem.”

The Wellesley Globalist would like to thank Mr. Kapllani for taking the time to share his insight and words with us and we look forward to reading his future works. His current works include My Name is Europe (2010) and The Last Page (2012), and he has kindly shared with us these excerpts from his best selling novel, A Short Border Handbook (2009).

Prologue

I’m not crazy about borders; I can’t honestly say I hate them either. It’s just that they scare me, that’s all, and I always feel uncomfortable when I get too close to one. Let’s get something straight: I’m talking about visible borders here, geographical borders, the ones that mark off one country from another, one state from another, one nation from another. Even today, as they become increasingly porous, whenever I cross one I get a very strange feeling: a mixture of deliverance and perplexity.

Perhaps it’s because of my passport. I’ve got used to that suspicious look they give me. I return it with one of longing, and impatience to get to the other side; but it’s no use, it’s almost invariably met with hostility and suspicion. I do try to reassure them, try to persuade “them that I represent no danger of any kind, but there always seems to be some pretext or other for rebuffing me, some excuse for

not treating me as an equal. This is why I say I suffer from border syndrome, and have done for a long time. Border syndrome is an illness that’s difficult to describe with precision. Unlike agoraphobia or depression, it doesn’t feature on the list of recognized mental disorders. But what I can do, perhaps a little later, is outline some of the main symptoms. I do know that there are other sufferers, a great many of them. Those who have never experienced the urge to cross a border, or who have never experienced rejection at a border, will have a hard time understanding us.

My difficult relationship with borders goes back a very long way, back to my childhood, because whether or not you end up with border syndrome is largely a matter of luck: it depends where you’re born.

I was born in Albania.

Photo2009 Credit: Laura’s Eye A Short Border Handbook by Gazmend Kapllani; PortobellBooks/Granta,

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Epilogue

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This tale is not typical of border stories: it comes to an abrupt halt where most of them just keep going without ever reaching the end. Tales of monstrous, visible borders such as the borders of totalitarianism and tales of the invisible, psychological borders experienced in a foreign country rarely reach a conclusion. It was never my intention to tell you the story of my life; what I wanted to tell you about was my illness, border syndrome, a condition you won’t find documented in any manual of recognized psychological disorders. It’s not like agoraphobia, vertigo, depression. And it’s not like any physical disease spread by a virus, but that doesn’t make me any less of a carrier – maybe just a carrier with low levels, as the doctors are fond of describing carriers of “hepatitis whose organs have developed enough antibodies to keep the deadly march of the virus in check. Nevertheless, border syndrome is just as pernicious as the hepatitis virus because you can never truly get rid of it. It just sits there, in a latent state, wedged between time and space, wedged between your body and the gaze of others, ready to strike at any moment and take possession of your memories, your silence, the expression in your eyes, your spleen, your smile, your passion and your life. It’s then that you start to experience your body and your face and your origins as a burden. You long to be free of it all, if only for just a second, for as long as it takes to cross the borders – if only for that long.

Unlike all those self-satisfied people who scream and shout, asserting ‘the right to be different’, what you crave more than anything is the right to be exactly the same as everyone else. You long to go unnoticed, to be invisible. But you know that can never be more than a fantasy – border syndrome is hardly the stuff of fairy-tales. It tends to affect daydreamers, daydreamers who fight tooth and nail to maintain a grip on reality, who fight tooth and nail to overcome both kinds of borders: the visible and the invisible. To work out how much you are at risk of contracting the border syndrome virus, all you need to do is remember which side of the border you were born on.

As a carrier of border syndrome, I have to confess to having a dream: a dream of a world

without migrants. Don’t get me wrong – I love travelling; most sufferers of border syndrome do.

If you never get out from inside yourself, from your body, your ennui, then you can be pretty confident of life-long immunity from border syndrome. I’d simply prefer people to travel in the real sense of the word, to go travelling, like tourists do, like students do, like bohemians do. To travel like people who have lost their way looking for paradise or like those who have found their own Ithaca through some absurd twist of fate – to travel with dignity. I do not want people to travel in the way that so many Germans, Irish, Italians and Greeks once travelled, and the way so many Albanians, Afghans, Iranians, Somalis, Mexicans and countless others are forced to travel today. Because being a migrant by definition puts you in a position of weakness.

And in this world, the weak are never treated with respect. They might be pitied, but they are never respected. I remember how in the early days in Athens just after I had crossed the borders, I was walking down the road quietly whistling the lyrics of a song I’d just learned: I walked through the night / not knowing a soul / and not a soul / not a soul / knew me. It’s one of Mikis Theodorakis’s songs. It wasn’t written about migrants, but it does capture the feelings of all those who have at some point experienced true loneliness and have tasted the fear of defeat – sufferers of border syndrome, in other words.

I have a dream – I have a dream of a world in which there are no migrants. But such a world is not feasible, because a world without migrants would have to be a world free of tyranny; a world free of poverty; above all a world free of the desire that people have to take control of their own destiny. A world free of migrants and free of migration would be a much duller world than the world we know today. At the same moment that I yearn for a world devoid of migrants, I count my blessings that I am a migrant. In the final analysis, it takes guts; it takes guts to go head to head with borders and start your life again from scratch: with language; street names; people’s names – to make this foreign city your own. Being a thoroughbred migrant means acknowledging the power of the will, and

coming to terms with the outrageous tricks of fate and to understand that the greatest human virtue is the ability to adapt and change and has nothing to do with who you are descended from, and to realize that the secret of success is at once simple and complex: never to tire of life.

That I am sitting in Berlin writing these lines is due to one such twist of fate, one that occurred several years after the events that I narrate in this book took place. I’m in Bernauer Strasse, looking across at what’s left of the Berlin wall.

A couple of tourists are sitting next to me, experiencing the whole thing on the level of a tourist attraction, as an interesting historical fact. To me it’s as though I am looking at a small piece of the skeleton of the monster that once shut me away in his cell, forbidding any contact with the worldbeyond-the-borders; I will always carry the ghost of this monster inside me, wherever I go, however widely I travel, however many borders I cross.

A mere few metres away from the skeleton of the monster I can see an advertisement for a mobile phone company, urging passers-by to enjoy each and every moment of this short life in a world that is getting smaller and smaller every day – a world in which there are no more borders and no more walls. I absentmindedly flick the pages of my passport inside my jacket pocket. The impenetrable borders and the murderous walls of the Cold War are a thing of the past. Borders and walls live on for the most part inside our pockets. They are the passports we carry. I become aware of this each time I stand at a passport control, because at these checks, there are two categories of people: bearers of ‘cool passports’ and everybody else – people holding ‘bad passports’. If you’ve got a ‘cool passport’, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Borders are nothing more than invisible lines, a trick of the imagination, geographical lines as translucent as the light of the Mediterranean. Having a ‘bad passport’ on the other hand, changes everything.

It means you have border syndrome, and every crossing you make becomes an unforgettable incident, an event in your existential calendar. And the more borders you encounter, the more determined you become to cross them. I still belong to the ‘bad

passport’ group. Greek passports once belonged to the ‘bad’ group but are now part of the ‘cool’ group. I haven’t got one. I don’t know if I’ll ever be given one, so for the time being I’m travelling on my bad one, crossing borders with it. Who knows, it might become ‘cool’ one day. I hope so. The face of the immigration officer checking a ‘cool’ passport usually looks very relaxed and very human.

But the expression of the officer checking a ‘bad passport’ is usually very suspicious. He looks at you. He looks at you again. He asks you questions.

He asks you the most outrageous questions. And you give very plausible answers. He asks you the most outrageous questions once again. And you give him very plausible answers once again, waiting for the stamp to fall so that you can get across to the other side of the border, to the other side of the world. When you carry a ‘bad’ passport, borders revert to type; they become what they used to be and what they always will be – miserable places.

There are some border posts and customs checkpoints in which the immigration officer is himself the son of migrants. His parents too had crossed on a ‘bad passport’, or had perhaps stowed away on a train, or in the darkness of a boat. Perhaps they tore up their passports so that they wouldn’t be deported. And he, born here to parents who at some point arrived from somewhere else, is now checking other people’s ‘bad passports’, people who perhaps have the same passion to get to the other side of the border, to emigrate, to put down roots here so that someday their own children might be able to carry a ‘cool’ passport in their pockets. Carriers of border syndrome are constantly changing their place of birth, name and country. However, the way they keep their gaze fixed on the borders, and the way the borders return their gaze, remain unchanged through the ages. And that’s because the world keeps turning and then comes full circle.

Sometimes it makes progress, breaking down old borders and establishing new ones, irrespective of which side of the borders you find yourself on. In the final analysis, we are all migrants, armed with a temporary residence permit for this earth, each and every one of us incurably transient.

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“Those who have never experienced the urge to cross a border, or who have never experienced rejection at a border, will have a hard time understanding us.�

- Gazmend Kapllani

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