Founder of a free school for slum children Rajesh Kumar Sharma, second from right, and Laxmi Chandra, right, write on black boards, painted on a building wall, at a free school run under a metro bridge in New Delhi, India. At least 30 children living in the nearby slums have been receiving free education from this school for the last three years.
I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.
My name is Ela. I am seventeen years old. I am not Muslim, but my friend told me about her friend being discriminated against for wearing a hijab. So I decided to see the discrimination firsthand to get a better understanding of what Muslim women go through.
My friend and I pinned scarves around our heads, and then we went to the mall. Normally, vendors try to get us to buy things and ask us to sample a snack. Clerks usually ask us if we need help, tell us about sales, and smile at us. Not today. People, including vendors, clerks, and other shoppers, wouldn’t look at us. They didn’t talk to us. They acted like we didn’t exist. They didn’t want to be caught staring at us, so they didn’t look at all.
And then, in one store, a girl (who looked about four years old) asked her mom if my friend and I were terrorists. She wasn’t trying to be mean or anything. I don’t even think she could have grasped the idea of prejudice. However, her mother’s response is one I can never forgive or forget. The mother hushed her child, glared at me, and then took her daughter by the hand and led her out of the store.
All that because I put a scarf on my head. Just like that, a mother taught her little girl that being Muslim was evil. It didn’t matter that I was a nice person. All that mattered was that I looked different. That little girl may grow up and teach her children the same thing.
This experiment gave me a huge wakeup call. It lasted for only a few hours, so I can’t even begin to imagine how much prejudice Muslim girls go through every day. It reminded me of something that many people know but rarely remember: the women in hijabs are people, just like all those women out there who aren’t Muslim.
People of Tumblr, please help me spread this message. Treat Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Taoists, etc., exactly the way you want to be treated, regardless of what they’re wearing or not wearing, no exceptions. Reblog this. Tell your friends. I don’t know that the world will ever totally wipe out prejudice, but we can try, one blog at a time.
Today in Kashmir: Paramedic students clashed with Indian Policewomen after finding out that 90% of them had failed their exam.
Awesome.
![On August 8, 1970, in the waters off Washington State, a pod of killer whales was attacked and rounded up by a group of killer whale herders, led by Ted Griffiths and Don Goldsberry. With the help of speedboats and explosives, the orcas were forced into nearby Penn Cove. The infants, who were prime candidates for the captivity industry, were frantic as they were separated from their mothers. Crying human-like screams in vain, the orca mothers refused to leave their children.
According to photographer Wallie Funk, “[the orcas] were trapped in a small area [and were] … flailing in the air.” High-pitched squeals could be heard as the killer whales who had been trapped “[communicated] with many, many more that were outside the net in Penn Cove.”
One adult and four baby killer whales were killed during this capture. The herders, in an attempt to keep the orca deaths from the public, slit open the bellies of the dead animals, filled them with rocks, and sank the creatures with anchors, hoping they would never be discovered.
One of the orca infants captured was a 4-year-old named Tokitae, who was sold to the Miami Seaquarium. She arrived at the marine park on September 24, 1970, where she was renamed ‘Lolita’ and has lived ever since. She performs tricks during her scheduled shows, and has done so for the past forty-one years.
Lolita’s tank that she calls home, as you can see in the photo above, is dreadfully small for an orca—about the size of a hotel swimming pool.
It is now known that killer whales are incredibly intelligent, sentient creatures who, in the wild, are very social. Lolita, being a female, would still be living with her mother today, since resident killer whales like herself usually stay with their mothers their entire lives. She currently lives alone in her tank with no other killer whale companions—only a couple Pacific white-sided dolphins. When not performing in her show, Lolita floats listlessly in her tank all by herself. In the wild, killer whales are capable of swimming hundreds of miles a day and diving as deep as 500 feet. In her tank, however, Lolita spends the day circling a 35-foot-wide area and can only dive to a maximum depth of 20 feet.
Today, Lolita is the oldest living killer whale in captivity.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpmmn4NZY01qfdn20o1_1280.png)
![On August 8, 1970, in the waters off Washington State, a pod of killer whales was attacked and rounded up by a group of killer whale herders, led by Ted Griffiths and Don Goldsberry. With the help of speedboats and explosives, the orcas were forced into nearby Penn Cove. The infants, who were prime candidates for the captivity industry, were frantic as they were separated from their mothers. Crying human-like screams in vain, the orca mothers refused to leave their children.
According to photographer Wallie Funk, “[the orcas] were trapped in a small area [and were] … flailing in the air.” High-pitched squeals could be heard as the killer whales who had been trapped “[communicated] with many, many more that were outside the net in Penn Cove.”
One adult and four baby killer whales were killed during this capture. The herders, in an attempt to keep the orca deaths from the public, slit open the bellies of the dead animals, filled them with rocks, and sank the creatures with anchors, hoping they would never be discovered.
One of the orca infants captured was a 4-year-old named Tokitae, who was sold to the Miami Seaquarium. She arrived at the marine park on September 24, 1970, where she was renamed ‘Lolita’ and has lived ever since. She performs tricks during her scheduled shows, and has done so for the past forty-one years.
Lolita’s tank that she calls home, as you can see in the photo above, is dreadfully small for an orca—about the size of a hotel swimming pool.
It is now known that killer whales are incredibly intelligent, sentient creatures who, in the wild, are very social. Lolita, being a female, would still be living with her mother today, since resident killer whales like herself usually stay with their mothers their entire lives. She currently lives alone in her tank with no other killer whale companions—only a couple Pacific white-sided dolphins. When not performing in her show, Lolita floats listlessly in her tank all by herself. In the wild, killer whales are capable of swimming hundreds of miles a day and diving as deep as 500 feet. In her tank, however, Lolita spends the day circling a 35-foot-wide area and can only dive to a maximum depth of 20 feet.
Today, Lolita is the oldest living killer whale in captivity.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpmmn4NZY01qfdn20o2_1280.png)
![On August 8, 1970, in the waters off Washington State, a pod of killer whales was attacked and rounded up by a group of killer whale herders, led by Ted Griffiths and Don Goldsberry. With the help of speedboats and explosives, the orcas were forced into nearby Penn Cove. The infants, who were prime candidates for the captivity industry, were frantic as they were separated from their mothers. Crying human-like screams in vain, the orca mothers refused to leave their children.
According to photographer Wallie Funk, “[the orcas] were trapped in a small area [and were] … flailing in the air.” High-pitched squeals could be heard as the killer whales who had been trapped “[communicated] with many, many more that were outside the net in Penn Cove.”
One adult and four baby killer whales were killed during this capture. The herders, in an attempt to keep the orca deaths from the public, slit open the bellies of the dead animals, filled them with rocks, and sank the creatures with anchors, hoping they would never be discovered.
One of the orca infants captured was a 4-year-old named Tokitae, who was sold to the Miami Seaquarium. She arrived at the marine park on September 24, 1970, where she was renamed ‘Lolita’ and has lived ever since. She performs tricks during her scheduled shows, and has done so for the past forty-one years.
Lolita’s tank that she calls home, as you can see in the photo above, is dreadfully small for an orca—about the size of a hotel swimming pool.
It is now known that killer whales are incredibly intelligent, sentient creatures who, in the wild, are very social. Lolita, being a female, would still be living with her mother today, since resident killer whales like herself usually stay with their mothers their entire lives. She currently lives alone in her tank with no other killer whale companions—only a couple Pacific white-sided dolphins. When not performing in her show, Lolita floats listlessly in her tank all by herself. In the wild, killer whales are capable of swimming hundreds of miles a day and diving as deep as 500 feet. In her tank, however, Lolita spends the day circling a 35-foot-wide area and can only dive to a maximum depth of 20 feet.
Today, Lolita is the oldest living killer whale in captivity.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpmmn4NZY01qfdn20o5_r1_1280.png)
On August 8, 1970, in the waters off Washington State, a pod of killer whales was attacked and rounded up by a group of killer whale herders, led by Ted Griffiths and Don Goldsberry. With the help of speedboats and explosives, the orcas were forced into nearby Penn Cove. The infants, who were prime candidates for the captivity industry, were frantic as they were separated from their mothers. Crying human-like screams in vain, the orca mothers refused to leave their children.
According to photographer Wallie Funk, “[the orcas] were trapped in a small area [and were] … flailing in the air.” High-pitched squeals could be heard as the killer whales who had been trapped “[communicated] with many, many more that were outside the net in Penn Cove.”
One adult and four baby killer whales were killed during this capture. The herders, in an attempt to keep the orca deaths from the public, slit open the bellies of the dead animals, filled them with rocks, and sank the creatures with anchors, hoping they would never be discovered.
One of the orca infants captured was a 4-year-old named Tokitae, who was sold to the Miami Seaquarium. She arrived at the marine park on September 24, 1970, where she was renamed ‘Lolita’ and has lived ever since. She performs tricks during her scheduled shows, and has done so for the past forty-one years.
Lolita’s tank that she calls home, as you can see in the photo above, is dreadfully small for an orca—about the size of a hotel swimming pool.
It is now known that killer whales are incredibly intelligent, sentient creatures who, in the wild, are very social. Lolita, being a female, would still be living with her mother today, since resident killer whales like herself usually stay with their mothers their entire lives. She currently lives alone in her tank with no other killer whale companions—only a couple Pacific white-sided dolphins. When not performing in her show, Lolita floats listlessly in her tank all by herself. In the wild, killer whales are capable of swimming hundreds of miles a day and diving as deep as 500 feet. In her tank, however, Lolita spends the day circling a 35-foot-wide area and can only dive to a maximum depth of 20 feet.
Today, Lolita is the oldest living killer whale in captivity.
Breast Cancer Superheroine Campaign
by ~Maísa Chaves
“Nobody’s immune to breast cancer.
When we talk about breast cancer, there’s no women or superwomen. Everybody has to do the self-examination monthly. Fight with us against the enemy and, when in doubt, talk with your doctor.”
Climate Cartoon: A Big (Oil) Barrier to a Clean Energy Future…
(Source: Dayton Daily News via The Oil Drum)
On Earthday, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig sank creating the worst oil spill in history. According to the global media, the story ended when the well was capped – but that’s when the real story began. By exposing the root causes of the oil spill and what really happened after the news cameras left the Gulf states, filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell uncover a vast network of corruption.
The New Orleans Times Picayune says THE BIG FIX is “a full-on, no-holds-barred bit of investigative journalism” into the dark secrets surrounding one of the largest manmade environmental catastrophes in American history.
THE BIG FIX is “a damning indictment” (Time Out New York) of a system of government and corporate collusion that puts the pursuit of profit over all other human and environmental needs. Through “smart, covert reporting that shames our news media” (The Village Voice) The Big Fix is “a mandatory-viewing critique of widespread government corruption” (LA Weekly).
Since Uganda is getting a lot of interest on the internet right now, I figured it was important to try to present an alternative source of information. Invisible Children is, as many already know, a highly problematic organization, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying to help. Here are some other sources of information, statistics, and ways to donate/help.
- American Progress’s 2007 report, “What to Do About Joseph Kony”
- Amnesty International’s 2011 report on Uganda
- Global Security’s page on the Lord’s Resistance Army
- Washington Post, “A Child’s Hell in the Lord’s Resistance Army,” May 2006.
- HRW: “Protect civilians from LRA abuses,” May 2011
- AllAfrica.com, “Amnesty International wants Kony arrested,” May 2010
- AI’s Uganda Portal
- Human Rights Watch’s Uganda portal
- Democracy Now!’s Uganda portal
