Iran Women on Front Line of Street Protests

The iconography dominating global television coverage of Iran’s biggest demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution is stunning: women are on the front line of the protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s allegedly fraudulent re-election. It is no surprise. They feel most robbed by his “stolen” victory. “We feel cheated, frustrated and betrayed,” said an Iranian woman in a message circulated on Facebook. Iran’s energetic female activists are using the social networking site to mobilise opposition to Mr Ahmadinejad. Iranian women also have a dynamic presence on the country’s blogosphere – the biggest in the Middle East – which they are using to keep up popular momentum against the election outcome. Many Iranian women will suspect that a prime reason the election was “stolen” was to keep them in their place. To the regime, their demands for equal rights are inseparable from the opposition’s drive for greater democracy.

Continue on: http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090617/FOREIGN/706179978

Barbara Boxer: Call Me Senator

UPDATE: John McCain poked fun at fellow senator Barbara Boxer on “Hannity” Thursday.

“Thank you for calling me ‘Senator’ and not ‘sir,” McCain said to the host, grinning.

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Yesterday at an EPW hearing, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) asserted herself. A military officer testifying began to respond to one of her questions by calling her ma’am. But Boxer interrupted: “Do me a favor,” she said, “could you say ‘senator’ instead of ‘ma’am?’ It’s just a thing, I worked so hard to get that title, so I’d appreciate it, yes, thank you.”

Fox News actually reported out this story by calling up an Army spokesman to ask if it was disrespectful for the officer to call Boxer ma’am. Their conclusion: no big deal! What do you think