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Why does the West praise Malala, but ignore Ahed?

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Meryl Ann Butler
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There has been a curious lack of support for Ahed from Western feminist groups, human rights advocates and state officials who otherwise present themselves as the purveyors of human rights and champions of girls' empowerment. When Malala  was shot in the head, the reaction was starkly different. But none of these groups or figures have issued statements supporting Ahed or reprimanding the Israeli state. No one has declared an Ahed Day, and the US has denied  her a visa for a speaking tour. Why isn't Ahed a beneficiary of the same international outcry as Malala? A major reason is the widespread acceptance of state-sanctioned violence as legitimate. Whereas hostile actions of non-state actors such as the Taliban or Boko Haram fighters are viewed as unlawful, similar aggression by the state is often deemed appropriate. Ahed's suffering exposes the West's selective humanitarianism.

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Meryl Ann Butler is an artist, author, educator and OpedNews Managing Editor who has been actively engaged in utilizing the arts as stepping-stones toward joy-filled wellbeing since she was a hippie. She began writing for OpEdNews in Feb, 2004. She became a Senior Editor in August 2012 and Managing Editor in January, (more...)
 

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