The treatment and rights of middle eastern women has been highly debated for quite some time. Nobody seems to know for sure exactly when it began, but the news are filled with stories about the injustices committed throughout the middle easter nations.
This BBConline article presents the idea that Saudi women are purposely treated in a way that forces them remain in the childhood stage in order to make women more controllable. Saudi women, according to the news article, need "permission from male relatives to work, travel, study, marry or even receive health care". This seems like a terrible injustice. It appears unbelievable to western people that anyone would need permission to work, study, or even to travel. Closely related to this discussion is the debate about headscarves and burkas. This second article allows insight to people who do not follow the Muslim belief system, although many women today in western countries could not imagine living through a summer without flip-flops, tank tops, and mini-skirts. Nevertheless, it is this kind of information that enables people from all backgrounds to come together and live in peace.
One problem with the first article is that it presents only one point-of-view. Though a large number of people throughout the world would most likely agree that these ways of treating women is absurd and needs to end, it is the news source's obligation to present the news in an unbiased manner. By providing only one side of the story, BBC is not remaining unbiased, which could make their news less believable and invokes questions in the readers' minds. What are the reasons that BBC is biased? Is BBC capable of being unbiased? Are any of the news BBC presents unbiased?
The first article is referring to a report in which there is clearly one point-of-view. The reporter also completely neglected the opposing point(s)-of-view, making the article somewhat unethical. Making a statement that directly attacks an establishment of sorts, in this case, Saudi men and the Saudi government, is only ethical if the establishment being attacked has a chance to defend itself.
Even though a person might agree with the content of the article, she might, nonetheless, prefer news reporting that is not loaded with personal opinion and, instead, prefer news that solely provide facts.
All points-of-view need to be presented at all times because they allow the readers to make their own decisions. A reader might not agree with or understand another person's religion, culture, or habits, but she is capable of respecting the other person's habits, beliefs, etc., if some sort of explanation is provided. Even though one does not understand another at times, as long as one respects another, two can live together without war.
Monday, April 21, 2008
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