all female party to run in palestinian elections

**Mangalore** · September 15, 2012, 04:39 PM

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-e...tions-1.465204

Not sure what I want to discuss here myself but found this news pretty interesting and wish them the best of luck. This kind of grassroot engagment by anyone who wants to be part of the society is what a democracy needs. That said I hope they can overcome any enmity and harrassnent thrown at them and don't get stiffled by the powers to be.

After the insanity of those embassy bum rushes this sounds like a sensible positive development, but obviously the way those embassy bum rushes went I hope they don't risk life and limb just to get the same representation in the political system anyone deserves.

**DarthLazy** · September 16, 2012, 12:42 AM

So much fail .

**motiv-8** · September 16, 2012, 01:43 AM

After the insanity of those embassy bum rushes this sounds like a sensible positive development, but obviously the way those embassy bum rushes went I hope they don't risk life and limb just to get the same representation in the political system anyone deserves.

Eh, what does this have to do with the embassy protests? Those involved a couple thousand people in all cases, and just like in America it's something that barely registers with most people who are too busy with their lives to be consumed by what's on the news.

**Mangalore** · September 16, 2012, 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by motiv-8

Eh, what does this have to do with the embassy protests? Those involved a couple thousand people in all cases, and just like in America it's something that barely registers with most people who are too busy with their lives to be consumed by what's on the news.

Nothing factual, of course. In context I found it personally interesting though. The context is just how easily riled up people get and that we are talking about a rather conservative area even within Palestina. I don't get your implication that the embassy protests are obscure news though. I know that everyone I know knows about, shakes his head or has other strong opinions about the whole affair which doesn't compute with "barely registers". America might be an exception though.

The issue is just in contrast to those events. I'm always hopeful that some grass root movements will positively influence democratic development. I mean they theoretically have 50% potential voters but can they reach them? And is their approach able to substantially change the political system they try to enter or do they face so much antagonism or will face being sidelined that they will have no influence whatsoever? It kind of reminds one of the women movements of the 19th century in Europe, hopefully with quite the same level of ridicule and enmity.

The interesting part is also to create an all female party and kind of try to keep in line with Islamic rules even though a good deal of interpretation of gender rules might be used to prevent the women from actually getting to participate.