Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 12:12:14 -0600
From: "Chowdhury, Kanishka" <K9CHOWDHURY-AT-stthomas.edu>
Subject: RE: Accrediting bodies (colonial discourse in a post-colonial lis	t)


I, for one, am glad that Jaclyn lives in a world where people can engage in
dialogue and reflection without having to worry about unpleasant things like
unequal power relations.  It's curious how Perry's dismissal of a city and a
people is an example of freedom of expression, while a response to that is
an attack.  I guess by now us "natives" should be used to our countries
being bombed and our people subjected to genocidal policies (nothing
compared to the terror of saying the wrong thing; not that we know anything
about that in this country). Anyway, we really shouldn't take flippant
comments about cultures so seriously; after all, it's just a way to get
dialogue started.

Cheers,
Kanishka (still living in a material world) 

> ----------
> From: 	jaclynr-AT-free.fr
> Reply To: 	postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> Sent: 	Monday, February 19, 2001 4:56 AM
> To: 	postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> Subject: 	RE: Accrediting bodies (colonial discourse in a
> post-colonial list)
> 
> It's strange how the terror of saying "the wrong thing"  has rendered me
> afraid to "speak up" on a list where we are supposed to be a virtual
> "community" (read,  individuals who come together with common interests).
> Almost all of my sentences are peppered with quotation  marks to avoid
> taking responsibility for my words ... and even I am beginning to find
> "this" annoying.
> However, just one last comment before I scurry back into my corner and
> stuff my head under a blanket with an opening large enough to see a bit of
> what's going on "outside".  
> I did NOT imply that Perry's "text" wasn't insensitive and nor did I claim
> that he was unfairly attacked for merely "reporting" his surroundings.
> It WAS insensitive - flippant, if you prefer - especially in light of the
> fact that we don't know who Perry is as a person - (all the more reason
> for him to be a bit more cautious when "speaking up").  I  suspect that he
> might even be a really nice (and funny) guy.   I simply implied that his
> "crime" did not merit the "punishment" meted out by our ever watchful
> judges.  We did not merely make an "issue" of it, as you say.  An "issue"
> is couched in respectful terms and tries to encourage dialogue &
> communication.  Perry was attacked, period. And those who attacked used
> unjust stereotyping as well.  
> I am certainly the last person who is going to hang around the embassy
> swimming pool with my black board and educate these "tiresome" and
> arrogant individuals telling their loathsome jokes.  But at least they
> have a sense of humor (I personally think it's a quality).  And they too
> have a "right" to form a community with their own rules and rituals and
> lousy jokes.   You're the one "taking the side" of the "angry natives", a
> role you obviously prefer to the "other" one.  I don't remember anyone
> (least of all myself) castigating the attackers as "angry natives " and I
> personally find that denigrating for yourself and the rest of us on the
> list.  We're all about breaking away from this kind of "dialectic"; please
> correct me if  I'm wrong.  I'm personally for creating new roles and
> strategies... and yes, even new "stereotypes" to question, supplant or
> modify old ones.
> Perry's not the first and he's not the last to be attacked on this list.
> And I did not become a "member" to be witness to more unjust attacks in
> the world, nor to become a victim either.  I am here to "create",
> "dialogue", "interact", "learn" and above all "share". 
> Famous last words, huh?
> Respectfully yours,
> Jaclyn
> 
> > ** Original Subject: RE: Accrediting bodies (colonial discourse in a
> post-colonial list)
> > ** Original Sender: "Kamran D. Rastegar" <kdr7-AT-columbia.edu>
> > ** Original Date: 19 Feb 2001 01:02:39 -0000
> 
> > ** Original Message follows... 
> 
> >
> > While I can understand the concern of certain members of this list that
> > our correspondent from Lebanon has been unduly attacked while only
> > reporting on the surroundings, I must place my sympathies with the angry
> > "natives". The jocular tone and nudge-nudge wink-wink punctuation ("!!"s
> > as if to play upon a common understanding of what is absurd or
> outrageous)
> > did edge close to the classic narratives recounting technological and
> > "thus" civilizational inequities obviated by the bumbling acts of
> > the natives. For all I know mr/s Perryh is Lebanese, but it doesn't
> excuse
> > him/her of the specificity of the filtering of her/his personal
> experience
> > to make undue claims for an entire society. Pointing this out is not
> > political correctness - that, a term invented to make the former demand
> > "shut up" obsolete - this is pointing out the tiresome jokes made around
> > the embassy swimming pool, it's the intervention into the banter of
> > traveling businessmen (and young academics) at the Cairo Ramada. Making
> an
> > issue of it is only calling for self-reflection of ones position and
> > perspective before the act of speaking; something none of us in the end
> > master, but whose principle we may best act in deference to as often as
> > possible.
> > 
> > Sorry for the polemics...
> > 
> > Kamran Rastegar
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >      --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> 
> 
> >** --------- End Original Message ----------- **
> 
> > 
> 
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> &&&&   Jaclyn Rosebrook-Collignon  
> &&&&   5 bd. Agutte-Sembat              
> &&&&   38000 Grenoble France        
> &&&&   jaclynr-AT-free.fr                        
> &&&&   jaclynrosebrook-AT-hotmail.com  
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> 
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