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Mon, Apr 20, 2009
The Straits Times
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Dangerous turns in domestic dispute
by Paul Jacob
I THINK the time has come for some heads to be knocked together.

It is an old remedy to knock some sense into people who have been having a go at each other for well on three weeks now.

What essentially started out as a domestic dispute over who is in charge of the household has spilled out into the corridors.

Family and friends have joined in the fray, an employer too, and the neighbourhood is abuzz with residents out on their balconies watching on with bemusement.

When the dust settles, as it must, those who had no clue as to what the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) stood for, and more importantly, what it has achieved since its establishment in 1985, will remember it for the wrong reasons.

By marketing this dispute to the public and being prepared to air dirty linen, the protagonists and supporters on both sides of the dispute are sullying the name of the organisation that they claim to be in the best position to represent.

The danger is that whoever emerges the 'victor' in this catfight will have alienated those who stand firmly in support of the other side. And Aware, like it or not, will be in real danger of losing its effectiveness because there will surely be a counter-group sniping at its every pronouncement.

Sadly, that appears to have already happened.

It is regrettable that the team ousted from power has been so swift to suggest that Aware, under new management, will stray from its ideological moorings.

This after digging up and citing statements that some in the new team made publicly and in their personal capacity about issues such as homosexuality.

Their supporters have further suggested that the new group is of an extremely conservative bent, that the leading women's advocacy group here has been hijacked by Christian fundamentalists - and that all these will have a significant bearing on Aware's secular nature and its advocacy and programmes, some of which are carried out in schools.

I think that what is worrying, and dangerous, is that this camp has chosen to throw down and play the religious card.

It is one thing to portray a group as conservatives. In fact, if the former incumbents or their supporters need any reminding, it is that the bulk of society here is just that - conservative.

They don't make a song and dance about it, but just ask any Member of Parliament about the make-up of his or her constituency, and you will get a clear idea of just what values are prevalent in the heartlands.

Unfortunately, the label that I have heard some people apply to the new crowd at Aware is not just a simple 'conservative' tag. It is 'Christian conservative' or 'fundamentalist'.

On the Internet, there are even worse tags. Among them: 'Christian Taleban'.

I think that when people start throwing out such descriptions to involve religion and drag in the church - as if the church sent these women out on a 'crusade' (another description I have come across online) - then someone is playing with fire.

One writer asked if the Registrar of Societies should step in if it is found that the organisation is being used for 'a quasi-religious agenda'.

Religion and an alleged anti-gay agenda have become the central themes colouring this debate, taking it in a wholly new, different and potentially explosive direction.

Having said all that, I also think that it is equally regrettable that the newly elected team was slow to outline their position and to respond, when asked straight up at the annual general meeting and afterwards, just what they stood for.

Their reticence, inability or unwillingness to do so when opportunities first arose behind the closed doors of the March 28 meeting where they were elected has contributed to this state of affairs, and the predicament that Aware now finds itself in.

Like it or not, they owe it to the membership and the organisation they seek to represent.

Now, because of that inaction on their part, they need to make their positions crystal clear - or risk adding fuel to the fire that others have started.

How about us bystanders?

I believe we are also owed some form of explanation. This is because we risk being burnt by the fallout from what was essentially a domestic dispute that has escalated and may well threaten the neighbourhood.

The responsibility rests with both camps to put their house in order. And soon.

Otherwise, somebody might need to step in and knock some heads together.

[email protected]

 

This article was first updated in The Straits Times.

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readers' comments
Wonder if the police can persecute the person who wrote "Christian Taleban" as an insult and derogatory to religion. After all, the AG did persecute people in the past who insulted religion.

Ahya.....Old Guards were really "un-aware" during the elections. Even if they win, someone else can call EOGM! When will it stop?
Posted by wlhwlh17 on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 at 11:38 AM
haha! i dun believe i so accurate! just heard the news that old guards got lesbian agenda (and probably several lesbians in ex-exco). So they did use AWARE to promote their own lesbian cause! how hyprocrite! how dare they accuse the new guards of trying promote anti-gay agenda when they have not even started work:D...wah lao women women women... use your brains lah! dun shoot yourselves in your foot...it's ok that you have your special sexual orientation, but dun use AWARE as a vehicle to promote it lah. how to trust you when you cannot separate personal agenda and organizational agenda. So sad that AWARE was being led by incapable leaders (and quite sotong ones too, dunno how to accuse smart). Ex-exco failed lah. Let's see if the new one will succeed or also do the same!:rolleyes:
Posted by like2talk on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 at 22:37 PM
Shut down the organisation AWARE and peace will prevails.
We have other better things to do in life.
Posted by vthamtkc on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 at 08:30 AM
Shut down the organisation AWARE and peace will prevails !
Posted by vthamtkc on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 at 08:28 AM
agendas to the table! pro-gay or anti-gay you stand on one side you discriminate the other. AWARE is about helping to improve the lives of women, focus on the MAIN objectives and show your statistics that you are truly able to deliver this. Get busy with real business, not busy with catfight. wa biang eh!
Posted by like2talk on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 at 08:12 AM
exactly! anti gay or pro gay, these old and new women have their personal stands so dun bring it to AWARE! AWARE has clear core values and objectives so if you have personal beliefs that contradict, dun bring it to the running of the organisation lah. wah lao these women really cat fight lah. if want to play game fair, then let's do a background check on the beliefs of old guards also mah hehe we might discover some interesting and juicy backgrounds too! everyone background sure got juicy details one:))) this is the tabloid reporter's job:))) dun let personal beliefs and background cloud this organisation! so long as it is run well and produce results, that team wins! i believe old guards also got personal beliefs and stands that these women are also trying to bring to AWARE. STOP this lah! STOP STOP STOP no one brings your personal .....
Posted by like2talk on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 at 08:04 AM
Personally, I think this whole AWARE mess is being clouded (purposely I might add) by this anti-gay issue.

What has AWARE got to do with being gay or not. What if its member pro or anti-gay. I thought AWARE is about looking after the affair of women, gay or not.

If a member is not pro gay, as putting it nicely. So be it. As long as she does her job in the committee and in line with what AWARE was set up for.

Even if the group comes from the same church, so what. But they need to be scrutinize for the time they are being in the committee so that it will not turn into their own "kopi" club or as part of their "church expansion".

Give them a chance and will see next year if .....
Posted by waz_unik on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 at 06:59 AM
AWARE : All Women Army of Religious Extremists
Posted by cylon6 on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 at 00:53 AM
Like the old chinese saying "Anyone who cannot see far ahead will suffer the consequences in the near future"

Lets debunk some of this
i) "Come back next year lah".
You have full power. You cannot change your rules to make sure that the same tactic cannot be used twice like a so called consitution change? Naiveness at its best.

ii) You want to shout in the middle of the speaker corner, sure, fine. You want to believe whatever, sure, fine. You want to slowly force your own agenda onto someone who does not know you, does not care about you and who does not believe the same as you? Then its is not fine.

iii) "And if a person is questioned on her beliefs, isn't it free speech to state honestly and stand up about your own .....
Posted by IceCreamMan on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 at 00:35 AM
old AWARE BO JO KANG and still dare to bark so much...sore losers lah...so obvious! Give new blood a chance since you preferred to sleep, complacent, membership dropping, meetings poorly attended, organisation not doin well already lah...let others have a chance to revive AWARE if you genuinely care about the organization, not how to secure your personal power and positions. Not doing much and eat snake, please lah..anyway this is not a paid job so give others a chance lah. they win it legitimately. ya agree with previous comment, come back next year if you really think you can do better then new team. Work hard for it, it's a fair game!
Posted by like2talk on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 at 00:09 AM

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