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Ghadir Shafie

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Ghadir Shafie
غدير الشافعي
Born
NationalityPalestinian
CitizenshipIsrael
OccupationCo-director of Aswat
Children1

Ghadir Shafie (also Ghadir Al Shafie, Arabic غدير الشافعي)[1] is a Palestinian activist and feminist.[2] She is the co-director of Aswat, an organization of queer Palestinian women, which she joined in 2008.[3][4]

Views

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Shafie is a critic of pinkwashing by Israel.[4][5] She has criticized Israeli efforts to promote LGBT rights to Palestinians, writing that these efforts ensure "that sexuality education is only delivered condescendingly by non-Palestinians to Palestinians" and cannot account for language and cultural differences.[6]: 40  In an interview with Middle East Eye, she said that “[the] moment we represent ourselves as gay Palestinians and speak about politics, it’s the end of the story” and that Israel wants queer Palestinians "to be the victims of our own society, and they want to be the saviours.”[7]

Shafie is a supporter of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions,[8] describing it as "the only effort that acknowledges and emphasizes the need to recognize our rights as Palestinians."[3] She has opposed performances in Israel and the Palestinian territories by artistic groups from Arab countries, citing the Brand Israel campaign as a reason.[9] Her advocacy work involves anti-Zionism.[10]: 60 

Activity

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In 2011, Sarah Schulman organized a speaking tour in the United States with Shafie as well as Haneen Maikey and one other queer Palestinian activist. The speakers held events in six cities in February 2011.[11]

In March 2015, Shafie attended a conference titled "Sexualities and Queer Imaginaries in the Middle East/North Africa" and held by the Middle East Studies program of the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. She spoke as part of a panel focused on Palestine.[12]

In May 2016, Shafie was one of the signers of a statement by Palestinian feminist activists supporting the decision of the National Women's Studies Association to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.[13]

Personal life

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Shafie was born and raised in Acre, Israel. She lives there with her son Jude.[14]

Shafie is queer[12] and a citizen of Israel.[3][4] She has described experiencing racism and discrimination from Jewish Israelis in Israeli cities.[10]: 38 

References

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  1. ^ Al Shafie, Ghadir (August 1, 2019). "Palestinians Should Embrace the LGBTQ Community to Better Face Occupation". Raseef 22. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  2. ^ ""العنف على أساس النوع الاجتماعي": نقاش حول تنميط المرأة" [Gender-based violence: a debate on stereotyping of women]. The New Arab (in Arabic). March 26, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Shafie, Ghadir; Chávez, Karma R. (2019). ""Pinkwashing and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Campaign," May 25, 2016". Journal of Civil and Human Rights. 5/5: 32–48. doi:10.5406/jcivihumarigh.2019.0032. ISSN 2378-4245. JSTOR 10.5406/jcivihumarigh.2019.0032. S2CID 211353589.
  4. ^ a b c Stead, Rebecca (December 17, 2017). "Beyond the Frontlines: Tales of Resistance and Resilience in Palestine". Middle East Monitor. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  5. ^ Giorgio, Michele (July 29, 2020). "No al pinkwashing, l'omofobia dobbiamo sconfiggerla noi" [No to pinkwashing, we must defeat homophobia]. il manifesto (in Italian). Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Weaver, Grace (2016). 'Pinkwashing': The Politics of LGBTQ Rights in Israel/Palestine (Master thesis). Leiden University. hdl:1887/42755.
  7. ^ Masarwa, Lubna; Benoist, Chloé (July 22, 2020). "LGBTQ Palestinians in Israel: Tahini firm stirs up 'pinkwashing' storm over hotline donation". Middle East Eye. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  8. ^ Dols, Alexandra (2017). Beyond the Frontlines: Resistance and Resilience in Palestine (Extracted clip) (Motion picture).
  9. ^ "الشباب الفلسطيني ينقسم بين مؤيد ومعارض لمشاركة الفرق الفنية من العالم العربي في الداخل" [Palestinian youth are divided between supporters and opponents of performance by artistic groups from the Arab world at home]. Baladna (in Arabic). June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Atshan, Sa'ed (September 7, 2020). "1. LGBTQ Palestinians and the Politics of the Ordinary". Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique. Stanford University Press. pp. 27–70. doi:10.1515/9781503612402-004. ISBN 978-1-5036-1240-2. S2CID 242223296.
  11. ^ Atshan, Sa'ed (September 7, 2020). "3. Transnational Activism and the Politics of Boycotts". Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique. Stanford University Press. p. 119. doi:10.1515/9781503612402-006. ISBN 978-1-5036-1240-2. S2CID 243050059.
  12. ^ a b Atshan, Sa’ed (September 7, 2020). "5. Critique of Empire and the Politics of Academia". Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique. Stanford University Press. p. 184. doi:10.1515/9781503612402-008. ISBN 978-1-5036-1240-2. S2CID 228916262.
  13. ^ "نسويات فلسطينيات يشدن بموقف الجمعية الوطنية الامريكية لدراسات المرأة" [Palestinian feminists applaud the position of the American National Women's Studies Association]. Watan News Agency (in Arabic). February 6, 2016. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  14. ^ "Ghadir Shafee". Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.