Oddly Enough is back for the third week with an array of stories picked from different sources around the world. This week, read up on Yemen’s trafficking war, a research under scrutiny for recognising user’s sexual orientation, using humour to beat white supremacy, Tunisia’s reform to ensure its women equal rights and much more.
Yemen’s Trafficking War – Selling organs to survive
As unemployment and lack of opportunities linger on a war-torn Yemen, many have taken to selling groceries and mild narcotics like khat. Selling organs fetch them more money to feed their families but, it also brings with it many unforeseen health risks. Such trafficking rings operate in cafes or shisha bars in Yemen and Egypt. In this report, the journalists look at it from one man’s perspective who sold his kidney for $10,000 with the hope for a brighter future.
You can read this story on Al Jazeera.
Artificially Intelligent – AI software that ‘recognises gay faces’ suffers backlash
A study conducted by Stanford University claims that its software can distinguish between gay and heterosexual faces that are not immediately perceived by other people. For this, 14,000 pictures of men and women were taken from a dating site. The researchers claimed that gay men had ‘narrower jaws and longer noses’ while lesbians had ‘larger jaws’. This research has come under scrutiny by several LGBTQ rights groups who said that such reckless research could put many lives at risk as the findings are based on stereotypical beauty standards.
You can read this story on BBC News.
Clown power – Using humour to undermine white supremacy
We all remember Charlie Chaplin’s unforgettable speech in The Great Dictator that was a strong critique against Nazi ideology. This essay analyses how people unite dressing up as clowns and showing up at neo-Nazi rallies in various parts of America. Without causing any disruption, these clowns engage with the neo-Nazi supporters with a dose of humour. Apart from this, various anti-hatred groups perform songs parodying white supremacy and this creates a sense of harmony within communities.
You can read this story on Open Democracy.
Right To Choose – Tunisia lifts ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims
Tunisian women now have the right to choose their spouse as the country lifts the decades old ban on them. President Beji Ceid Essebsi created a commission led by a woman who is a lawyer and rights activist to draft and revise rules. Earlier, non-Muslim men who wanted to marry Muslim women had to convert to Islam and submit a certificate for proof of the same. Whereas, Muslim Tunisian men could marry non-Muslim women without any rules from the government.
You can read this story on Al Jazeera.
Same love – Two pastors marry before their god
Pastor Twanna Gause and Pastor Vanessa Brown first met as choir girls when they were 16 and 18 years old respectively. Since they both grew up in religious families, they could spend time together at church. In this story, they recall their journey as friends and later as lovers. But this didn’t come without any challenges. Pastor Gause’s father didn’t take their relationship too well as he considered it ‘unnatural’ and against his ‘theological beliefs’. He didn’t attend the wedding either. Despite this, Pastor Gause and Pastor Brown are moving forward in life together.
You can read this story on The New York Times.
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