http://www.feministpeacenetwork.org/2007/11/05/panties-for-peace/ UrGently Fierce Feminism In Perilous Times Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:02:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.feministpeacenetwork.org/2007/11/05/panties-for-peace/comment-page-1/#comment-34435 Ammu Joseph Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:10:29 +0000 http://www.feministpeacenetwork.org/2007/11/05/panties-for-peace/#comment-34435 I'm not sure what the rationale of this form of protest is (and I couldn't access the Lanna Action for Burma site to find out more) but it reminds me of an Indian practice that I'm uncomfortable with: sending/presenting/alluding to bangles to indicate weakness (especially in politics). As a former editor of mine wrote while commenting on General Pervez Musharraf's use of the language of bangles to suggest that he would not be intimidated by India back in 2001 (Standard of Political Debate: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20011109/edit.htm), "The metaphor of bangles is, indeed, a common one in colloquial conversation in North India and Pakistan, flowing out of a culture of male chauvinism." I hope the use of panties in this instance doesn't come from a similar mindset. I’m not sure what the rationale of this form of protest is (and I couldn’t access the Lanna Action for Burma site to find out more) but it reminds me of an Indian practice that I’m uncomfortable with: sending/presenting/alluding to bangles to indicate weakness (especially in politics). As a former editor of mine wrote while commenting on General Pervez Musharraf’s use of the language of bangles to suggest that he would not be intimidated by India back in 2001 (Standard of Political Debate: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20011109/edit.htm), “The metaphor of bangles is, indeed, a common one in colloquial conversation in North India and Pakistan, flowing out of a culture of male chauvinism.” I hope the use of panties in this instance doesn’t come from a similar mindset.

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