In the past several days, photos in black and white format have been on a trend in social media.

Have you
posted yours? Did you also use the #ChallengeAccepted? But do you really know what this black-and-
white photo symbolizes? According to an article by Taylor Lorenz, women are posting black-and-white
photos to promote women empowerment. But there is more to that! This black-and-white photo
circulating in social media is a call for attention to what is happening to our sisters in Turkey. Let us not
get distracted to what’s its main purpose. This black-and-white challenge is a form of activism towards
femicide it’s not just an ordinary women empowerment. What we are talking about here is lives, lives of
women lost to the hands of strangers, their partners, and even family members.

Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country, 9/10th of its population are actually Muslims. And femicide
has been going on in Turkey for decades. In 2019 alone there were 474 recorded femicide cases and it is
assumed to be the highest in the last decade. However, because of this pandemic that number is expected
to rise. This black-and-white challenge sparked because of the brutal killing of the 27-year old economics
graduate, Pinar Gultekin. According to reports she was allegedly beaten and strangled to death before
being burned in a garbage bin covered in concrete.

Deaths of the women in Turkey do not reach international media. I doubt you have never heard of one
except just this recently. Do you know that in a study in 2009, 42% of Turkish women aged between 15-
60 had suffered some physical or sexual violence from their husbands or partners? Have you heard of the
20-year old art student Ceren Ozdemir who was murdered in the doorstep of her home? How about  23-
year-old Sule Cet who was drugged, raped, and thrown out of her office window by her boss and another
man? Will they just be part of the statistics?

I can’t help but wonder, why do these cases does not reach international media? Is this because we are
Muslims? Are we being ignored because were Muslims? Is the purpose of this challenged reduced to
women empowerment and not femicide because were Muslims? Can’t people acknowledge that violence
against Muslim women does exist? Does it always boil down to our religion?

If you will look at me, you would not know that I am a Muslim because I am not wearing my hijab. But I
am. I am a Muslim. Please do not discriminate us because we are wearing our hijab. We are wearing this
because of our faith. Our hijab does not mean that we are terrorists, that we should be feared. Our hijab
does not promote anger or hatred. We are also women.

Now, let me ask you. Are you in solidarity with us in our fight for our lives? Or you have just accepted
this black-and-white challenge and used the #ChallengeAccepted to be on trend? I urge you to make a
stand. If you truly support women empowerment you will also support and fight for women’s life
regardless of religion.

Bellut, Daniel, and Burcu Karakas. “Femicides in Turkey: A Problem That Is Being Ignored:
DW: 09.12.2019.” DW.COM, 9 Dec. 2019, www.dw.com/en/femicides-in-turkey-a-
problem-that-is-being-ignored/a-51587652.

Lorenz, Taylor. “'Challenge Accepted': Why Women Are Posting Black-and-White Selfies.” The
New York Times, The New York Times, 27 July 2020,
www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/style/challenge-accepted-instagram.html.
 Dewdney, John C., and Malcolm Edward Yapp. “The Central Massif.” Encyclopædia
Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 26 July 2020,
www.britannica.com/place/Turkey/The-central-massif.

Jewell, Bryony. “The Story of Pinar Gultekin: Black and White Instagram Challenge Stems from
Turkey!” HITC, HITC, 31 July 2020, www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/07/31/the-story-of-pinar-
gultekin-black-and-white-instagram-challenge-stems-from-turkey/.

Bellut, Daniel. “Turkey's Long History of Femicides: DW: 24.07.2020.” DW.COM, 24 July
2020, www.dw.com/en/femicide-rates-turkey/a-54311038.

Discussion: Three Minute Speech

 
Your assignment for this post is to write a persuasive script for a three-minute speech that
causes your audience to take some kind of action.  Ideally, your topic for your speech will
stem from the research you did last week.  Your speech should include all types of appeals--
logical, emotional, and ethical.  These appeals should be present but should not drive the
organization of your speech. The length of your script should be approximately 500
words.
To help you with crafting your script, I suggest that you explore one or two TED talks.   TED
talks cover a range of issues, and the presenters come from diverse backgrounds; however,
even given the diversity of topics and speakers, the quality is consistent from speech to
speech.  Here is a link to a blog that contains excellent advice:  Crafting a Persuasive
Presentation. As you will see after reading the blog, a good presentation is "audience-
centric," has a presenter that acts as a mentor, and "wraps the content in a story."
Writing Tips:
 Use paragraphing to indicate a shift in topic.  I am not giving you a specific number
of paragraphs this time!
 When moving from point to point (or paragraph to paragraph), make sure you use
some type of device to maintain the "flow" of your script.  Be careful about relying on
single-word transitions.  Instead, consider using phrases and clauses.
 Identify a clear audience and purpose for your script before writing it.   Evaluate every
detail in terms to these two elements.
 Include at least two references to outside information (research). Use in-text tags (like
"According to ....), and include a Works Cited page at the end of the script.
Response to Classmates:
When responding to at least two of your classmates, identify for your classmate the most
persuasive aspect of the script.  Then, suggest an additional strategy the writer might use
when revising the script.

I look forward to reading your posts.  Be creative!  Persuade me!