"In April 2007, a group of men pulled seventeen-year-old Du’a Khalil Aswad into a mob. They proceeded to stone and beat her to death, a supposed "honor" killing for allegedly falling in love with a man of a different faith. Several camera phones recorded the entire incident from the front row, and videos later surfaced online. One month later, popular filmmaker Joss Whedon expressed his despair and outrage at the misogyny in all cultures on a fan-run blog. "Because it’s no longer enough to be a decent person," he wrote. "It’s no longer enough to shake our heads and make concerned grimaces at the news. True enlightened activism is the only thing that can save humanity from itself. I’ve always had a bent towards apocalyptic fiction, and I’m beginning to understand why. I look and I see the earth in flames. Her face was nothing but red." The arts anthology Nothing But Red was conceived as a way to raise both awareness of the issues he spoke of, as well as money for the charity Equality Now."
The purpose of Nothing But Red is to bring attention to the issue of violence against women worldwide, as well as the continuing need for equality, through art—both written and visual—and by raising money for a charity that strives to help women of all faiths, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, with the support of dedicated volunteers who share a desire to promote equality.
From the Press Room section of the Nothing But Red website:
Nothing But Red, the anthology of literary and visual arts inspired by the impassioned plea of Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon in response to the “honor killing” of 17-year-old Du’a Khalil Aswad, is now available for purchase. Sales of the anthology, which is currently available in multiple formats at www.lulu.com/nothingbutred, will benefit the international human rights organization Equality Now.
“I’ve met some amazing people who’ve worked incredibly hard to put this book together over the last year, whether as contributors or volunteers,” said Skyla Dawn Cameron, originator and editor-in-chief of Nothing But Red. “We can’t change Du’a’s fate – but we can let the world know that there are people who still care. That’s where this fight really happens: with each of us, challenging ourselves to do something to make the world better.”
The 313-page collection, which can be purchased as a trade paperback for $15.95 or as a pdf-format e-book for $5.95, is being released on the one-year anniversary of the death of Aswad. An Iraqi adherent of the Yazidi religion, Aswad was stoned to death by family members and neighbors; her brutal beating and murder was captured in a graphic video and spread on the Internet.
Shortly after learning of the murder, Joss Whedon, creator of the television shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel" and "Firefly", penned an emotional response on the website Whedonesque.com. His post, which built from the topic of Aswad’s murder to the contemplation of misogyny’s transcendence of culture, religion and era, ended on an appeal to his fans to do something active to change the cycle.
“True enlightened activism is the only thing that can save humanity from itself…” Whedon wrote. “Her face was nothing but red.”
Taking its title from those words, Nothing But Red is a response to Whedon’s call to action, which is included as an essay in the volume. A full list of contributors can be found at nothingbutred.wordpress.com.
Equality Now was chosen as the recipient of the anthology’s proceeds due to Whedon’s public support of the organization and its mission to “[voice] a worldwide call for justice and equality for women,” as stated on Equality Now’s website.
I got my copy.
Tell me why you would like to have this anthology, and I will enter your name for your own copy, print or pdf version. It will not be a random drawing, so I hope you will put some thought into it. This cause is too important to treat it randomly.
Here is a list of contibutors.
Drawing will end Friday, April 18th at noon CST.
Thank you.
Labels: Nothing But Red, Stop the Violence
posted by Stacy~ at 4/14/2008 04:47:00 AM
Stacy, thanks for blogging about "Nothing But Red." I'm a contributor to the anthology, and I've posted my entry here (should anyone want to get a feeling for what the book is about):
byhttp://www.redroom.com/author/ellen-r-sheeley
Thanks also for running your little competition to acquire a copy of the book. Very resourceful!
Ellen R. Sheeley, Author
"Reclaiming Honor in Jordan"
See I’m so news retarded I didn’t even know about this :o( I tend to not watch very much TV and just get lost in my own little world of books. I need to start watching more of the news. I think I’ll just go ahead and order the book in paper back since it’s going to such a great cause. And it’s probably a great read.
byThis type of murder seems so abhorrent. I do not understand it. Awful, terrible.
byStacy, thank you. I know about the killing, but I did not know about the book. I am an English and women's studies professor at a community college, and I will share this with my students. I am also advisor to the campus feminist activist organization.
byForgot to tell you (Travels with Jerky) is a private blog, so if you need to contact me, you may do so at the following email:
bynymstuck@yahoo.com
Thanks-
Tw/J