Silence Yourself
Piya explores what leads people to silence themselves... and what impact that can have on us all
This episode was originally published on October 25, 2019.
From the scores of people who've declared #MeToo, to whistleblowers calling out politicians from the inside, we're in a climate where speaking out and speaking truth to power is often celebrated. But sometimes, we have reason to keep quiet. This week, Piya explores what leads people to silence themselves... and what impact that can have on us all.
Here are the stories from this week's episode...
A doctor who we've agreed not to name says she's personally against abortion, partially because of her faith, and chooses not to offer such services as an OBGYN. But she also says abortion services are central to women's health and believes in the right to obtain them. As she tells Piya, she rarely talks about either of these stances - her faith at work or her support of abortion services among her faith community - because of the stigma she feels her beliefs hold in those contexts.
Vancouver woman tries to come to grips with losing all communication with her family in China
Dilnur Kurban came to Vancouver from China as an international student in 2011. Her family is Uighur, a persecuted Muslim minority group in China. They wanted to limit communication with her for a time, fearing that speaking to a foreign family member could lead to them being placed in detention camps. At first, Dilnur agreed and also never spoke of the situation to others. But now that she's lost complete contact with her family, she tells Piya why she's breaking her silence.
Why one woman initially chose to tell no one about her plan to donate a kidney
After she turned 50, Leah Hager Cohen decided to donate her kidney. But initially, she chose not to tell any of her loved ones about the major surgery. Leah speaks with Piya about why it was so important to own the choice for herself... and what she learned after finally revealing the decision to her partner, who took the news much harder than she'd expected.