“Our own American misogyny (date rape, weak laws against domestic violence, glass ceilings, 79 cents for every man’s dollar) just looks more familiar to us, less harsh somehow, more workable. We think we can fix our own sexism with homegrown ingenuity, but we often assume that Muslim women’s problems must be solved for them from abroad, all their veils replaced with blue jeans for them to be truly liberated, all different marriage practices brought into conformity with our own. Muslim women and men have a wealth of their own cultural resources to use in the struggle for women’s human rights. Feminism is alive and well among Muslims and has been for some time, even when U.S. foreign policy interests don’t bring a spotlight on it. It is the continued struggle of Muslim feminists (both men and women), aided by friends of any background who are willing to educate themselves beyond stereotypes, which will liberate them. Not the condescending attitude that they must be “rescued” from their heritage by cheerfully ignorant proponents of American cultural imperialism or militaristic U.S. policymakers sprouting overnight feminist principles.”
Mohja Kahf, “Muslim Women Rule and Other Little-Known Facts” in Fawzia Afzal-Khan (ed), Shattering the Stereotypes: Muslim Women Speak Out, Moreton-in-Marsh: Arris Books, 2005 (via muslimfeminists)
The only good thing to come out of the ridiculous Foreign Policy “Sex Issue,” outside of some great discourse on role of Islam and gender politics, is my discovery of the Tumblr Muslim Feminists. Definitely worth a follow!
(via insaniyat)
(via insaniyat)
