Main Post 4.20

Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? (Lila Abu-Lughod)

We justify the war on terrorism by saying that it is a war to save and liberate the Afghan women. But is this a valid statement? This question is of particular importance to the author because she herself is a Muslim woman. After the 9/11 attacks, she was asked by many different organizations to speak at panels and give her opinions about Muslim women. In her paper, the author sheds light on the West’s obsession with the “plight of Muslim women”, and how this obsession has negative impacts.

One point that the author brings up is how obsessed the media is with understanding Middle Eastern conflicts based on cultural/religious ideas, instead of looking at historical or political ideas. I think she has a very strong point. When we look at other conflicts, we tend to focus more on historical/political factors, but when it comes to the Middle East, the West largely focuses on religion and culture as an explanation for conflicts.

The author has a basic but semi-lengthy discussion of the tradition of veiling. I took an Intro to Middle Eastern Studies class last spring, so I found the veiling portion of this article to be extremely interesting. The West has many preconceived notions about the Middle East, and notions that we have about the veil are extremely biased and incorrect. As the author points out, after the Taliban was expelled, it seemed that Western people assumed that Muslim women would immediately abandon their veiling practices. This was not the case. Veiling is not a sign of oppression in Muslim culture; it is a sign of cultural practices. While full-body veiling has become less popular, many modern educated Muslim women wear the hijab, which is basically a scarf that covers part of the head and the neck. It is baffling to both me and the author that women would throw away these cultural practices as soon as their oppressive political leaders were overthrown.

Instead of thinking of freedom in terms of dress (veiling), the author urges us to consider a more broad (and important) definition of freedom; one that includes universal human rights to be free from structural violence and inequality. She warns us about the dangers of being cultural relativists, but she also encourages us to be more understanding of culture practices…just because they may not be “Western” does not mean they are oppressive.

Another interesting point that I found in the paper was how many Afghan women look to Iranian women as an example of “women making significant gains within Islamic framework”. These women do not want to abandon their religious practices, but they do want to change the gender inequality that exists in their culture (and it also exists in ours, although not to the same extent). Finally, the author discusses how there is a great danger is saying that Afghan women must be “saved” from their situation. This is extremely disrespectful and ethnocentric of Westerners to assume, because they are assuming that the West must save these women from their circumstances. Instead, the author suggests that we should simply consider ways in which to make the world “a more just place”.

I think this piece was one of the best readings we have done all semester. The author had very clear points and it was enjoyable to read, because it sheds so much light on a subject that many Westerners are confused about. I think this article was so important, and I’m very glad that we read it.

Whose Security? (Charlotte Bunch)

This article echoes Lila Abu-Lughod’s in many ways. The Bush administration used Afghan’s women’s need of rights to get support for the “War on Terrorism”. However, it is extremely strange that the voices of feminists in America have not been heard in support for the war. This proves that the administration got support from people who were uninformed of the true state of affairs, so these people just believed that Afghan’s women’s rights were part of a good reason to go to war. Additionally, the article discusses the event of 9/11 itself, and how it was viewed internationally. Obviously it was a huge deal for the United States and the day will always be a day of intense grief and sadness for Americans, especially those in the New York area. However, this author argues that resentment for America has stemmed from America’s “obsession” with 9/11. Many other countries deal with terrorist attacks on a daily basis, so it is hard for others to understand America’s intense focus on 9/11. Personally, I find this statement to be a little harsh. I know that other countries experience intense terrorism on a daily basis, but that does not diminish the events of September 11^th.

Living While Muslim: Human rights Advocacy in the Post-9/11 Era (Araw Ibrahim)

Ibrahim is an Iraqi-born American citizen who writes about her struggles reconciling her life in America with what America has done to Iraq. Her family in Iraq has experienced intense losses and hardships because of the occupation of American troops. However, Ibrahim wanted to find a way to cope with this “double identity” situation. She wanted to find a way to “accept prospering in a country that began this whole mess and that was indirectly responsible for taking the lives of members of my own family” (41). To go about finding a way, she decided to start a project in which she would interview young Iraqis and see their perspectives. One of the most poignant responses she got from an interviewee was how hospitals are overcrowded with wounded U.S. soldiers. I obviously support healthcare for soldiers but it saddens me that Iraqi civilians may be suffering and receiving poor healthcare due to overcrowded hospitals.

Another poignant part of the story was when Ibrahim and her family were intensely questioned at JFK when the returned to America from Jordan. This is a prime example of racial/cultural profiling, and it is unacceptable. I respect Ibrahim for refusing to “adopt a singular national identity” as an act of political resistance (47). It is definitely not an easy choice, but it is an important and powerful one that she has made.