ntantawy
- 8 comments
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@Abdul Ameer interesting how your single source for this piece of inaccurate information comes from Robert Spencer of Jihadwatch, an anti-Islamic website. I have to ask, why didn't you go to the right source? there are tremendous credible sources that you can easily check to confirm this information, yet you ignored it all in favor of a non-Muslim website!!
Check this USAID-funded report produced by two Muslim experts on FGM to get your accurate answer:
http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/frontiers/reports/FGM_Islam.pdf
Thank you Dr. Leila Ahmed for your detailed criticism, which I find very persuasive and logical. You clearly outlined some of the main flaws that many of us Arab women were offended by.
@Josei man you act as if you really know what you're talking about when all of your interpretations here are ridiculous and quite humorous!!!! You obviously interpret them the way you want to. To take as one example, your novel interpretation of men's right to marry more than one wife, your interpretation is the exact opposite of the verse. You obviously intentionally ignored the verse right after the one that says you can have one, 2, 3 or 4 wives if you can treat them equally. The following verse, which you ignored says: " and you will not be equal to them," which means the Quran is telling these men that they will never be able to treat more than one woman equally, both emotionally and financially. Islam came at a time and in a region where people married multiple wives, in addition to mistresses. This verse aimed to stop this mistreatment of women. Read Asmaa Barlas' discussion of such verses, which are always misinterpreted.
BUt I actually doubt that you would do that since you enjoy giving your own genius interpretations!
@SaraBernardi This piece of news was confirmed as a rumor by Egyptian journalists and by the Muslim Brotherhood's official Twitter account. Please confirm your sensationalist news before spreading more stupidly outrageous news on Muslims!!
Dear @Monaeltahawy these are my comments on your article. I hope you get the chance to read them to get an idea of how as Arab women we share a lot but we also differ a lot http://tahrirspirit.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-dont-really-think-they-hate-us.html#comment-form
@airbagmoments I am in no way defending! I am merely pointing out that in many cases men are victims of similar or comparable aggressions and violations. And I am also saying that the problems women face are not the same across the board. Hence, it is neither my job or yours or anybody else's to talk on behalf of a Saudi woman or a Yemini woman, unless you can produce quotes from these women to confirm your claims. As an Egyptian woman, I can speak for myself and say, yes we have tons of issues, but Jan25 has proven that women can and will not be silenced and will fight their own fight. But also as an Egyptian woman, I won't go as far as Eltahawy to claim that we are hated; that's nonesense!
I have to say this article was a huge disappointment for me. I have read many of Eltahawy's columns before and I usually agree with her views and arguments. But to claim that "they" hate Arab women is in my view complete nonsense. Here's why:
- Many of the evidence mentioned here, such as the virginity tests, criminal code, sexual harassment, etc are problems related to undemocratic governing, which also impacts males. How many Egyptian males do we know of have been sexually abused in Egyptian prisons? How many have been beaten, shot, lost an eye, or lost their lives? Why do we always have to make this lame claim that it's only against women?? And if you are going to mention unfair criminal codes, then please be fair and look at child custody laws in Egypt that are ridiculously unfair towards fathers, who in many cases, cannot even see their children except in a public setting with the mother present!
- Then there is the female genital mutilation issue, which I agree is a problem. It is a problem of ignorance and the prevalence of cultural practices, like many other practices, that have traditionally been carried out and are hard to eliminate overnight. If we had a government that paid attention to such inhumane practices and launched health campaigns, surely this would help. But to focus on this "hate" claim, is really unfruitful and helps no one.
- Additionally, Eltahawy quotes from Qaradawi's book to prove that he was all for FGM. Yet in that same paragraph, she tells us that he has since issued a ban on FGM! So why mention it in the first place? Wouldn't you at least give him credit that he revised his opinion and came to his senses on this practice? But no, because if you do, it wouldn't help support the "hate" theme you're going for here.
- The issue that is most shocking to me is Eltahawy’s claims about what goes on in a bedroom between man and wife! How would you know or how can you claim to know that many Arab women are sexually deprived, merely by citing a fiction story by Alifa Rifaat? Have you interviewed many Arab wives who confirmed this? Are you relying on a credible study? For someone like Eltahawy, whom I truly considered to be a veteran reporter before she became a columnist, to make such claims is very disappointing!
In the end, I still can't figure out who is "they" who hate women? Hate is such a strong word and to claim that all Arab women are hated by Arab men or Arab governments or religious figures, is unfair and overgeneralized!
I get frustrated when I read Western feminist claims about the mistreatment of Arab women. But to have this same line of talk come from an Egyptian American columnist is truly disappointing! I don't think this column represents all Arab women, including myself. I don't feel hated by men or by anyone else. I suffer, like my fellow Egyptian men and women, from lack of democracy, lack of laws, and ignorant practices around me that we can surely work on eliminating without this "hate" card.
So, kindly stop talking on the behalf of all Arab women. Because I’m not sure we all share your views on being hated.
@Demosthenes Completely agree with you!! I feel that this column is specifically written in a language familiar and accepted by Western feminists, but is it really written with Arab women's best interests in mind? I have no idea why the author thinks she can speak on all Arab women's behalf as if she knows our problems or demands.