This film will examine the negative impact that the misinterpretation of Islam has created for some of its women by ... all » looking at Muslim women's lives in two different countries -- Afghanistan and Pakistan. The central thesis of the film is that Islam has been politicized and misinterpreted to suit the ends of certain fundamentalist factions within the larger religious group. This misinterpretation resulted in the tragedy of 9/11. It has also resulted in extremely barbaric behavior towards women in some Muslim countries, where political upheavals have drastically and negatively impacted the status of its women.
As I have written over at Feministing [2] and Tennessee Guerrilla Women [3], I'm kicking myself for not writing more about Gloria Steinem's awesomely stupid remark about Hugh Hefner's polygamous lifestyle [4].
On the other hand, the popular renaissance of her old nemesis, the wrinkly chauvinist Hugh Hefner, drives her nuts. "He's such a jerk, he's pathetic. He is so pathetic," Ms. Steinem said. "Now he's going around with four young women in their 20s, instead of just one. It's sort of moslem, actually. And it's pathetic. I mean, there is not a person watching that show that thinks that they would be there if he weren't rich. Please! In the absence of his wallet, forget it! Ha ha ha. I feel sorry for him."
Funny, right?
Funnier than her remark? The article is titled, Gloria Steinem, Power Geezer though the author's follow up to the above quote seems not sarcastic at all : Ms. Steinem herself has managed to maintain a cultural currency that is strong, but not polarizing or threatening.
Ahhh .... hmmmm ... not polarizing?
As Ibrahim Hooper told The Daily News: [5]
Any time an opinion leader uses a reference to Islam as a pejorative, we would have concerns about that," Hooper told me. "Muslims are getting tired of references to their beliefs or practices - or alleged beliefs or practices - as a way of digging at other people."
I thought that with The New Civil War : South Dakota bans abortion [6], I had made the point that we're here because of serious structural problems with the women's rights movement. Historically US mainstream feminism was lead by upper class white women fighting for social mobility as in the right to break the glass ceiling; not necessarily for global social justice.
This is how I understand Gloria Steinem's foot-in-mouth disease : she fought to get to the boys' boardroom, as it was her entitlement as a white woman. The 'movement' was not necessarily predicated on using women's rights as a stepping stone to ensuring equality for all peoples, regardless of skin color, language or creed.
I guess Ms. Steinem missed that memo.
Can't there be autonomous Muslim women?
Can't there be autonomous Catholic women?
Can't there be feminist Mormon housewives for that matter? Well, believe it or not, yes, they can [7].
It is not for you or me to use a symbol of muslim faith and pride as an insult to, in this case, third parties who may well not get the point of this ruse.
I understand the point Echidne is trying to make, but if I look at the t-shirt from the POV of a pregnancist, what I see is the image of muslim women as a symbol of support for abortion rights. Not only that, from the point of view of a Muslim, the chador has become a slur.
Polarizing? If it means uniting your friends and allies against you, then yeah, it is.
Cultural sensitivity here means, stepping back and respecting considering that notwithstanding the Taliban, there are muslim women around the world who choose to follow hijab [8] while fighting for women's rights.
The father of my kids, who rarely ventures here, happened to read the posts I wrote after helping with so tech work. I asked him what he thought. He put it very simply, "It's the grand tradition of the American tourist : You get whatever experience you want to get from the culture without really immersing yourself in it."
Would Gloria Steinem's foot-in-mouth disease be a case of political tourism?
With that in mind, I leave you with an around the world tour of ... yup, hijab.
I didn't say I wasn't a tourist.
Extra credit points :
Unveiling the Taleban Dress Codes Are Not the Issue, New Study Finds by Sonia Shah [9]
Progressive Islam [10]
Muslim Women's League [11]
[12] | 
[13] | 
[14] | 
[15] | 
[16] | 
[17]