Return to Feminism Friday - Oz shout out!
An Australian feminist blogger called tigtog cited my original Feminism Friday entry on women's rights in Iraq. With gratitude to her, I'd like to return the favor. She contributed very valuable insight into the debate. For example--
"The European Enlightenment that Hirsi Ali so fondly praises came about from within Christianity by secularists and freethinkers: it wasn’t imposed by the warriors of another religious culture entirely. The Roman Catholic monopoly was broken by Martin Luther, not by Saladin. The Puritan hegemony under Cromwell in England was dismantled from within, not without. Compare with the religions that conquerors have tried to stamp out: would Christianity today even still exist without the persecutions of Roman emperors? Will demonising Islam the way that the Romans attempted to demonise Christianity strengthen or weaken Islam, what do you think?
Will intervening to attempt to change Islam to fit into what the West wants Islam to be strengthen or weaken the traditionalist jihadist Muslims? For instance, the WOT-hawks argue (now) that we needed to intervene/stay the course in Islamic countries to improve life for women. But can they point to any actual success in improving life for women in Iraq?"
Peace and feminism have to go together. Feminist warmongering/imperialism or peacenik male chauvinism are non-starters. When the revolution comes, Laura Bush is destined for a re-education camp all right. ;)
Martin Luther King said: "The evils of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism are all tied together." I think he's right, and I would add: The granddaddy of all those evils is patriarchy.
"The European Enlightenment that Hirsi Ali so fondly praises came about from within Christianity by secularists and freethinkers: it wasn’t imposed by the warriors of another religious culture entirely. The Roman Catholic monopoly was broken by Martin Luther, not by Saladin. The Puritan hegemony under Cromwell in England was dismantled from within, not without. Compare with the religions that conquerors have tried to stamp out: would Christianity today even still exist without the persecutions of Roman emperors? Will demonising Islam the way that the Romans attempted to demonise Christianity strengthen or weaken Islam, what do you think?
Will intervening to attempt to change Islam to fit into what the West wants Islam to be strengthen or weaken the traditionalist jihadist Muslims? For instance, the WOT-hawks argue (now) that we needed to intervene/stay the course in Islamic countries to improve life for women. But can they point to any actual success in improving life for women in Iraq?"
Peace and feminism have to go together. Feminist warmongering/imperialism or peacenik male chauvinism are non-starters. When the revolution comes, Laura Bush is destined for a re-education camp all right. ;)
Martin Luther King said: "The evils of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism are all tied together." I think he's right, and I would add: The granddaddy of all those evils is patriarchy.