And one other thing. The way Laurie Penny keeps talking about “Muslim feminists” while ignoring the existence of ex-Muslims and non-Muslims, as if no ex/non-Muslim could possibly have anything relevant to say about women’s rights and religion, or standing to say it – as if only Muslims are allowed to say anything critical of Islam, and as if all non-Muslim critics of Islam are simply racists in disguise –
– the way Laurie Penny keeps doing that –
Well imagine carrying on that way if the subject were the Vatican v women.
Imagine Laurie Penny denouncing all non-Catholic critics of the Catholic church as racists and imperialists, and then ruefully agreeing that she should have talked to some Catholic feminists. Imagine her treating all secular, atheist, ex-Catholic, Jewish and so on women who objected to the Vatican’s all-male tyranny over a big chunk of humanity as racists and colonialists.
Imagine that, then wonder what the hell she thinks she’s talking about.
She’s critical of sexism, I know. Imagine her saying that only men could criticize sexism. Imagine her saying that only capitalists can criticize capitalism. Imagine a whole bunch of parallels of that kind, and notice how grotesque they are, and wonder why she is so confused.