A small Muslim sub-sect known as the Dawoodi Bohra continues to believe that the removal of the clitoris is the will of God. (Then why did god put it there in the first place?)… Read the rest
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Nicer, sweeter, less outspoken
Apr 25th, 2012 12:06 pm | By Ophelia BensonAnna Quindlen was on Fresh Air yesterday, and she said something I’ve been pondering a good deal lately.
… Read the restAs a little girl, Anna Quindlen wasn’t afraid of a whole lot. She frequently got into trouble and occasionally shot off her mouth. But as she grew older, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer became what she calls a “girl imitation.”
“[I became] nicer, sweeter, less outspoken [and] less combative,” she tells Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross. “All of the qualities that you need to be a good opinion columnist tend to be qualities that aren’t valued in women. And I think that was a bit of a challenge for me when I became an op-ed columnist [for The New York Times]
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Students coerced into signing anti-abortion petition 
Apr 25th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Catholic school says it wasn’t coercion at all.… Read the rest
The horror of girls married as children
Apr 25th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Girls under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s. Girls under 18 are also at much higher risk of pregnancy-related injuries, such as fistula.… Read the rest
“A selective fear of Islamists”
Apr 24th, 2012 5:58 pm | By Ophelia BensonOh the stupid…It just gets worse.
Samia Errazzouki also hated Eltahawy’s article. And she gave us this gem of wisdom as part of her argument:
… Read the restEltahawy points to “hate” as the source and cause of the injustices committed against Arab women. She scapegoats the rise of the Islamists, but Maya Mikdashi debunked that argument a couple months ago:
“Gender equality and justice should be a focus of progressive politics no matter who is in power. A selective fear of Islamists when it comes to women’s and LGBTQ rights has more to do with Islamophobia than a genuine concern with gender justice. Unfortunately, Islamists do not have an exclusive license to practice patriarchy and gender discrimination/oppression in the region. The
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
So comrades come rally
Apr 24th, 2012 5:34 pm | By Ophelia BensonI’m going to look some more at Nahed Eltantawy’s anger at Mona Eltahawy’s article about misogyny in the Middle East, because there’s something really sinister about it.
I refuse to be lumped into this monolithic group of oppressed, abused and hated victims. Arab women’s problems are not the same across the board. Even within one country like Egypt, what I see as a problem, might not be the most pressing issue for the woman next door. So, I refuse to have Eltahawy talk on my behalf as if she is the expert who can accurately identify my plight.
It’s as if she thinks Eltahawy is doing something bad to her…is in fact oppressing her and abusing her and making … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
James Randi on the hounding of Sanal Edamaruku
Apr 24th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The threat to arrest a rationalist who has been exposing “miracles” in his own country for more than 30 years is a serious attack on freedom of expression, designed to harass and silence him.… Read the rest
Who is bullying whom?
Apr 24th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A Wiltshire MP has said he will not be bullied into cutting ties with a charity that sponsored an event where a “cure” for homosexuality was discussed.… Read the rest
BBC will interview people at an abortion clinic
Apr 24th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Opponents of the right to abortion are angry, saying this amounts to “free advertising” for abortion.… Read the rest
You gonna believe Mona Eltahawy or the grand mufti?
Apr 24th, 2012 12:53 pm | By Ophelia BensonNahed Eltantawy responds to Mona Eltahawy’s article on woman-hating in the Middle East. She hates it.
… Read the restI felt deeply offended and insulted by Mona Eltahawy’s latest article in Foreign Policy, titled Why Do They Hate Us? I follow Eltahawy’s columns quite regularly and I accept many of her arguments, even if I do not agree with her views on Islam and veiling. But for her to claim that “they” hate Arab women is in my view complete nonsense…Everything, from virginity tests, to sexual deprivation, female genital mutilation, sexual harassment and child marriage, is included in this article to produce a column that will surely be welcomed by many Western feminists and anti-Islamists, who for years have been telling us
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
How did that get there?!
Apr 24th, 2012 12:09 pm | By Ophelia BensonThere’s a new group in Tunisia, Equality and Parity, that is protesting the wearing of the niqab.
Equality and Parity promised that they will plan manifestations and sit-ins if women’s rights are violated in Tunisia. The group lobbies against denigrating women’s representation in decision-making – whether it be in the political, social, cultural, or economic sphere. It also promotes the full citizenship of women and total eradication of gender discrimination.
It put together a rather cryptic video that looks like a campaign for the niqab but is apparently intended as a campaign against it. Maybe it just seems cryptic to me because I’m not familiar with Tunisian advertising.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Mali: armed groups in North are raping women
Apr 24th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Increasing numbers of Malian women are being raped by Tuareg rebels and armed groups that have swept across the north of Mali since the beginning of year.… Read the rest
Egyptian court upholds sentence for “insulting Islam”
Apr 24th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The case brought against actor Adel Imam by an Islamist lawyer accused the actor of mocking the authorities in his films and plays, and offending Islam and its symbols.… Read the rest
Poke the hatred in its eye
Apr 23rd, 2012 5:04 pm | By Ophelia BensonMona Eltahawy pulls no punches in her Foreign Policy article on the hatred of women in the Middle East. She’s pissed, man.
… Read the restI could find you a host of crackpots sounding off on Woman the Insatiable Temptress, but I’m staying mainstream with Qaradawi, who commands a huge audience on and off the satellite channels. Although he says female genital mutilation (which he calls “circumcision,” a common euphemism that tries to put the practice on a par with male circumcision) is not “obligatory,” you will also find this priceless observation in one of his books: “I personally support this under the current circumstances in the modern world. Anyone who thinks that circumcision is the best way to protect his daughters
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
What you need to know
Apr 23rd, 2012 4:29 pm | By Ophelia BensonA reader sent me a link to this Dear Daughter letter.
Dear daughter -
You should know that you are hated.
It’s true; she needs to know that.
… Read the restThere is nothing worse than being a girl. I’m not saying this as a former girl- I quite liked being a girl. I’m saying this from the POV of the entire rest of the world. There was a lovely feminist TED talk – A Call To Men – where a man discussed his conversation with a twelve year old boy, and the boy said he would rather die than be called a girl. And the man thought, Good Lord, how do these boys view girls, if being compared to them is
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
TED talk: Tony Porter: a call to men
Apr 23rd, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If a 12-year-old boy says it would destroy him to be called a girl, what are we then teaching him about girls?… Read the rest
Letter to a daughter
Apr 23rd, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Dear daughter – You should know that you are hated.… Read the rest
Mona Eltahawy on misogyny in the Middle East
Apr 23rd, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
When it comes to the status of women in the Middle East, it’s not better than you think. It’s much, much worse.… Read the rest
D’Arcy refuses to apologize to bishops
Apr 23rd, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He repeated his apology for saying “fucked up” in the morning, but said the apology demanded by the Catholic Communications Office “would not be forthcoming”.… Read the rest
