Unstoppable Struggles

I need feminism because…

danceswithfaeriesunderthemoon:

whoneedsfeminism:

I need feminism because a pair of guys “cat called” me today from a car and a police officer questioned ME when I publicly gave them the middle finger.

Similar thing happened to me.

Reminds me of when I was in 6th grade when one of my classmates made a derogatory comment at me and when I flipped him off, I was the one who got in trouble.

Some bullshit man.

^^^ I need feminism because when I was raped the first thing my friend said to me after vehemently denying that it happened was, ‘Well you probably shouldn’t have worn that top.’ I need feminism because affording human decency to women still depends on the woman’s clothing.

Feminists for life- president’s report 2011

Eyeopening. Helpful. Must watch.

hoodies, headscarves, halter tops….

Got any other articles of clothing to add to the list that scream: I’m asking for “trouble”

You know what? Fuck it. I’m going to answer your dumb ass questions.

remorsecode:

Okay Hadiyah I just read this and I have no doubt you are referring to my question I had on niqab, yes?

Yes. I was.

zombiejihadi:

“NO. I recently read a post from a brother who argued that niqab is a fitnah in the west and I really wanted to smash something after reading it. First of all, Muslim women are done giving f’s when it comes to what brothers think about our clothing choices. DONE. It isn’t about what you (brothers) think about hijab nor niqab and it isn’t about what you (brothers) want to see or would rather see.”

This is the problem with ultra feminism. Could you please explain to me why this is not sexist?

Because a man taking the position of ‘I’m going to tell you what to do with your body’ is sexist, therefore responding to this in the negative is not sexist. It’s not rocket science.

Why is a man’s opinion invalid?

Never said it was. A man has a right to his opinion but his opinion does not matter when it comes to what a woman should do with her body.

Islam is about equality between the genders. All scholars and people of knowledge are allowed to give knowledge, knowledge has no gender. So why are you saying things like you men have no right, you men have no say. Correct me if I’m wrong but this religion came from the tongue of a man yet we don’t revere his greatness because he happens to be a man

I’m just going to stop you right there because you’re making a fool out of yourself. Young man, it is embarrassing to read this. YOU ARE NOT THE PROPHET. MEN ARE NOT THE PROPHET. REVELATION BEING REVEALED TO A MAN DOES NOT MEAN THAT MEN ARE SUPERIOR OR THAT WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO EVERY SINGLE MAN THAT COMES AFTER OUR BELOVED PROPHET (SALLALLAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM) And who isn’t acknowledging his greatness? You can’t even properly wish blessings upon him after his name. Seriously that last comment had nothing to do with this post. Way to just throw in accusations there, little buddy.

we look at him as a Muslim and as a human being. This is just completely sexist, no other way to look at it.

OK. Lol.

“It’s about serving Allah and Allah alone. If a sister thinks wearing niqab is going to bring her closer to Allah then more power to her and I’ll be damned if some brother is going to sit there and say ‘well I would rather that my wife not even bother with wearing niqab because I don’t want her causing any fitnah’. No. F you. You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to pressure your wife into dressing a certain way because you can’t seem to wrap your mind around the concept of putting your trust in Allah.”

I never ever suggested niqab is haram which is what you are implying I made out.

Wrong again. Where did I say that you felt that niqab was haram? Nowhere.

If a sister believes it will bring her closer to Allah, sure, by all means, go ahead. I didn’t say don’t. All I said was that perhaps there are better ways to present yourself in a society that will be intimidated by you.

And what else is this other than pressuring a woman to do what would please you rather than what would please Allah. Face it. Your point is invalid. It would be just as invalid if you were a woman saying it.

Westerns are less likely to ask someone about Islam and to receive dawah from someone who wears the niqab. That is a fact.

No. This is an opinion. Tell that to all of the lovely sisters I know who wear niqab. When I was at university, it wasn’t until the niqabi sisters started attending that the school newspaper did MULTIPLE articles on Islam. The lecture I gave on hijab and Islamic feminism had an extremely large crowd due to the fact that a niqabi was on the panel and she gave a lot of dawah by answering a lot of questions.

Yes, it is the fault of THEIR ignorance and not the fault of the niqabi. I never BLAMED the niqabi nor did I ever suggest it is “fitnah” or it is her fault in any shape or way or form, aouthoubillah.

If saying I’d rather you not wear it because you’re going to get a lot of awkward stares, harassment, and the like is NOT calling the niqab a fitnah, I don’t know what is.

I don’t understand why you’re twisting it into some kind of forced imposition against the wife. I think you’re trying to find things which you WANT to find in what I said.

Touche.

Consulting your wife, discussing things maturely, rationally, listening to both sides is not “pressuring.” That’s called marriage.

Funny because no where in your post did you mention listening to your wife and her point of view on why she wants to wear niqab. You simply stated your reasons and stated that you would rather she not wear it. This is the problem with a lot of men. They think that women have to listen to their opinion because if they don’t, they’re not being mature or rational because clearly, clearly it is only the man’s opinion that is rational.

I don’t know why you’ve decided to label it as “pressuring.” If my wife was as hell bent as you are to wear niqab then who am I to stop her? All I said was that I would RATHER, key word RATHER, her stick to hejab.

You’ve never been married. You obviously don’t understand how much spouses do consider the opinion of each other. Who doesn’t want to please their spouse? You’re taking advantage of the fact that your wife will likely want to please you by asserting what you would rather she wear.

That is my personal preference, my input, my opinion which she should respect and listen to BUT I would not “pressure” her into it, never mind force.

Yes, yes. Because you are the powerful and important male in the situation and she must respect and listen to you at all costs, even when you are telling her how she should cover her body.

I would not make haram what Allah made halal, authoubillah, which you seem to be implying I suggested.

lol. Again with that haram word.

“Niqab is no more of a “fitnah” than hijab is or the thobe is or the turban is. And at the end of the day, we wear these things for the sake of Allah and we put our trust in Allah. A mans opinion on hijab or niqab fits nowhere into the equation.”

Then you should abandon everything the Prophet (s) said about hijab since he was a man.

Is it becoming clear to you how embarrassing your words are? And will you quit with the (s) thing. Goodness! That’s offensive and insulting. What would it inconvenience you to type out sallallahu alayhi wasallam?! Once again, you are not him and every man who lived after him is not that important.

The amount of sexism in ultra feminism is beyond belief. Why would you even bring gender into the picture? That’s really, really sexist. If you really wanted to be a true feminist, you would not even bring up the topic of gender because giving opinions, knowledge and input have no gender. There is no such thing as “female opinons.” or “male opinions.”

*choking on laughter* Do I need to bring out the tissues again? You seem really shaken up by this concept of women having their own opinions. Here you go.

“And I don’t care how well-intentioned a brother is or how great of a concern he has for his wife’s safety- calling someone to abandon a commandment of Allah and/or a sunnah is not right regardless of your intention.”

Could you explain why the Prophet (s) abandoned salat at the battle of khandak? Ah yes that’s right, because they would be vulnerable to attack and their safety was under threat. That’s the same with niqab.

Excuse me? Are you implying that you are in the position to tell people to abandon their niqab because of the threat of violence? Because that’s what is sounds like to me. And the last time I checked, you’re not a prophet. So how about you shut the fuck up? The prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) did not speak on religious matters except that he had knowledge about them- directly from Allah. So when he told them to abandon their salat, he did this with knowledge. Tell me where he ever told a woman to abandon her niqab or her hijab? He had knowledge of the future, no? He spoke about the types of people who would come in the future, no? I wonder why he didn’t have the knowledge you clearly have about the niqab. I wonder why he didn’t warn us. Here’s the phrase you are so fond of using: Why didn’t Allah make you the prophet?

I don’t know if you watch the news but woman have been so badly abused in the west for wearing not hejab, but specifically the niqab. The covering of the face. Some have even been physically assaulted! That’s what I was taking into consideration about my future wife with regards to niqab and I would prefer the hejab over niqab.

And you think that a woman who chooses to wear niqab did not take that into consideration when she put it on? Of course not. Women aren’t capable of considering the possible effects of their decisions. No it takes a man to remind her of the dangerous repercussions of her choices in clothing. Have you watched the news ever? That’s the hot topic right now. Men telling women that they shouldn’t wear this and that because it puts them in danger.

Again, to reiterate, is that the niqab’s fault? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Imam Ali (a) said that our greatest enemy is our own ignorance. They simply do not understand. BUT, that does not mean we should go out our way and “make a statement” especially when I live in an extremely unislamic area which has the highest knife crimes in the entire Europe. Why should I put that unnecessary burden on my wife?

If your wife chose to wear niqab, it would not be YOU putting a burden on her. It would be her choice which she came to rationally all by herself. The words you use “burden”. On one hand you say a woman should wear niqab if she really wants to in order to please her Lord and on the other you say that this effort is a “burden”.

It’s a shame you totally disregard intention because I’m sure this religion was based upon pure intentions and not the quantity of the deed.

Who is disregarding intention? All I’m saying is that men have no right to stealth dictate how a woman dresses(see the way you consistently frame niqab in a negative light) whether that be her niqab or her mini dress. So if it’s a man’s intention to protect women by telling her ‘don’t wear that mini dress, you might get raped’ I guess we should just not be offended by this or see anything wrong with this. Right?

“You’re still calling someone to abandon what is good under the guise of ‘I’m just trying to prevent fitnah.’ Forget that noise. Allah > your concern for fitnah.”

All I meant by I would rather she stuck to hejab instead of niqab is that I would want her to pick good over better. Understand?

Good over better. Oh Ok. Yes. I understand. I understand that you think your opinions are the final say in how your wife chooses to dress. That’s. That’s just great.

Picking good over better is not haram, it is not a sin, it is not disobedience, it is not “not wrapping my head around trusting Allah” and it is not sinful.

Lalalalalalaal doo doo doo lalalala. Ooops. Wait. Shh. A man is speaking. I better listen.

And it is certainly not “abandoning the commandments of Allah and the sunnah” LOL wtf let’s not be extremists okay, niqab is not wajib.

Never said it was. It’s still a sunnah, no?

————(context: http://zombiejihadi.tumblr.com/post/19369095667/so-would-you-then-say-that-niqab-is-a-fitnah ) ————

omg. beware. I’m an “ultra feminist” thus inherently sexist. This just in from the men: telling us to keep our mouths shut when it comes to your hijab or niqab is extremely sexist and hurts our feelings.

here you go. Now fuck off.

le sharing planned parenthood stories

Heather: So I'm about to walk in and some guy (I had originally thought he was homeless) sits up and looks me in the eye with his crazy eye and he says "I'll pray for you!" in his creepy Protestant, better-than-thou voice
me: omg the protestant "fuck you"
Heather: And I say back to him, with all the fake Pollyanna gumption I can muster "Why thank you sir!  If it is the Lord's will, this yeast infection will go away soon!"

Why I Hesitate »

This is a topic that is near and dear to me. It is my dirty little secret, one of the few I have left since becoming a feminist. It is my shame. It is something I would never dare mention out loud to a women studies class for fear of the ridicule I would face. Feminism as it is today is my main identifier. It is a huge piece of who I am and it encompasses the words I use when I describe myself, so the idea that I might alienate myself from my sisterhood holds my tongue, lest I lose the only place where I have ever truly belonged. But part of being a feminist is being brave against all odds and telling our stories despite the backlash it may ensue. What would we have if Alice Paul stood trembling? Where would we be if Gloria Steinem chose popularity over justice? And while I am not trying to compare myself to these great women, I feel a sense of camaraderie with them. They are my sisters in spirit and it is in the spirit of their ideals that I write this piece.

I hesitate about men. I do not, contrary to popular belief and despite all evidence otherwise, hate men. I do hesitate to trust men, and by extension, I hesitate to trust men within my movement. This is a very unpopular opinion in the current generation of feminists, who believe as Audre Lorde believed; that we can dismantle the Master’s house with the Master’s tools and that men as well as women can pick up the Master’s tools and heave the hammer of justice. I hesitate. I disagree. Can we trust the Master’s sons? Would any other movement place such a huge responsibility on the sons of the enemy? The answer is, only after a long and difficult process of re-education and learning to trust again would any rebel group accept assistances from a former oppressor, and even then it would be with heavily-guarded eyes and a grain of salt. But it can be done. History has shown that the children of oppressors can make amends and become an ally. We tell triumphant tales of the Underground Railroad and the rush to smuggle Jews out of Poland; all fantastic examples of an oppressor’s child shrugging off the mantle of oppression and turning their back on their privilege in order to do what is right.

And still, I hesitate. Why? This is difficult for me to explain. In a way, it would be easier to hate men, but I refuse to give anyone the satisfaction of allowing the Man to believe that I hate all men as a whole, in an all-or-nothing uneducated way that makes it my problem rather than a justifiable anger toward them. I will not allow them to place tags on me that labels me irrational or insane and let them continue to abdicate responsibility for their actions. So I do not hate. I could. I have plenty of historical evidence, statistics, books, and personal anecdotes that would justify such a position. But I do not hate. I hesitate.

But again, the question is why do I hesitate while at the same time admit to a historical precedent of former oppressors becoming allies? The answer is both simple and sad. The men of the world have yet to do something that their historical counterparts did again and again. The men of the world have not made actions towards women to show penance. They have not apologized. They have done nothing to earn our trust and yet they believe through their privilege, that their intrinsic maleness should be enough, that their existence as the Chosen Gender, the Golden Child Who Can Do No Wrong is enough of an endorsement to let them into our ranks.

But, perhaps it should be asked, what have the men of the world done to earn such disrespect from me. What causes me to hesitate to the degree that I do?

I have allowed myself to be a public person. I write on a blog, I protest, and I am unabashedly loud and opinionated. 99% of my detractors are men. Of these men, not one has chosen to argue with me in a constructive way that contributed to civil discourse and not a one has ever agreed to disagree. Rather, they seek to destroy me emotionally. They do not see me as a person with a difference in opinion. I am a Thing, an Enemy that must be called horrible names that only have the power to hurt me because men use these words to hurt women throughout time everlasting. I have been physically assaulted. I have been groped on public buses; I have been unsafe in public places. I have had my breasts grabbed by complete strangers who felt it was in their right to touch me because as a woman in public I am obviously a Thing for their amusement. I have been yelled at when I dare to walk the streets. I have been interrupted when I demand quiet and a safe space because a man’s urge to speak/touch me overrides my fundamental right to be left alone. All of these things have happened to me and to countless other women, the sole difference between our collective experiences being the severity of the incident. These events have all been perpetrated by men, some strangers to me, some well-known to me.

These occurrences are the most seriousness, and due to the seriousness of their nature it is common for them to be excused as outliers in otherwise impeccable male behavior. And I might believe that if it were not for the other, countless reminders I wake up to everyday; little mental Post-It notes that remind me that I am Other, I am Thing, I am Less Than. It is the casual rape joke, it is using words like “bitch” and “pussy” that remind everyone within earshot that the worst possible thing in the world to be is a woman. It is being accused of looking for things to get mad at; it is being told that I am hysterical. It is being called humorless or overly-sensitive or a feminazi. It is having to beg a friend, a lover, a companion to not tell a rape joke, to not use that word, to please be respectful and have them not; or worse, have them use your trauma and your trigger for their amusement and think it all jolly-good fun when you run screaming from the room in tears. This is why I hesitate.

Yet men still say the words that are supposed to inspire trust. “I love my daughter, my mother, my wife, my sister” they say, as if being somehow related to women erases their guilt. They want us to believe that their proxy to women allows them automatic access to our trust and our votes, our money, our movement. It does not. It is a power play using words designed to grant trust where it is not deserved and I am not simple enough to fall for it. I hesitate.

And worse still is the liberal male who has just enough education to be dangerous. These are the men that insist on playing devil’s advocate, desirous of a debate on some aspect of feminist theory or reproductive rights or some other subject in which they know I am an expert, but somehow still expect me to allow space for their opinions because they have lived a life of privilege that says they are special and male and therefore their opinions, no matter how uneducated and ridiculous those opinions sound, must have merit. These self-proclaimed liberal men want to endlessly probe my argument for weaknesses, want to wrestle over details, want to argue just for fun, and they wonder, why I become upset, why I yell and scream and grow increasingly frustrated with each passing moment. These amateur debaters believe that my emotional display means that I have lost (or worse, I have played into some stereotype about women being emotional and therefore illogical) and that they are the better debaters, because they have managed to infuriate me and my emotional responses to an intellectual exercise proves that my point of view has no solid reasoning. This must be, they ponder, or why else would I have thrown such a fit? What ultimately has happened and what the debaters have not taken into consideration is that this is more than an intellectual exercise for me. To the men discussing women’s issues is akin to discussing time travel or theoretical moral ambiguities. It is not a reality to them; it is another mental Rubik’s cube for them to ponder over safely and without getting upset or overly involved. Such is not the case for me and other women. For us, this is not just a paradox for us to chew over with the other philosophical cud. This is our lives we are fighting for, and no one likes to have their personal war reduced to someone else’s banal amusements. Worse still is when these same men speak about women in a way that is distant and objectifying. They talk about what they have observed as if women were strange butterflies to be pinned and studied instead of people who have legitimate experiences that might lead one, such as I, to hesitate.

There is the unwillingness to learn, or worse, the flat refusal to learn. There is the blatant ignorance, the refusal to see sexism even when it’s pointed out in such a bald-faced way that its obviousness is embarrassing. Even when the willingness to perhaps learn is there, the burden is placed on me to teach, rather than on the ignorant to learn. And if I do acquiesce and agree to teach, I am told by the same smug male that perhaps my lesson would be better received if I was: less angry, more pretty, nicer, calmer, more indulgent, more understanding, used less swearing, stopped using personal experiences, stop using facts and statistics, and never, ever forget to show the ever important male point of view; thus stripping away my expertise and if the lessons do not sink in it is my fault for not being obliging, rather than their fault for being intellectually lazy. And thus I hesitate.

And I will admit that part of my hesitance is a self-defense mechanism. It is an essential tool to help with the day-to-day encounters I have described above. The first thing a baby porcupine learns is how to raise its quills. The first thing a baby feminist learns is how to raise her guard. If I am on guard, if I hesitate and stereotype and distrust, then I reduce my risk of being knocked off balance or being placed in danger. But it’s not just a personal danger. I fear for all my sisters, and every day I wake up in the morning regretful that somewhere in the world my sisters are going through some physical or mental exhaustion at the hands of men (both malicious and clueless). Were this any other fight my careful regard would be seen as a natural response to danger. Only the truly cruel cannot see why a Jew might be cautious in their return to certain parts of Europe, or why perhaps a black man actively avoids certain parts of the United States. We see their survival mechanisms as understandable and we respect these choices. People see this hesitancy as a reminder of a horrible history and an admonition that we must be vigilant and always, always work towards righting past wrongs and slowly becoming trustworthy again. And yet because the world is built on the frail ego of the privileged male any slight, any insinuation that we as women have cause to distrust is seen as heresy and an attack on the status quo.

I’m not saying male allies aren’t important; they are. However, they are only as valuable as they are active. Many are the ally who looks at a violent rape culture and bemoans the fact that “they don’t represent me”. But they do. They are placing an image out that represents you. And male allies are well within their rights to be angry, but they stop there. They need to be active. Anger is merely the starting point. The men need to behave as the feminist label beseeches them to: act, write letters, protest products, rock the vote. It is not feminism to observe the rape/violent/misogynistic culture, become upset over that representation of masculinity, not do anything about it, and then become confused and angry when your female compatriots do not welcome you with open arms/legs. My lack of trust upsets you, your lack of action raises suspicion in me. Why should I trust a man cognizant of the problems and who chooses to do nothing? That man offers nothing but verbal reassurances that no, no there are good men out there. This is not new information. We need more than bland reassurances of the righteousness of our cause. Our cause is just, it does not need approval. It does not need a man telling us what we should do to make him feel better or more comfortable or provide an excuse for his behavior. What my cause needs is help. We are not getting the help, the respect, the action we deserve from the men who mercilessly grab the feminist label in a vain attempt to be seen as more liberal or hoping it will increase their chances of getting laid.

So what advice do I have for the male who does desire to help us in our fight against the various –isms of the world? Is it possible to re-earn the trust lost over years of oppression and defeat? Yes, I do believe it is possible for a man to truly be an ally; truth be told I am engaged to one. The keys to earning our trust lie in education and respect. Firstly, respect that becoming my ally will take lots of time and many, many gestures on your part. If this seems too much like a Sisyphean task, take a deep breath and remember all I and my sisters have suffered through. Understand that we have been hurt by men who called themselves allies before and recognize that the reward for your patience is a great one. Educate yourself in the same manner as a woman would. Do not believe that because you are a man you have a greater insight to the women’s movement or that being a male makes you more objective. All being male grants you is a different perspective that may or may not be totally incongruent with the feminist movement. Instead, read the same books we read, peruse at your leisure the same websites we peruse. Do not assume; instead ask questions and be open to the answers. Fight cognitive dissonance. If something is making you feel uncomfortable it’s probably your brain’s way of helping you recognize your privilege. Do all this and soon there will come a day when gender-neutral pronouns come easier, when calling your friends on rape jokes feels like an obligation to your morality, and you will understand the hard battles won and yet to be won. On that day I will trust, I will be proud to call you brother, and I will cease to hesitate.

I don’t want to be a feminist anymore. »

I don’t want to be a feminist anymore. Like a five-year-old, I want to close my eyes, stick my fingers in my ears, stomp my feet on the floor and scream “No! No, you cannot make me, I won’t, leave me alone!” I am, simply put, too tired. So very, very tired.

I am tired of fighting with my friends. I am tired of arguing that someone groping and slapping my butt isn’t “what I have to expect”, just because I’m at a bar, and the one attacking my butt has a drink in the other hand. I am tired of hearing “boys will be boys” and “when you’re dressed like that …” and “that’s just what guys do”. I am tired of trying to drown those sentiments in loud, repetitive no’s, screamed over and over again, till my throat is sore and my voice weak – just to hear them repeated, as soon as exhaustion threatens to silence me.

I am tired of being afraid. I am tired of seeing someone writing something offensive, sexist, racist, ageist, ableist, somewhere online. I am tired of seeing those writings getting likes and lol’s, and SO TRUE’s. I am tired of being consumed by confusion and anger, typing, typing, typing and typing a seemingly endless response, including research, links and statistics, and then hesitate clicking “submit”. I am tired of knowing that I hesitate because I am afraid of the flood of responses that will come. I am tired of knowing that I will be bombarded with lighten up’s, stop whining’s and get a sense of humor’s for so long, that I will start to wonder if I am indeed wound up too tight, a nagger and humorless. I am tired of the fact that I’m afraid of being called a cunt, even though I don’t find genitalia insulting or demeaning.

I am tired of being told. I am tired of being told that “a key that unlocks many locks is a good key, but that a lock that can be unlocked by many keys is a bad lock”. I am tired of the fact that nobody who says this has ever been able to tell me what it is that needs to be locked up. I am tired of being told “your boobs are awesome, you should show them of “. I am tired of being told that “that looks a little slutty”. I am tired of being told that I shouldn’t be a prude, but I shouldn’t be slutty. I am tired of that nobody seems to be able to explain how to do so. I am tired of being told that I can just say no, and I am tired of being told “come on, you know you want to”.
I am tired of being told “But we HAVE equality!”

I am tired of being asked. I am tired of being asked if I’m a lesbian or if I was raped. I am tired of being asked if daddy didn’t treat me right. If I was in an abusive relationship. If I was beaten. If I grew up with a single mother. If I don’t like sex. I am sick and tired of being asked “But, why are you a feminist, then?” I am tired of being asked why I wear make-up. Why I wear a bra. Why I wear skirts and dresses. Why I flirt with men. Why I shave my legs. I am tired of asking “why do you ask me this?” and hearing the answer “because real feminists are against those things, aren’t they?”

Most of all, I am tired of knowing. Knowing that my eyes have been opened, and that what has been seen cannot be unseen. I am tired of knowing it, when I see something that is wrong. I am tired of knowing that only speaking out can change it. I am tired of knowing exactly how hard and scary it can be to do so. I am tired of knowing that if I am not careful, the fight will eat up my hope and strength, and leave me only with bitterness. I am tired of knowing that I can never turn back to not knowing. I am tired of knowing that despite my fears and exhaustion, I am a feminist.

No, I don’t want to be a feminist anymore – today.
Tomorrow? Tomorrow I think I’ll try again.

scarves in solidarity »

faineemae:

this blog still exists, if you want to submit a picture of yourself wearing a hijab in protest of hijab bans and in support of muslim women choosing to wear the hijab, go on and submit a picture, men and women can do this!

There you go. How it should be.

Hijab challenge days vs. Hijab hijacking days

Since I am having a reply after reply conversation about this, I decided to just make one post about it.

Some are wondering what the big deal is about white secular feminists adorning the hijab for the sake of Muslim women and their rights. Some are wondering how it’s any different from when they attend our scarves for solidarity or hijab challenge day events. The difference is simple: we (Muslim women) are inviting them to participate. And that invitation makes all the difference.

A few years back, I held a hijab challenge day at my university in which I asked non-Muslim women to wear the hijab or niqab for an entire day and then attend a lecture I was giving on Islamic feminism later that evening. Afterward, I opened the floor for discussion so that these women could reflect on their experience of being covered in public. The event was a great success and the hijabed women was a great way to get people to attend the lecture and learn about the movement. The women who participated walked away with a greater understanding of Islam in general.

Now imagine if a similar event were held by the campus Feminists For Action group (a largely white and non-religious group). How educated do you think the participants would be after leaving their event, devoid of Muslim women? Not very. In fact, you’d probably find Muslim women outraged at their lack of inclusion in their own movement and most of all by the hijacking of their religious attire without permission.

Is it so hard to see the difference? It is not appropriate to just take something from another culture/religion/people without explicit permission and/or involvement from a person of that culture, religion, or people. One of my professors in college (strong feminist) focused her studies on Native Americans. She spent time on a reservation and was not immediately welcomed. Imagine if she went onto the reservation in braids and feathers. She would have never been welcomed.

There is a certain etiquette that we all have to follow when wanting to stand in solidarity with a different group of people and this person did not follow that etiquette at all. Furthermore, she insinuated that she knew our movement better than we, and that she was more fit to participate than we.

____

(context: http://zombiejihadi.tumblr.com/post/18027599795/scarves-for-saudi-i-have-the-highest-respect-for-women )

Scarves For SAUDI: I have the highest respect for women who chose to wear Headwraps/Hijabs. »

scarvesforsaudiarabia:

I cannot continue to defend myself against people who are trying to discourage my advocacy. I am educated in Saudi Arabian custom and tradition. I am familiar with the religious monarchy under which Saudi Arabia is ruled. I am familiar with all reactions people will have to this display and pictures of myself and other non-muslim women wearing Head pieces.

That being said, ask yourself why you are taking such offense? How can you tell me it is not my place to advocate for these women because I am not Saudi Arabian or muslim. Who’s job is it to get this conversation started?

I feel it is very anti-feminist of people to judge me and my advocacy because I am a white, American woman. Feminism, to me, means fighting for Women’s Rights. When I identified myself as a feminist, I didn’t just mean that I was fighting for White, American Equality. I meant that I was fighting for Women’s Equality. Instead of trying to put me in my place and calling yourself a feminist in the same breath; offer some constructive criticism, or maybe do some research of your own.

Thank You.

Please find your own movement. The reactions you are getting from Muslim women and Muslim feminists alike is a strong indicator of how welcome you are NOT into our movement. When non-Muslim women attempt to get involved into this movement, which they know very little about, by hijacking a RELIGIOUS symbol, it is going to make them less welcome.

That’s the trouble with white secular feminists- they think they have the right to just enter any feminist movement they want and are put off by the fact that they aren’t welcome with open arms. Sorry about you, sweetie. Islamic feminism has no room for you. We don’t want your support. We don’t need your help. We don’t need you wearing our scarves. Hijab is not a political statement. It is a religious statement. Your being a well intentioned white woman does not give you any right to hijack something that is so sacred to Muslim women. I’ll say it again: YOU ARE NOT WELCOME.

Islamic feminism is about bringing the Muslim world back into the way of our prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallaam), in which women held a high status in society. Understanding just what exactly that all entailed involves a firm understanding of the entire Quran and Sunnah, which you don’t have. Islamic feminism has non-Muslim supporters and non-Muslims involved in the cause. However, these women become involved through Muslim women. They go to them and ask them how they feel and what is appropriate and what is not. They go to the Muslim women and ask them for more information. They don’t just hijack an entire movement, by wearing clothing of Muslim women because they feel that it is their job to “get this conversation started”. It’s not the job of white non-Muslim women to reinstate proper Islamic law in Saudi Arabia. Worst of all, you assume that we, the Muslim women who are offended by what you are doing, have not done any research. You assumed that Muslim feminists did not exist or that Muslim feminists do not have the resources or the tools necessary to orchestrate such a movement. How very white of you, sweetie. It’s really comforting to know that you feel that it’s not our job to fix our problems.

For the last time, you are not welcome. Take the scarf off, lest you continue to insult and mock us. You can keep your well intentioned white women can do it all blog up and running but know that it is going to accomplish nothing short of pissing a lot of dedicated MUSLIM FEMINISTS, like myself, off.

Covered arms, legs, and floral prints- GASP! How indecent of her!