My latest blog post “Just Like a Submissive Woman” is up at Religion Dispatches.
As a Muslim feminist who does not wear a head-cover but who fights for women’s right to do so with total honor, I am in that uncomfortable space between Muslims and non-Muslims. Many non-Muslims would not accept my feminist credentials and many Muslims would sniff at my Muslim qualifications.
Still, when certain strands of feminism put on their French blinders – “Le foulard? Patriarchy! Sexism!” it’s hard to resist.
Excerpt:
White feminists need to establish that their solidarity with all women is not contingent upon these women becoming replicas of White Western women. Women should not be excluded from the benefits of global sisterhood because of a shalwar kameez, or a business suit, or a kaffiyeh, or a sari, or a headscarf, or a face-veil. Or because of Islam.
Shabana Mir's blog: Koonj - the crane 
Usually when a person is distrusted by 2 opposing camps, I see it as a sign of a principled and well reasoned stand
Every time I click on a link for an article of yours at Religion Dispatches I get an error message 😦
I got one the first time I clicked it. I changed some browser setting and it worked fine. What is the error message?
Nice post. I will definitely have to read more of your blog. I consider myself a feminist (and I am white) and I couldn’t agree more. I think more and more young, white feminists are realizing this to be true. At least I hope so!
very true!
i’ve read a couple of books by the ilk of those “anti-oppression”, right-wing sort of feminists for whom feminism actually does mean saving the brown woman from the evil brown man and introducing her to pantene and l’oreal. and the gist i get, which suggests to me there is no dialogue possible, is that these women are actually out to save us from OURSELVES, because we are deluded and brainwashed into thinking that choosing to wear a headscarf is actually a choice. (this you already know of course, but it’s past midnight on a saturday night and i have cramps and i feel like writing this out, so, um, there). 🙂
anyway. i loved your opening paragraph!
A truly brilliant article, dear Sister, beautifully written and a thoughtfully presented statement of truth.
My hat would be off to you, if I wore one 🙂
Ya Haqq!
PS I don’t know what kind of agreement you have with Religion Dispatches, but I would like to repost it on Darvish with your permission at some future date.