Radical Feminism in the Birthplace of the Arab Spring

[Safferz]

AfricaOwn;936567 wrote:

All sensible Men and Women can agree to that. What's a feminist anyways? Can men be feminists as well? What are some examples of gender inequality for SOL posters to think about?

I was explaining the difficulties of defining what a feminist is (and what feminism entails) in my last few posts in this thread, and that of course affects the type of political agenda and issues these organizations work around. A black feminist in the US may see mass incarceration as a feminist issue because of its destructive impact on black families and how it increases financial burdens on black women who have to support their families. A Muslim feminist in Canada may see access to the mosque as a feminist issue, given the lack of adequate, clean and quiet prayer spaces for women in the mosque. An African feminist in South Africa may see sexual health education as a feminist issue because women may not understand their options for birth control and pressured not to use it by their partners, contributing to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the country.

 

There's a lot of debate over whether men can be "feminists" as such, but their role as allies in feminist movements have always been important, because none of these things can be done by women alone.

[Safferz]

SomaliPhilosopher;936571 wrote:

So when is the wedding Wadani and Safferz?

Who said I'm interested in the patriarchal bondage of marriage? Jk

[Guzel]

There is no radical feminism in the Arab world, just some lost middle class girls who think it is cool to pose topless and the Western media label them as "activists". Feminism to me is ultimately about choice and access. To make your own choices in life and access services without gender discrimination.

[Wadani]

SomaliPhilosopher;936571 wrote:

So when is the wedding Wadani and Safferz?

Inanta abti baan u ahay.

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

me thinks radical feminism would ones who blow stuff up lol

[NGONGE]

Foolish girl showing her breasts to a group of Arabs and expecting them to follow her line of argument!

[Baashi]

Self-defeating act. Headline-grabbing and newsmaking act, yes, but to what end?

[NGONGE]

^^ It's the furstration that everyone feels when confronted with the mad mullahs that have swept the Islamic world (be it Shabab, Qaacida or Muslim brotherhood).

[Safferz]

Wadani;936559 wrote:

But I think u can agree that this virulent brand of feminism that is so widespread in the West has done a number on their societies. Family break-up, teen pregnancy, hyper sexualization and promiscuity, abortion on demand, confused, infantile (think 30 year olds and PS3) and role-less men, ironically unfulfilled feminist career women etc etc.

I didn't see that you edited your post to add this part. No, I can't agree. What evidence do you have that feminism is responsible for any of these things?

[Chimera]

From a Somali context, no female group has been more devastating to the cause of Somali women than "Somali models". Today no one really knows the important legacy of the Somali Women Democratic Society, and their grassroots anti-FGM campaign, that had the support of the whole republic, (which is why I take any statistic on Somali FGM with a grain of salt, because that movement had a massive impact on curtailing its practice). Now a barbaric tradition imposed on 150 million women, has become a "Somali tradition". I think Somali agents such as Ayaan and Waris are far more dangerous than any of the stereotypical white feminists. I however take comfort in the fact that the likes of Hawa Abdi, Fatima Jibriil, Maryam Qasim and Fawzia Y. Adam are generating global audiences through their respective professions and positions because they're are the true forces of change.

[SomaliPhilosopher]

Naxar Nugaaleed;936592 wrote:

me thinks radical feminism would ones who blow stuff up lol

waa caadi ninyaho

[Baashi]

NGONGE;936724 wrote:

^^ It's the furstration that everyone feels when confronted with the mad mullahs that have swept the Islamic world (be it Shabab, Qaacida or Muslim brotherhood).

War ka daa. Muslim Brotherhood is a league of their own awoowe. I wouldn't put them in the same category of AS and Qaacida.

[Blessed]

NGONGE;936724 wrote:

^^ It's the furstration that everyone feels when confronted with the mad mullahs that have swept the Islamic world (be it Shabab, Qaacida or Muslim brotherhood).

Indeed. Do these guys ever learn? Their actions always undermine Islamic teachings and the work of Muslim activists. Yvonne Ridley makes a good analyses here: http://yvonneridley.org/analysis-and-opinion/naked-protest-in-tunisia-fails-to-impress

[Safferz]

Chimera;936782 wrote:

From a Somali context, no female group has been more devastating to the cause of Somali women than "Somali models". Today no one really knows the important legacy of the Somali Women Democratic Society, and their grassroots anti-FGM campaign, that had the support of the whole republic, (which is why I take any statistic on Somali FGM with a grain of salt, because that movement had a massive impact on curtailing its practice). Now a barbaric tradition imposed on 150 million women, has become a "Somali tradition".

I think Somali agents such as Ayaan and Waris are far more dangerous than any of the stereotypical white feminists.

I however take comfort in the fact that the likes of Hawa Abdi, Fatima Jibriil, Maryam Qasim and Fawzia Y. Adam are generating global audiences through their respective professions and positions because they're are the true forces of change.

I agree, but the issue here is not feminism but people using the language of women's rights to promote islamophobia and pander to a Western (neocon) audience. People like Ayaan Hirsi speak at venues and to people who don't care about women's rights and perhaps even work to curtail them within Western countries, but it doesn't matter because she confirms their views of Islamic and African societies as backward and barbaric. But you're right, it's even more devastating when that comes from a Somali woman, because they're able to do what a white person talking about gender oppression "over there" is not -- present themselves as native informants with an "authentic" experience of being a woman in Somali society.

[Reeyo]

Aaah poor thing actually decided to pose half naked and assumed to achieve something in a Arab country. I don't know whether to pity her or advice she gets married off to a fat sheikh with 3 wives to cure her.

 

 

Her surname is Tyler...