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Troubling questions about feminism and IslamReviewed by Jeri Nevermind, 2007-05-19
Chesler, a longtime feminist, here argues that feminists have
betrayed their beliefs when it comes to poor woman around the world
and Islamic women in particular. "Around the world, girls and women
are being systematically, repeatedly, and publicly gang raped as a
weapon of war; girl children are sold by their parents, young women
are...locked into brothels against their will. Many American
feminists focus on...lesbian sexual pleasure" (p 5) in such bilge
as "The Vagina Monologue".
Fewer and fewer women identify themselves as feminists. Why?
Feminists hold sway only in the media and on college campuses.
Everywhere else they are met with derision. Why?
Maybe it's because of the smallness of their concerns. They foam
over rules at the country club regarding women golfers. And they do
this at a time when the women around the world need help.
What have they to say about "Saudi Arabia's Virtue and Vice squads,
who arrest...women for showing a single strand of hair, or cheek,
or even a glimpse of ankle" (p 57). Honor killings continue through
much of the Islamic world without a peep from feminists. Girls as
young as twelve are forced into marriage with older men or beaten,
and our feminists say nothing.
Chesler's book needs to be pondered.
A Much Needed Feminist Foreign PolicyReviewed by Jazz It Up Baby, 2007-01-27
Just as Suzanne Gershowitz, of the American Enterprise Institute,
said Chesler, a psychologist by training and a self-identified
feminist, sets out to explain how and why the movement she once
associated with has gone awry. Those most commonly identified as
feminists today have, she argues, become "marginalized" and
"irrelevant" due to their obsession with multiculturalism and
isolationism. Chesler at once condemns women's studies in the
academy and leftist protestations against U.S. democratization
efforts in the Muslim world. At times, Chesler's passionate defense
of both the United States and Israel--a defense of democracy and
denunciation of Islamism--overwhelms her core arguments about
feminism. But she clearly establishes the relationship between U.S.
foreign policy and the feminism with which she identifies. Her
ultimate goal, she says, is to create a feminist foreign
policy.
The first chapters document the crises that feminism faces today:
the liberal feminist hijacking of the academy, the lack of
independent thinking among women, and the stifling of dissident
feminist views. Using a mix of personal anecdotes, statistics, and
excerpts from other sources, Chesler documents the
closed-mindedness among feminists--and their hypocrisy: "the
chilling of free speech has been unilaterally imposed by those who
claim to act on its behalf," she argues. She also provides
psychological explanations for this situation.
Chesler identifies the turning point of feminism, when it finally
became "suicidally intolerant," as "the reaction and non-reaction
of Western academics and intellectuals to the 2000 intifada against
Israel--and to 9/11." Indeed, Chesler's main complaint against
today's feminism is its reflexive anti-Zionism and
anti-Americanism. She shares personal anecdotes about conversations
on feminist Internet listservs she is a part of, where irrelevant
rants condemning the "Zionist occupation" and "America's support
for it" become commonplace. She, also, discusses consequences she
has faced as a result of feminist's single-mindedness in politics,
such as the time prominent feminist Muriel Fox, cofounder of NOW,
warned her not to vote for President Bush in 2004. Chesler argues
that a "suicidal" result of these tendencies is its failure to
speak out against the crimes committed against women around the
world in the name of Islam. Chesler's final chapters focus largely
on Islamism and why it should be the foremost concern for feminists
today.
The middle of the book forms a separate section, which documents
the experiences of women with Islamic culture. In chapter four--the
book's most memorable[1]--Chesler tells the story of her own
"Afghan captivity," when she, a young Jewish woman, went to live as
a young bride in Afghanistan in 1961 with her husband's traditional
Islamic Afghan family. She indeed was held captive--at one point
nearly starving to death. It is clear from her harrowing story why
she has taken up with such fervor the cause of women's rights in
the Muslim world and why she remains so hostile towards those who
refuse to fight for the women who experience for their whole lives
what she experienced for some months.
Chesler also provides portraits of Muslim women in one chapter and
in another documents "Islamic gender apartheid" in the West, where
she voices her concern about the Islamization of Europe. She asks
the all-important question: "When Muslim immigrants move to Europe
or North America, should they be allowed to live under Islamic
religious (or Shari'a law) or under secular law?" Chesler herself
strongly favors assimilation.
Chesler concludes by calling for a "new feminism" that reaches out
and appeals to Muslims--particularly Muslim women--living under
oppression. She hopes her book will begin a conversation on how
"crucial the role of women will be in the evolution of freedom and
democracy in the Middle East and in Muslim countries" But feminists
will not likely heed Chesler's call. In fact, her anger directed
towards the feminist Left might alienate her further. But the book
is important, for the plight of women in the Muslim world should
never be a tired subject.
[1] And excerpted in MEQ as Phyllis Chesler, "How Afghan Captivity
Shaped My Feminism," Winter 2006, pp. 3-10.
Read this book!Reviewed by Jill Malter, 2006-08-10
Phyllis Chesler begins this book by explaining that feminists "have
mounted brave and determined battles against rape, incest, domestic
violence, economic and professional inequality, and local
`cultural' practices such as honor killings, dowry burnings, female
genital mutilation, and the global trafficking in women and
children." That's a big accomplishment.
Nevertheless, there is a problem. In recent times, many feminists
have become "morally blind to the clear and present danger of
Islamic gender apartheid." And some are now more interested in (or
obsessed with) supporting very repressive anti-American and
anti-Zionist Islamic terrorists than they are in supporting
feminist causes.
We see a surprising number of so-called feminists oppose those who
tell the truth about Islamists, often calling such people
"McCarthyists" and accusing them of silencing "free speech" and
"academic freedom." However, as Chesler points out, while free
speech and academic freedom are important, "professors are also
supposed to teach the difference between the truth and a lie. The
earth is round, not flat." I agree. The issue is not academic
freedom; scholars now have the freedom to pursue the topics they
choose. The issue is academic standards. And it seems that the
pro-Islamists are the ones who are most guilty of silencing their
political foes and restricting academic freedom.
The author says that there are social reasons for some women to be
especially susceptible to pressure here. Namely, many girls learn
at an early age that they need to be "nice" to have friends. And
these "girls learn how to express themselves carefully, minimally,
falsely, passively, cleverly, and indirectly as the best way to
stay alive both psychologically and socially." Worse, they learn
not to support those who are slandered or shunned, as to do so
would risk the same fate. Chesler paraphrases Edmund Burke here:
"evil flourishes when enough good women do nothing to stop
it."
A few years ago, Chesler wrote a fine book, "The New
Anti-Semitism." And she points out that a reviewer, Werner
Dannhauser, praised her courage, saying "true courage does not so
much consist in taking a stand against the majority as in taking a
stand against one's peers." That's a good point. I would add, of
course, that such stands ought to be based on facts and logic, not
just on some illogical desire to oppose (or follow) some specific
people or points of view. If one's peers say that the earth is
indeed round, I'm not going to applaud anyone for having the
"courage" to say it is flat.
I think readers will find Chesler's description of her captivity in
Afghanistan unforgettable. And there is some fine material on "the
one-sided feminist academy."
There's also an important discussion of Islamic gender apartheid in
the West. This is a truly fundamental issue: when should European
authorities be "tolerant" and avoid interfering in what will be
claimed to be none of their business, and when are crimes being
committed that society needs to deal with? I think we can see from
this book that for some time, there has been a problem with
over-tolerance on the part of authorities, to the detriment of
European society as a whole and especially to Muslim women in
particular.
I highly recommend this book.
Chesler takes a stand for what is right - again!Reviewed by The Lifelong Learner, 2006-06-16
Chesler's no nonsense style is articulate, clear and free of the
cliche-isms that mar a lot of feminist discourse. This important
book personalizes the plight of women's status in the Islamic
culture and shames a lot of western feminists for tunnel vision and
indifference to this issue.
The story of her personal captivity (1961) as a wife in the family
of a high status clan in Afghanistan is compelling both as a
genesis of her feminist ideals and in understanding her sympathetic
compassion that leads her to speaking out on this subject now. I
appreciate that she neither belabors this frightening episode nor
displays her views as an ongoing vendetta. Even more, I like her
healthy balance and attempts at rapprochement across the political
spectrum for the greater good. We could use more of that!
There is much to add to this subject. For example, Chesler touches
on Muslim women who are speaking out. But to do it justice that's a
subject of another book. This one is packed with enough to read it
twice and I highly recommend you do!
Chesler fails her readers and Muslim women in this bookReviewed by llotz, 2006-05-12
The one star (out of five) appreciates Ms. Chesler's efforts to
bring a problem to the attention of her readers - that is, the way
in which some people who call themselves Muslims treat the women
and girls in their families and communities. Just as we Americans
need to deal with gender-based problems such as domestic violence,
rape, and sex trafficking, and frequently do so through the lens of
our own faith traditions (i.e. the Mary Magdeline Project sponsored
by church women in Los Angeles, women's shelters, etc), Muslims
need to examine their own practices and find ways to live up to the
code of conduct set forth in the Qu'ran.
This book also deserves "four frowns" because Ms. Chesler has
largely failed her readers beyond reaching this one goal.
Frown #1 - Ms Chesler does not portray the significant movement of
Muslim women in the US and around the world who are already
challenging the traditions and practices criticized in this book.
Readers would have benefited from hearing how Muslim women are
talking and writing about these issues, engaging with imams, and
educating both men and women about the proper treatment of women.
For example, she failed to mention the work of Nawal Sadawi while a
minister of health in Egypt (see Memoirs of a woman doctor), or
that on International Women's Day, 2004, a public protest of Female
Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Somalia was followed by a series of
trainings involving an Imam who provided Islamic reasoning why
families should not practice FGM.
Frown # 2 - Ms Chesler dehumanizes rather than humanizes the very
women who are victims of the treatment she so opposes. I followed
reading Ms. Chesler's book with Yaghmaian's "Embracing the Infidel,
Stories of Muslim Migrants on the Journey West." Ms Chesler
provides few details of her victims, while Yaghmaian presents us
with loving and poignant stories that help the reader understand
why men and women leave their home, their country and their
families (including war, occupation and economic dislocation that
often come from US and other Western policies and practices).
Domestic violence and forced marriage are very present, but not as
an accusation against Islam.
Frown #3 - Ms. Chesler criticizes Islam but fails to show the ways
that the Qu'ran provides protections and support for women. One
well-known quote reads: "When a woman was forced against her will
in the time of (the Prophet Muhammad), he avoided punishing her but
inflicted (punishment) on the one who had molested her." Further,
Chesler ignores efforts by feminist Muslims to separate faith from
culture and tradition (See Mernisi's The Veil and the Male Elite).
While encouraging American feminists to fear the growing Muslim
population, Chesler ignores how the practice of Islam is changing
in the US, including opening up the role of women and challenging
domestic violence. (See booklet published in 2005 by several Muslim
groups reminding local leaders of the proper role of women within
the mosque.)
Frown # 4 - Ms. Chesler does not provide the tools and connections
for her readers to support Muslim women in the US or other
countries. What is the best way to help? What actions will do more
harm than good?
Before concluding, it must be noted that while Ms. Chesler
applauded the US government for toppling the former Iraqi
government, she failed to mention the substantial efforts by the
former Socialist-oriented government to improve the lot of women.
For example, the Ba'athi government tried to suppress honor
killings while promoting female literacy, employment, and freedom
of dress. Whatever strides forward were achieved, they have now
been lost. Chesler also neglected to mention the US military
practice of arresting female relatives of wanted men, saying they
would be held until the men turned themselves in. Given the many
stories of rapes of Iraqi women in US detention facilities, once
these women are released everyone assumes that they were raped.
This tactic plays into the underlying cultural belief systems
behind honor killing, rather than trying to suppress it.
In summary, I can't help but wonder if Ms. Chesler's goal in
writing this book had more to do with expressing her own rage about
how she was treated, than really wanting to help and support Muslim
women who are trying to address problems within their own society.
Ultimately, it seems to me that she is more interested in
increasing prejudice against Islam and Muslims, even though she
herself has tried so hard to reduce prejudice against Judaism and
Jews.
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