We often discuss the disconnect of religious fanatics who rape or beat or kill women and girls in the name of morality. Often such abuses seems to be condoned by governments like Iran. However, after a series of acid attacks on women for not being properly veiled, the Iranian government is actually investigating and denouncing the attacks.
The government’s sympathy only go so far. Under the Sharia-based law in Iran, women must wear the loose fitting hijab that covers their heads and necks.
The attacks have occurred in Isfahan and General Hossein Ashtari has confirmed at least four acid attacks. Others say that there are at least 13 women chemically burned for being “badly veiled.” Other attacks have occurred in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India where the women are accused of “sullying” their family “honour” by committing “indecent” behaviour.
While the government has insisted that it will investigate, others have insisted that it must also punish women who are not sufficiently covered. Various women have adopted thin veiled or more shapely clothing to the outrage of religious Iranians. Iranian MPs have written to President Hassan Rouhani to demand that police increase enforcement of wearing of the veil. Once again, these legislators have little faith in convincing people to follow their Islamic values. Instead, they want to coerce them to comply to their values and call it a moral act.
Source: Yahoo
Also when women join in with misogynist rhetoric, they need to do some serious self examination.
Jill, excellent post. I now have first hand experience with violence to women through what has happened to my daughter and her soon to be ex husband. In the face of all he has admitted to doing, he still thinks his view is the “correct’ way to run ones life. Sick. And there are far too many people like him on this earth.
I mentioned in the HIV minister post the assault by liberals on the First Amendment. Jill reminded me of another, pornography. The fundamentalist right and insular, elitist, feminist have a two front assault on the First Amendment regarding porn. Squeeky is w/ you women on that one. Politics does make strange bedfellows.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/opinion/horrendous-abuse-in-mississippi-prisons.html?_r=0 Yes women are abused in prison in the US.
The “Women should be grateful to live in the West” meme is just another way of telling women to shut up and quit complaining. When women anywhere quit aspiring to a better life, more freedoms, equality, safety from abuse, freedom form mutilation, we women, ALL of us pay the price. Women in the Mideast should be able to look to women of the West for inspiration, not see us as being complacent and smug about our own freedoms and advancements. We should continue to strive toward equality.
SWM, Is Camille Paglia a woman hater. Of course she isn’t. Nor are the legions of women who have seen the feminist movement taken over by university women’s studies elitist, who hate men much more than loving women.
There are women in the US that are unjustly incarcerated that face sexual abuse. That is hardly “piddly”.
SWM – You have been watching Orange is the New Black haven’t you. 😉
No. The spoiled part is comparing our First World Problems (or what you think are problems) to the REAL and horrific problems faced by women in other parts of the world.
Our lack of (or perceived lack of) access to birth control or the ability to kill her own children, or the fact that a woman might make less income than a man…….means NOTHING to women who face the mutilating and death causing issues that I detailed above and who are FORBIDDEN to even have jobs or leave their homes in some cases.
There is no comparison and to try to make our/your piddly problems equivalent shows a complete lack of any sense of proportionality and lack of self awareness.
Spoiled is when people think that their miniscule problems are more important than anything else.
Very good post, Jill
I am not certain of the origin of woman hating. It occurs in most cultures, including our own. It intensifies during times of cultural crisis. It is supported by both men and women. But why?
Here is an example in the US: “Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist cultural critic, has for months received death and rape threats from opponents of her recent work challenging the stereotypes of women in video games. Bomb threats for her public talks are now routine. One detractor created a game in which players can click their mouse to punch an image of her face.” NYT
The level of malice and desire to do harm against women is so intense. The thought of throwing acid at any person for any reason is repugnant. In the US we have a bomb threat against hearing an idea along with explicit rape scenarios, followed by murder thrown in to further silence the speaker. (So much for those non-issues that Western feminists are talking about.)
In many religious traditions the idea that men see women as targets of harm is simply accepted as the norm. There is little concept of women and men as friends, colleges, lovers or fellow travelers in the world. Pornography is an example of the desire to harm women in the same way that many religions counsel. Although it is fashionable to say that no harm comes to women in pornography, if you read up on the injuries sustained from pornography, it is quite shocking. So what is going on in the minds and hearts of both men and women who accept cruelty and violence against women?
Clearly there is a desire for control. Perhaps those who feel out of control know this is one area where society will support them in violently taking that control over others.
I wish there was some very serious questioning of male/female relationships. Our lives would be so much enriched if we looked at each person as a person with his or her own mind, body and spirit. We could see each other as fully human and not have a will to violence or control over others. We could do this. It is not impossible to achieve and we should try to achieve it.
Jill – I am just going to put it out there. Feminist studies departments are male bashing on a daily basis. They hate males.
Where females professors have claimed to have been harassed on campus, upon investigation, it appears they are the ones harassing themselves.
One is spoiled because no one threw acid in your face today. Sets the bar rather low wouldn’t you say?
oops acid thrown in her face. Economic inequality is rampant in the us and not everyone is spoiled. Far from it……
SWM – solve the economic inequality in Barack and Michelle’s staffs. Then come talk to me.
“DBQ – great meme on First World Problems. We’re spoiled and don’t realize how absurd our complaints must sound to people with real problem” karen s. i would certainly hope the standard for a woman being spoiled is not having a
Phyliss Schafly? Who? I had to look that up. Sorry for being off topic, I had no idea who this person is.
“Schlafly argued that the ERA would take away gender specific privileges currently enjoyed by women, including “dependent wife” benefits under Social Security and the exemption from Selective Service registration.”
That was interesting. I had pointed out in a previous thread that the ex wives of a man could be double dipping (so to speak) into the Social Security system. Meaning that the current wife and any ex wives who qualify can have the same benefits from the dead spouse taking multiple draws from ONE benefit.
DBQ – great meme on First World Problems. We’re spoiled and don’t realize how absurd our complaints must sound to people with real problem. Like women getting blinded by acid attacks.
Another interesting fact is that the Obama Administration is going to bypass Congress to end some of the sanctions against Iran in his continuing effort to cozy up to Iran. He knows that this would not get through even a Democratic controlled Senate so he is operating by executive order as usual.
I’ve heard of this. It’s terrible. Besides being disfigured, the women are being blinded.
The younger Iranian generation has chafed under the restrictions of strict Islam, but the morality police has really cracked down on Westernization. Boys were put to death for such minor infractions as having Western style haircuts.
Tragic. So sad for these women.
I am not a Schafly person. Just because I’m pointing out the obvious flaws in western feminism doesn’t mean I’m anti feminism. As I have pointed out many times, I am a huge fan of Camille Paglia. a REAL feminist and intellectual.
Nick, You and your gals make Phyliss Schafly proud.
JT, I may be wrong, but I thought I only made the 9:23am comment, it is civil, and still up here?