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Alyssa Henderson

SOC 2630

Katherine Demong

1 October 2019

Assignment 5: Muslim Women

1. What has been historically the problem with Western feminists trying to get involved

with women’s rights issues in the Middle East? (Describe the dilemma faced by feminists

on page 77).

Western feminists have run into problems discussing women’s rights issues in the Middle East

because they end up imposing Western values and ideas on them. The article explains that they

find themselves in a “catch 22.” If they involve themselves with little to no knowledge of their

culture, they risk offending the Middle East. On the other hand, if they disengage and leave them

be, they are doing them an injustice. They are going against the very value they have of helping

women around the world fight oppression of the patriarchy.

2. How did the “second wave” feminists view the women of the third world? How is this

problematic?

They viewed them without respect or understanding for their religion. They had a hard time

understanding the complex dynamic of the women in the Middle East. Especially when they

wanted to protect their religious and social place of where they should be but also stood up for

women empowerment. This is very problematic because they are trying to understand something,
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they have no knowledge of. The people will not side and agree with these feminists if they

offend them and don’t take the time to understand their complex culture.

3. On page 79, what was the “Orientalist” view on women in the Middle East? Be sure to

explain what “Orientalist” means.

First off, an orientalist is someone from the West who studies the language, culture, history and

customs of countries in eastern Asia. The orientalist view on women in the Middle East was that

they were oppressed, secluded veiled woman. They were seen as passive, sexless, covered up in

masses of cloth and opposites from the “sexually liberated” West woman. Though keep in mind,

Muslim women were perceived differently and the opposite at times when white women wanted

to emphasize their purity.

4. Using page 82, explain the issues surrounding women and their choice to wear

headscarves.

Though feminists had good intentions, they were doing the opposite of what feminism means.

Women choose on their own free will to wear these headscarves. To most, headscarves assert

one’s identity, autonomy and independence. This allowed women the opportunity to assert their

moral and political agency. French feminists did not take this into account and instead banned

headscarves, leading to women being denied the right to make their own decisions about what

they can and cannot wear.

5. In the section titled, ‘Looking Ahead: Problems & Possibilities” (this begins on page 86)

what, according to the author, must Western women do in order to be effective feminists in

the Muslim world?

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Well first off, Western feminists will hurt the cause worse if they decide to stand back and not do

anything. They need to try to understand Muslim women’s local customs, traditions and religious

practices from within. The author states in order to change a society, you must work within that

society’s cultural and religious framework. I completely agree. She also states that the most

successful feminist groups were ones of Islamic flavor. It is also important to understand the

historical legacy of Muslim’s perceptions of feminism in the past to make better strides today.

6. What is your reaction to the following: (page 88) Ranjana Khanna puts it eloquently

when she observes that postmodern sensitivities can often lead to “paralysis, or a rather

self-satisfied navel gazing on the part of some who agonize about how to be ethical when it

comes to dealing with gender politics outside of one’s own context” (2001: 101). This

postmodern silence, although masked in good intentions, is ultimately no different in effect

than the silence of right-wing isolationists who scream “America first.” ? Is it possible to

speak out against oppression without forcing your own views onto other cultures?

Though I had not been educated of this problem, after reading Khanna’s input, I completely

agree. Staying quiet and turning a blind eye is just as bad. I do think it is possible to speak out

against the oppressed without forcing your own view on the culture. But to do this, you must

educate and give good effort in putting yourself in the shoes of the oppressed, understanding

what they are going through. It is also important to be constantly aware of the bias you might

bring.

7. Carefully read the conclusion. What irony does the author find between American’s

imposing their beliefs on those and the Middle East and the rates of rape and incest in the

USA?
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The irony in this, is that she is assuming the Third World’s problems are about rape and incest?

And then somehow correlating the two with helping Third World nations. The point here is that

everyone has their own problems but just because you have your own problems doesn’t mean

you cannot speak out about other problems in the world. This is an absurd excuse to not act and

help others.

8. What is your impression of the article? Did it change or challenge any of your

preconceived ideas about feminism in the Middle East? Did it clarify or complicate the

theory of “Postmodernism” for you?

My first impression was that this article was a harder article to read than others, but I also found

myself not being able to stop reading, it was fascinating and caught my attention. This article

really allowed me to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I am embarrassed to say but

everything I have learned about feminism has been in my bubble of the ideas of the West. It was

great to look outside the bubble and see feminism in different cultures and traditions. It clarified

postmodernism for me. Though some parts were confusing, I felt like the author did a great job

at helping me understand the concepts and ideas.