Alison Meyer's Oct. 22 article "Beyond the Burqa" in The Primary Source was a depressingly inaccurate attempt at explaining the position of women in Islam.
I certainly realize that women are oppressed in many parts of the Muslim world. Last year, I spent two weeks in Saudi Arabia attending a conference with my dad. I was forced to wear an abaya (the traditional female covering) and was shocked by the stringent segregation of men and women and the atmosphere of female inferiority created by of the application of Shariah law. In a country where women can't drive, enter Starbucks, swim in public pools or wear jeans on the street it was no surprise that the conference, like everything else, was segregated.
As a result, I spent most of my time with women from all over the Middle East, and we had many conversations about their experiences and their opinions on Islam, women's rights and the legal system that linked the two.
First, I was surprised to realize that these women were not brainwashed victims. They understood the power dynamics and politics of control which led the Saudi government to enforce policies of oppression. They strongly believed that the government manipulated Islam in many ways (beyond the policies relating to women) in order to prop up their regime and maintain control amidst increasing pressure for reform.
The most recent "Islamo-Fascism Awareness" issue of the Primary Source seems to claim that "innocent" and peace-loving Muslims' silence on the issues of "Islamo-Fascism" suggests a tacit acceptance of its principles. Similarly, in Daniel Pipes' speech, sponsored by The Primary Source, moderate non-violent Muslims were described as anomalies.
But from my short time in Saudi Arabia, it became clear to me that there are many organizations opposing various discriminatory policies in the Middle East. Many of the women I met were involved in efforts to give women the right to drive in Saudi Arabia, and despite being continuously ignored by the government, they continue to organize.
"Beyond the Burqa," presents the burqa as one of many symbols of women's innate inferiority within Islam. However, the women I spoke with explained how the burqa, so quickly criticized, was often a reflection of piety and an individual choice that while sometimes enforced by various governments, is also a part of many Muslim women's chosen identity.
It is easy coming from a society where we're comfortable stripping in public to see this attitude as restrictive and oppressive. We're so used to picking out our slutty Halloween costumes that we never wonder whether the forces that brought us to this point aren't equally sexist.
This na've and uneducated outlook on the burqa also ignores the much more complex historical and social factors that have shaped its evolution. For example, for many women, reclaiming the burqa began as a powerful form of resistance against U.S.-supported governments throughout the Middle East. Strange to think that the United States and Western encroachment could in fact be the force behind current movements of further veiling.
Even more interesting is the question of U.S. involvement in Saudi Arabia itself. The longest lasting current Islamic regime to date, and one with some of the strictest adherence to "Islamo-Fascist" Shariah law, also happens to be one of the United States' oldest allies. This seems to be a strange contradiction to the conservative "Islamo-Fascist" awareness effort. One of their best examples of human rights abuses in the Middle East also happens to be their best friend. But in the end, for conservatives at least, oil seems to trump even human rights.
I agree with Alison Meyer that the restriction of the rights of women in Saudi Arabia and various other Islamic countries is outrageous, and many of the Saudi women I met would agree as well. What I find disappointing is her complete inability to see beyond simplistic explanations for the situation.
I hope no one reads her article and is left believing that all Islamic governments in the Middle East actually enforce practices like requiring two female witnesses for every male witness or allow honor killings to go unpunished. And I cannot help but wonder why she doesn't use any of the verses from the Qur'an reflecting on the equal worth of men and women's work and their equal status in God's eyes, of which there are plenty.
Furthermore, it is not hard to find incredibly sexist trends in any ancient religious text. Remember poor Adam, destroyed by Eve's original sin and lust? Sexism was deeply rooted in the societies in which these texts were written, and this is evident in Christianity and Judaism, particularly within Catholicism which, not unlike Islam, still hasn't allowed women to become priests. We have to look beyond the religion and try to understand how it has been manipulated by regimes in the region in which it is practiced to retain control of its populations. Had history and geopolitical situations evolved differently, I would not be surprised if a similar regime evolved out of Christianity.
In the end, Alison's error reflects the error of The Primary Source's entire approach to "Islamo-facism Awareness Week." Yes, we all agree that there are horrible atrocities being committed in the Middle East. But will blaming Islam help?
It's time to forget Wikipedia-esque sources and start doing some more intensive research. If The Primary Source had done this, perhaps they would be blaming the regimes, which use Islam as a weapon to hide their hunger for power. Perhaps then the Source would be just as outraged with this abuse of Islam as they are outraged by the abuse of women.
Rebecca Busch is a junior majoring in international relations.
