If the hijab is wonderful in all contexts, then you should be happy for it to be something that is forced upon your daughter. If you tomorrow your husband converts to Islam and forces your 8-year-old to put on a hijab and change the way she is dressed and refuse to talk to boys, if this wouldn’t be acceptable to a Western woman when it comes to her own daughter, it should not be acceptable for any girl across the world.
But of course it is acceptable, or at least Western feminists don’t waste a lot of breath on Muslim oppression of women. They might respond that we have problems with women’s rights here in the U.S., and that’s true, but the oppression is less severe than in, say, Afghanistan. They would then respond that “we can fight oppression both here and in the Middle East,” to which I’d respond, “Fine. Then why don’t you do anything about the oppression of women by Muslims?”
The Stranger is an “alternative” biweekly newspaper in Seattle, and contains a blog called “The Slog”. And it is there that, last June, ex-Muslim activist Sarah Haider was interviewed about the troubles that Western liberals cause for her agenda. What is that agenda? Haider is Executive Director of Ex-Muslims of North America (ExMNA), and her organization “advocates for acceptance of religious dissent, promotes secular values, and aims to reduce discrimination faced by those who leave Islam.”
Haider, born in Pakistan but brought up since age 7 in the U.S., was raised as a Muslim but gave up the faith as a teen, since nothing about it made sense to her. Since then, she and ExMNA President Muhammad Syed have campaigned tirelessly and strategically to call out the dangers of Islamic doctrine as well as provide support and welcome to those who become apostates.
I hadn’t seen this interview, but was…
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