Monday, June 14, 2010

Not fitting into their creepy rescue fantasies

Will white, right wing males who get all broody and weird over anti-Islamist women show the same concern for brave Muslim women fighting for justice like Malala Joya or Hanin Zoaby?

Hanin Zoaby, an attractive, modernist, non-observant Muslim woman who wears western clothing and goes out in public with her head uncovered is a female politician fighting for the rights of her minority group in her country against fierce opposition. She has been vilified, slandered and physically attacked in the legislature. Legislators from the majority ethnic group (Many of whom have openly called for ethnic cleansing) have started proceedings to strip her of her parliamentary privileges for the crime of criticizing the state, and along with other members of her ethnic group, of her citizenship entirely.

She seems like the perfect candidate for the sweaty rescue fantasies of anti-Islam polemicists like Eric Steyn or Christopher Hitchens. You might expect lots of rapturous coverage and fierce attacks on those not offering her their full support.

Except Joya is a feminist leftist who opposes the West's involvement in propping up warlords in her native Afghanistan and Zoaby is an Israeli Arab MK advocating for the rights of Palestinians inside Israel and in the occupied territories. She was on the peace flotilla and is credited for the command of Hebrew and the Knesset ID that made the Israeli paratroopers attend to the medical needs of the brutalized passengers sooner than they might have otherwise.

I'm sure Mark Steyn will be showing the same concern for these brave Muslim women fighting oppression as he does for those who he thinks help further his anti-Islam message.

Any time now.

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