In her article, “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others,” Lila Abu-Lughod explores the post-9/11 ethics of the “War on Terror” and the justifications made for American intervention in Afghanistan in terms of liberating, or saving, Afghan women. What makes Abu-Lughod’s article so valuable is that it forces us to think about the issues that we are supporting, the issues that we aren't supporting, and more importantly, why. Often, in the face of conflict, we turn to religion and culture instead of history and politics. In turning everything into a cultural issue - we lose the context, and without the context, it is easy to make sweeping generalizations about complicated issues.
Abu-Lughod's article is loaded with important passages and questions, touching on everything from cultural relativism, cultural imperialism and colonialism, feminism, the third world, human rights, and religion - to name a few. In one of her most powerful passages, she writes, "What I am advocating is the hard work involved in recognizing and respecting differences - precisely as products of different histories, as expressions of different circumstances, and as manifestations of differently structured desires. We may want justice for women, but can we accept that there might be different ideas about justice and that different women might want, or choose, different futures from what we envision is best?" (788). What might be best for a woman in the United States might not be what is best for a woman in Afghanistan. There may be some overlap and agreement, but there maybe there won't be. The important thing to recognize is that this is okay to have different views. It is okay to have different beliefs and fight for different causes. Women around the world do not all want the same things, and shouldn't feel like they have to. Abu-Lughod continues, "My point is to remind us to be aware of differences, respectful of other paths toward social change that might give women better lives. Can there be a liberation that is Islamic? And, beyond this, is liberation even a goal for which all women or people strive? Are emancipation, equality, and rights part of a universal language we must use?" (788). These are questions that I think every person should consider.
Abu-Lughod's discussion of respecting and understanding differences connects to the larger idea of choice. I can't help but recognize how dominant this theme has been throughout the semester, and how important it is to recognize that women everywhere deserve to have choices. The same idea applies to feminism. Feminists come in all shapes and sizes. When the authors of Manifesta came to speak, they talked about how there is no one definition of feminism - it means different things to different people. Can a woman be pro-life and be a feminist? Of course. Can a woman be a Muslim and be a feminist? Why not? More importantly, who has the right to argue otherwise? Imposing certain beliefs on others, feminist or otherwise, does not seem to benefit anyone. What we could all benefit from is taking Abu-Lughod's words to heart - we all must ask ourselves how we might contribute to making the world a more just place... for everyone.
Nora, I like your take on this article. I think this piece is very well written and gets to some crucial points, which you display in your post. And I agree with your conclusion that one major sentiment that we should all take from this course is the importance of choice, as it applies to nearly every subject we've covered.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Lila Abu-Lughod’s article occasionally seems to take points a bit too far or exaggerate on certain subjects, for the most part I found her piece extremely interesting. In particular, I was especially intrigued by her analysis of the veil within the Muslim world. The author identifies this article of clothing as “the ultimate sign of the oppression of Afghan women under the Taliban-and-the-terrorists” (785) to the average American citizen. While there are obviously exceptions to every rule, our culture generally regards the veil as a symbol of blatant gender inequality. Abu-Lughod challenges us to dismantle our common misconception of the veil by providing a brief description and history behind it. Rather than preventing women from expressing their identity or personality, the veil has traditionally been used as a means of preserving a woman’s morality and purity. “The burqa,” Abu-Lughod asserts, “in many settings marked the symbolic separation of men’s and women’s spheres, as part of the general association of women with family and home, not with public space where strangers mingled” (785). I question if this fact make wearing a veil or burqa more acceptable to our culture? It seems as though this difference in apparel would still deter an individual from crossing between the spheres of men and women. What if a woman wanted to participate within the other sex’s daily activities? Because the burqa maintains such a deep traditional value within Muslim culture (among others), people are less likely to act in a non-conformist manner.
ReplyDeleteThough I found issues with Abu-Lughod’s first explanation and justification of the veil, I found the author’s analogies to be far more effective in supporting her point. “Why are we surprised that Afghan women do not throw off their burqas when we know perfectly well that it would not be appropriate to wear shorts to the opera?” Tradition encourages us to maintain certain practices or customs that we may not even consciously recognize ourselves. I thought this was Abu-Lughod’s strongest point, however I still question several aspects of this point. For example, both men and women in our society know not to wear revealing clothing to the opera, for example, out of respect. Is it fair that only women are expected to wear a burqa when entering a public area? Further, are men faced with the same expectations of maintaining a “pure” image within the Muslim culture? While I think it is imperative, as the author points out, to observe foreign traditions without an ethnocentric mentality, I also believe we should continue to question and challenge instances of potential oppression.