Yes, I know. The expected subsequent word is “curves,” and I was going to post about having an appointment tomorrow morning to sign up at “Curves for Women” so that I can get myself on an exercise program.
But that was before I checked over at a blog from Saudi Arabia written by an American woman who lives there. If you haven’t found Sand Gets In My Eyes yet, you’re missing out not only on some excellent writing, but even more important, on a perspective on that country that is both honest and personal.
Her post Is Phyllis Chesler Right? is infuriating because it’s so honest, so correct (although not politically), and links over to an even more infuriating article in the Times Online by Chesler entitled How My Eyes Were Opened to the Barbarity of Islam.
Now, I have been a fan of Chesler since I read Women and Madness at a time in my life when I was both mad/angry and wondering if I were going mad/crazy. That book helped to launch me into the heart of feminism.
Just as I can’t understand how savvy, smart women can tolerate the demeaning attitude toward them from the Catholic and other “Christian” churces, I have never been able to understand how anyone with an ounce of humanity in them keep finding excuses for the way women are treated in so many of the Islam-based cultures. I find it infuriating.
And so do Lori of Sand in My Eyes and Chesler of the long list of
publications challenging women to stand up and men to wake up.
I’m not going to quote from either of them here because both of their pieces (see third paragraph above for links) should be read whole.
I continue not to understand why the most “religious” people totally ignore the Golden Rule.