From PolicyMic
by Lauren Rankin
The Biggest Lie You’ve Been Told About the Oppression Of Muslim Women
Over the weekend, prolific writer Joyce Carol Oates joined the fray of those who characterize Islam as inherently evil or misogynist with a series of rapidly criticized tweets indicting Islam as bearing responsibility for the rape of women in Egypt. Yet again, Islam is essentialized, demonized, and stereotyped as a violent and misogynistic faith, one from which Muslim women need to be saved. But no matter the rhetoric within which it shrouds itself, make no mistake: this is Islamophobia, a form of racism, and it does nothing to solve the problems of violence against women and patriarchal domination in general, because Islam is not the cause.
Let’s make something clear: the sexual harassment and rape of women in Egypt (as it is anywhere) is horrendous and unacceptable. Clearly, something is at play here, if that many women report being sexually harassed. I just don’t think that “something” is Islam. If it was, sexual harassment and rape would be limited to Muslim countries and communities. But as we well know, that is simply not true. Rape, sexual harassment, and violence against women are not isolated to a particular faith, but instead, they exist in every country, religion, and community that is patriarchal. The problem is not Islam; the problem is patriarchy.
Joyce Carol Oates conveniently left out the cases of sexual harassment, rape, and violence against women that exist in other faiths. She made no mention of the the Catholic Church, which has been embroiled in a worldwide scandal for the last decade in which priests sexually abused children and were often protected by the Church’s leadership. She said nothing of evangelical Christian leaders who openly endorse marital rape. She didn’t reference the community of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn, NY ostracized and belittled the victims of sexual abuse, rather than the rabbi who abused them. Sexual violence is not particular to Islam. It’s part and parcel of many religious sects that are violent and patriarchal in their expressions.
Islam is a favorite target of liberals and conservatives alike. From state bills banning Sharia Law (like the one in North Carolina that is now being used as a prop for an omnibus anti-abortion bill) to liberal comedian Bill Maher claiming that Islam is a uniquely violent religion, Islam is an easy target for ridicule and demonization. Because Islamophobia is a form of racism, a means ofessentializing a group based on certain characteristics, it defies political ideology and runs through every political party and faction in America. Racism does not split on party lines.
