Don't you understand you are talking about our husbands, brothers, fathers. These are random people to you, but when you smear Muslim men so casually you are insulting our loved ones.

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Nowhere is he "smearing" all Muslim men. He's positing the argument that a patriarchal, gynophobic interpretation of Islam (and it doesn't take much of a stretch to interpret Islam in that way--nearly every Islamic state does so at present) lies at the core of violent Islamic extremism. I think he is absolutely right in pointing this out. Do you think he's wrong to do so, or wrong from first premises? Either way, by all means make your case.

His argument has nothing to do with "all Muslim men," your relatives, or any of the many Muslim men whom you assume are "random people to me." Interesting.

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[www.islamophobia-watch.com]

I don't need to make my case to the likes of you, I'm fully aware of your viewpoints on Islam from your previous comments.

Why should one fifth of the world have to justify itself?

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That's an appropriate role for non-governmental organizations and various advocacy and charity groups, but not really for government itself, which has to work through the other side's government or face serious problems.

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And Islam does seem to be interpreted more and more against women. Why is that?

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Why? Because I was not wearing a hijab. I made an effort to cover up, shawls, long sleeves, the whole shebang. It was too hot at one point, though, so I took off my sweater, which left me in a tank top with no cleavage whatsoever. COMMENCE THE EYE RAPING. I blew up one guy who had the audacity to whistle and bully me. I think he'll remember that.

The lesson? Men in Islam are taught they are pigs and need to be protected from womanly wiles. Thus: lock away the women.

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Also the fact that you think that all women who dress like "beekeepers" are forced to by men is disturbing, as unlikely as it seems to you some of them have made that choice themselves.

The way women are treated in the streets in Egypt is a huge problem but, it's really not Islam's fault.

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@divine booty: No, it's really not Islam's fault. It's the way Islam is taught that causes problems. I don't know when they decided that, hey! Oppressing women is fun! Let's dig up something from the Qu'ran, totally yank it from its original context, and legitimize it using our version of the Qu'ran verses.

I realize not every woman is forced into wearing a hijab, but when it's so extreme that the women are even wearing gloves, you start wondering. Also, what is the correct word for "kaftan?" That's the only word I knew and it's probably a rotten German translation for the original word.

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And what's working to change it is largely tourism dollars, not political pressure. First world women expect to travel where-ever men go, and they expect to do it safely and with reasonable equality. Egypt has kick-ass tourist sites, but if women don't feel safe, that's going to chomp a huge chunk out of their tourism revenue.

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And those saying how nice and understanding their husbands are, well mine is too and not only is he Muslim, he was born and raised in the Middle East.

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I'm willing to bet Egyptian feminism asserts itself as simply as more women attending mosques or even just not wearing a headscarf. The most radical I've heard of was one Egyptian news anchor appearing on television without her hijab (thus showing all her bruises to the public) as part of her campaign for a divorce from her husband and trying to encourage women not to tolerate abuse.

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@PilgrimSoul: Why let facts get in the way?

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No religion was, originally, super friendly towards women. Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, anything really was reclaimed by women through their own effort. The Qu'ran is interpreted to the advantage of men; if women learn about their own religion, though, and become knowledgeable, that gives them the intellectual basis for change.

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@stacyinbean: I saw a lot of girls in school uniforms while I was in Egypt, though. So here's to hope. *crosses fingers*

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@J.D.Regent: Actually, a lot of the women I spent time with in Cairo did not wear the hijab at all. I was told that it is more of a cultural thing than a religious thing at this point. Apparently, 20 years ago fewer women in Cairo wore the hijab than they do today. This could be interpreted in a number of ways, but it is interesting to note.

@musicpup is worth twenty camels: I'm not sure it's fair to say that women in Egypt have been indoctrinated to serve men. Perhaps this is true in some parts of Egypt or in other Islamic nations, but from what I can tell with my own personal experience in Egypt and my Egyptian boyfriend's family's experience, women in Egypt are fairly similar to women here in North America.

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one of the differences in East v West style of feminism is that most muslim women are not even allowed to choose their own husbands. I recently read an article which stated that a woman was put to death, PUT TO DEATH! because she dared to attempt to have a say in the decision of choosing a husband. Also, they have to contend with tremendous poverty and illiteracy.

recently, i went into a deli in New Jersey that's next to my gym, owned by an Egyptian. I was sitting there at a table, with a mouthful of pita, minding my own business, when this worker I had never seen before just lounges at me and kisses my neck. I complained to the owner, but later, when discussing arranged marriages with him, I said that one of the negatives is that if one is forced to marry someone who is abusive then you are stuck in a horrific situation for the rest of your life. His response is that a man would never hit a woman, unless she provokes him. Ugggghh

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