Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on VAWAG is a fucking disgrace

I agree, and I find it so worrying. We are talking Nazi levels of open hatred, directed at anyone Jewish, anywhere in the world.

Violence committed by Muslims is apparently nothing to worry about. Do we seriously think that the massacres in Nigeria, Syria and Sudan haven't involved rape on a massive scale?

100% agree with this.

Men using sexual violence against women and girls is (sadly) an eternal human universal. This is really not rocket science.

I'm so disappointed in Reem Alsalem and by the whataboutery and denial on this thread.

The depth of anti-semitism still whacks me in the face even two years after the pogrom. Term Alaskan has certainly shown where the main sympathies of the world institutions lie … misogyny and antisemitism.

They have.

Lest we forget the Red Army systematically raped hundreds of German women when they entered Berlin. I remembered some enraptured, captivated Communist woman eulogising about the defeat of Fascism by the wonderful Red Army. Should have been called the Rape Army. Men have always done this in war.

'Dr Cochav Elkayam Levy, Chair of The Civil Commission on Oct. 7th Crimes Against Women and Children, has said “We’ll never know everything that has happened to them. We know that most women who were raped and who were sexually assaulted were also murdered.'

The report I link to upthread, from a UK APPG, details extensive evidence of sexual violence, rape, torture, on October the 7th, for those who require it.

Whereas Hamas has loads of credibility, obvs. Anyone hiding behind political issues to pretend that brutal sexual violence didn’t happen during this terrorist attack is beneath contempt.

Yes, my thoughts exactly.

I feel a bit filthy just reading that.

I've absolutely no idea who is being referred to here-

"Alsalem details how the lie that Israel spun regarding the alleged rapes of Israeli women on 7 October has been completely debunked by an independent body, while noting that the widespread evidence documenting Israel’s pattern of sexual violence towards Palestinian men and women has been completely ignored by Western media and governments."

It's as if she can accept and condemn the rapes of all women apart from Israeli women.

Also appalled.

She's not beating the whataboutery allegations.

the incoherence of Western feminism that parrots the debunked reports

Can't have rapes without an unrelated male (non Jewish in this case) confirming he witnessed it?

I tend to think the assumption that anyone supporting Israeli women victims of VAWG would not also stand with Palestinain women is telling, tbh. It's indicative of a tribalist way of framing the issue.

Absolutely this. I neither deny or minimise the violence of Israeli men towards Palestinian women.

As a pp said, I do think she has a huge blind spot, and she is by no means the only feminist who I admire for their other work who has.

And fwiw, I feel compassion for any woman who is a victim of rape or violence. Palestinian, Israeli, whatever. As does any sane person.

Text from the substack she links to:

'Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, joins Heather Brunskell-Evans and Julian Vigo to discuss her mission as United Nations Special Rapporteur and the consequences, changing dimensions, and the greater challenges of her role. Responding to the criticism she has received for her views on gender ideology, on the one hand, and criticisms by feminists who view women in hijab as less deserving of human rights protections, Alsalem relates how occupation and colonialism impacts this demographic quite differently as she notes how both the degradation of women in hijab and women who “identify as men” are similarly rendered invisible through the very ideologies that pretend to speak for them. Alsalem tackles the divisive issue of the alleged rapes claimed by the Israeli government and legacy media on 7 October 2023 and the incoherence of Western feminism that parrots the debunked reports while simultaneously egging on a genocide. Analysing the report by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC), Alsalem underscores how the mandate for this report was not investigative noting that a later investigation, undertaken by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry in June 2024, issued a report that clearly states that it “has not been able to independently verify such allegations, due to a lack of access to victims, witnesses and crime sites and the obstruction of its investigations by the Israeli authorities.” Alsalem details how the lie that Israel spun regarding the alleged rapes of Israeli women on 7 October has been completely debunked by an independent body, while noting that the widespread evidence documenting Israel’s pattern of sexual violence towards Palestinian men and women has been completely ignored by Western media and governments.'

My question is: Why the constant addition of 'alleged' when discussing rapes of Israeli women, yet no addition of 'alleged' when discussing Israeli violence?

I am appalled, tbh.

She has posted more:

'My statement is again being deliberately misrepresented. I had recently spoken at length on the reported sexual violence, including rape on and since 7 October in this podcast interview here: https://savageminds.substack.com/p/reem-alsalem
The misinformation machine has been at it for two years. Already in December 2023, i had to put the record straight in this right of reply to Haaretz:

While I and others are called the most heinous names, none of our accusers, including feminists, have explained how and why their stand with Israeli victims cannot not hold space for recognizing and calling out the violence inflicted on Palestinian women. If all women are equal, why are Palestinian women’s experiences as victims of violence ignored? Why not extend the same solidarity?'

Exactly. It is a disgrace. And the fact that some women deny it and not just men. Despicable. That was why I was so disappointed in Filia this year.

Abhorrent post. And given the context, absolutely unacceptable.

Reported my post ☺️

Apology appreciated. As I'm a little concerned that a casual reader might assume I had said those things and had my post removed, would it be possible for you to ask for this to be deleted?

I was shocked by all the whataboutery about it, from women I agree with on pretty much everything else.

Quite. Someone seems to think we need her permission to talk about it. If you don’t want to read the thread, @IwantToRetire then maybe scroll on by. But these issues are going to be discussed whether you like it or not.

Apols. This should have been for @moofolk. Its deleted now unsurprisingly.