Majority of women if Afgan jails there for being victims of rape

[Monkeytrousers]

Glad the mainstream press have finally picked up on this

MT - I honestly have not seen anyone on this thread saying that anything under discussion mitigates the treatment of women in Afghanistan - or, for example, Saudi Arabia (where this issue has actually received considerable coverage recently).

But I think that it is reasonable to consider that some forms of intervention do not always have the intended result...a lesson still not learned - but one the women of RAWA refer to when they say "democracy cannot be 'donated" but must come from the people - the revolutionary, rather than liberal, approach. Of course the Taliban, and now the Northern Alliance and the Gvt are responsible - directly responsible - for the treatment they mete out to women...but we should no let our gvt pretend that the war on Terror was in support of women's rights...and especially that women's lives have improved since intervention. None of that would be in the service of the women.

NO Blu, to some it has simply been ignored completely as the context of the discussion. And an arguments without context is no argument at all. But I have to work today.

There are many things to peruse on here

It's polemical. The site is a feminist one, so that is it's context. Feminist polemics. I don't mind adding at all to the polemics, that's what I''ve done here. Polemics are a wonderful tool to get things moving and people motivated.

I'm glad that MT posted this, as it's something that I was unaware of.

I'm absolutely that this has degenerated into a point-scoring exercise, missing the point entirely that this is an appalling situation and what if anything can we do about it?

Using the moral equivalency argument (ie 'we' funded the taliban and the new Afghan government therefore 'we' have no right to complain about what they do to their people) is downright weaselly and does nothing to help these poor women.

IS there anything practical that we can do?

Thanks Dittany. Will do.

Oh no - Dittany, I think you misunderstand me. On this issue there is a huge need for feminist polemics, IMHO, anyway.

I have acted on this thread as a feminist polemisist, and if I have skirted dangerously aroud the fringes of political correctness in that role and aroused the ire of a few people for that, then I consider it a job well done and remain unapologietic.

Have you read any Phillis Chesler, Dittany (or anyone)? I can't get away with her particulalry, as she is so progressive when it comes to the tyranny of cultural reletivism, but this pioneering spirit doesn't seem to translate to the rest of her feminism. I can't get over the inconsitancies. But she is interesting.

Sorry- Lovecat, Chesler is a western feminist lobbying for greater female human rights in Islamic states.

Also if you want to help - donate to Ayaan Hirsi Ali's security trust - she is another pioneering Islamic feminist who has many fatwa's on her head for criticising Islam. Here is a link to her story.