Assignment 10
In the essay of “Do Muslim Women Really Need saving? ” by Lila Abu-Lughod, she points out many factors of the ideas and focuses of what the westerns views and obsesses when it comes to helping Muslim women, she first points out that why do we now have concerns after the events and aftermath of September 11, 2001. Abu-Lughod suggest that one should be skeptical about the focus on the “muslim women” if it begins with the U.S public response. Abu-Lughod is concerned with the views of reporters or modern western feminist, that show they are more focused on the basic issue on women from Afghanistan, the terrible encounters with the Taliban’s or why was they understanding of “culture” of the region and its religious belief and treatment of women was more important than exploring the history of the development of oppression regimes/government in the region and the U.S role in the history of muslim women. Abu-Lughod also points out ‘haunting’ words from the First Lady Laura Bush’s radio would state that towards the issue on the “War on Terrorism” that “Because of our recent military gains in much of Afghanistan, women are no longer imprisoned to their homes. They can listen to music and teach their daughter without fear of punishment. The fight against terrorism is also a fight for their rights and dignity of women” (U.S Government 2002) (2002:784). Abu-Lughod would point out on the politics of the view that since Laura’s Bush would freely say that Afghanistan woman claim their rejoice of liberation, that it was known that the burqa was a sign of oppression on Afghan under the Taliban the women were forced to ear them. But liberals would confess that even after Afghanistan women were liberated from the Taliban, they still wore their burqa, In reality Pashtun one of the several ethnic group in Afghanistan was where the women would wear them when they were outside. The burqa symbolized separation of men and women sphere from the public, an association of women with the family and home wore when outside-where strangers mingled. The burqa would symbolized women who were modest but Aba-Lughod would question why would women become ‘immodest’ if they suddenly did not where their burqa or any form of cover up, which supposedly assured them protection of harassment. Another critique and one of the most important thing is that especially since it has little focus to is that she believes that Afghanistan women should have the right to freedom from violence, global inequality from the ravages of war, enough food to eat, having homes, for their families, make a decent living, education, medicine and so on.
