WaPo Columnist Blames US Feminists for Oppression of Saudi Women

Posted by Lucinda Marshall, Feminist Peace Network at 7:43 AM on December 19, 2007.

We had so much fun playing the feminist blame game a few weeks ago, that we thought oh what the heck, let's do it again. This week's installment comes from the WaPo's Ann Applebaum who reminds us that the oppression of Saudi women is the fault of American feminists:

"The Web site of the National Organization for Women (I hate to pick on that group, but it's so easy) has space for issues of "non-sexist car insurance" and "network neutrality," but not the Saudi rape victim or the girl murdered last week in Canada for refusing to wear a hijab."

She goes on to tell us that,

"American delegates to international and U.N. women's organizations are mostly identified with arguments about reproductive rights (for or against, depending on the administration), not arguments about the fundamental rights of women in Saudi Arabia or the Muslim world.

Until this changes, it will be hard to mount a campaign, in the manner of the anti-apartheid movement, to enforce sanctions or codes of conduct for people doing business there."

Of course our foreign policy that dictates that the Saudis can do no wrong because they happen to be sitting on our oil is of no consequence and couldn't possibly have anything to do with the subjugation of Saudi women...the thought that underfunded, overworked feminist organizations and activists are responsible every time that a woman is abused would be laughable if it weren't so dangerous.

Tagged as: feminism, women, saudi arabia, washington post

Lucinda Marshall is a feminist artist, writer and activist. She is the Founder of the Feminist Peace Network.