Because if we don’t nothing will change. If we don’t speak for ourselves, someone else will speak for us.

We can’t live in the fear of being criticized, condemned, our words being twisted, or ignored because if we do that then we are submissive to our fears of humans and not to Allah.

I don’t think that the answer to talking about this case is by comparing it to ills in western societies. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t talk about those issues as well but the issues need to be addressed separately. The minute we start comparing the two societies we are minimizing the seriousness of both subjects and making it us vs. them.

As an American, I have issues in the way we as Americans dismiss the seriousness and commonality of physical abuse of women. As a Muslim I have issues with the way women are treated in some Islamic countries and even within western Muslim communities. I can’t defend either of those injustices but if I were to combine the two subjects, inadvertently I would be supporting them both by clouding each issue.

I don’t know if any of that makes sense to anyone ..

It strikes me that there are two main problems: First, that the majority of the non-Muslim world is unfamiliar with Muslims and Islam and they easily latch onto the Orientalist ideas available constantly in books, television, news, etc. These enforce the idea that Muslims and Muslim countries are backwards, ignorant, and barbaric, all because of Islam. It’s rare to hear a news piece that doesn’t (directly or indirectly) show Islam as the problem. Terrorism on the rise in Indonesia? It’s because of increased role of Islam. Restrictions on dress in Malaysia? It’s the Islamic party. So the public equates Islam with general oppression – oppression of women, suppression of civil liberties, lack of freedom of speech, etc. – and other problems that need Western, secular solutions. When women speak out against sexism in Muslim communities or countries, the non-Muslim reaction is that this is yet another example of that screwed-up religion, Islam.

Second, there’s the tendency of the Muslim communities in countries like the United States to brush aside the idea of oppression in Islam. It’s easy to say, “No, women are elevated in Islam” and “The prophet Muhammad was actually a feminist” and ignore the fact these statements are NOT the prevailing view when women’s rights are curtailed under “Islamic law.”

I think we, and I mean everyone, have to go beyond this binary. I wish non-Muslims were more educated about Islam and aware of the incredible diversity within the religion and its history. It’s not just that standard image today: the women hidden in black chadors, who lack political, economic, and social rights. Going past Orientalism (Geraldine Brooks’s book is one example of how not to learn about Muslim women) is key. I totally agree with what you said about people thinking themselves experts on Islam once they’ve seen one article or TV special. Awareness is both important for non-Muslims and for Muslims. For those of us living in countries where lashing of rape victims doesn’t occur, it’s essential to recognize that such things do happen. Not every woman chooses to wear the hijab. (There was a post a few weeks earlier condemning the article by a woman forced by her father to wear the hijab. The anger towards the woman, for writing a story that wasn’t “I choose the hijab and I love it” was disturbing.) If all Western Muslims do is say, “No, you’ve got it wrong… Islam is good for women!” while pretending not to hear stories of abuse of Muslim women, those words mean nothing. Progress isn’t going to be made. When restrictions of rights and cruel punishments are justified as adhering to Islam, this said by the Muslim leaders (even religious clerics) of the country, a great number of Muslims and non-Muslims agree: This is part of Islam. That makes it even more important to not ignore these occurrences. Whether or not it’s right, it HAS become a part of Islam.

The bottom line is that it’s neither as simple as “Islam bad, West good” nor “Islam good, West bad.” And for that, education and dialogue are essential.