This was written by Vanessa, and originally published at Feministing.
When you thought Western culture couldn’t be more patronizing towards women from Muslim nations, their victimization and “powerlessness” might as well come with some infantalization to top it off:
Saudi Arabian women have fewer rights than infants in the West, a report released today claims.
The important thing about this condescension is that their lack of rights are compared to the West, specifically liberated Western babies. (Whatever that means.)
The (not-so) funny thing about the headline is that the report by Human Rights Watch doesn’t seem to mention anything about Saudi women having fewer rights that Western children. Could they have covered the fact that some women have to gain permission from their sons to travel? Or that Saudi authorities treat adult women like legal minors? This is a blatant misrepresentation of research that addresses some serious issues.
At the same time, Zoheir al-Harithi, spokesman for Saudi’s Human Rights Commission, says that the report didn’t focus on productive efforts to improve the situation as well as confused tradition with state policy. “We agree with some points and we are working on that as a commission for the government, but we don’t agree with the generalisation.”
You can download the full report, Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia, here.
Editor’s Note: While many of Feministing’s commenters didn’t seem to agree with Vanessa’s analysis, there were a few bright spots (sending love to Tara K.). We agree with Vanessa’s analysis: comparing Saudi Arabian women to infants in the West is offensive and problematic because it sends that tired message of, “Look how oppressed those Muslim women are. Saaaaaaaaad.” This message reinforces the cultural superiority complex of Western thinking which leads to things like colonization and “bringing democracy” to Iraq. Comparing Saudi women to western infants does not offer any constructive dialogue, and merely insults.
Salaam Alaikum,
Thanks for posting this. I wouldn’t have read it otherwise, because the ‘feminist’ brand of Islamophobia saddens me deeply. It’s good to see some changes are happening, especially in light of Feministing’s recent pledges of WOC and minority issues.
Enthusiastically agreed – what bullshit.
Beyond reinforcing the problematic idea that Muslim women are oh-so-oppressed and need to be saved, the title reinforces the condescending attitude toward women that exists to create the need for a human rights report anyway. Titling it “perpetual minors” is wildly insulting to the women it purports to advocate for. Most people are not going to want to use a report that infantilizes them to their own advantage, so the whole project ends up doing harm as it purports to do good.
Thanks for the love! While I got out majority of my rant over at Feministing in that comment, I do want to say that their other comments don’t represent all Western feminists. I get really frustrated with how often other feminists DO operate under an agenda too close to that of the media.
Sometimes I think it’s most important – and probably most difficult – to remember that change is a slow machine, whether it take place in government or in a people’s mind.
Sites like this, though, are so important for broadening awareness, even to those who aren’t supposed to need it. And while majority of the comments at Feministing were disappointingly close-minded, there is achievement in the very discussion itself, something we’ve seen little of before.
Well said, and thanks for the love!
While the comments over at Feministing were, to say the least, disappointing, there is signifigance in the very presence of the discussion. The discussion of slanderous and ignorant media coverage is a young one for many women, and we must recognize that it is in itself an achievement, one for which sites like Muslimah Mediawatch have helped create broader knowledge. Also, as that discussion becomes more prominent, so will American feminsts’ awareness, along with the rest of the world.
I don’t want to repeat my comments from Feministing, but I agree that the article is disgusting and insulting to the intelligence of Saudi women. It not only demeans them to children and/or to their legal status, but also speaks none to their constant achievements today.
I am waiting to see the headline, “West benefits more from Saudi oil money than Arabs and Muslims.”
But I won’t be holding my breath.
[...] Muslimah Media Watch tackled the issue of how women in KSA are treated like legal minors. Zoheir al-Harithi, spokesman for Saudi’s Human Rights Commission, says that the report didn’t focus on productive efforts to improve the situation as well as confused tradition with state policy. “We agree with some points and we are working on that as a commission for the government, but we don’t agree with the generalisation.” [...]