Written by Reem al-Masri
While it was only a 45 minutes talk, Joseph Massad’s lecture “Why we should not study Gender in the Arab world” triggered a discussion that lasted for 3 solid hours. Massaad was very critical of international development NGOs (INGO) rhetoric when it comes to addressing gender rights in the Middle East or Arab world. He described the INGO research and development projects that are done in the name of erasing gender injustices, as Orientalists in their nature, and as a soft form of colonialism that attempt to raise the “child” stage of the Arab world to that “adult” stage of “Western” societies.
Usually, when attempting to analyze factors playing into practices of gender injustices in the region, these organizations attribute it to the “exclusive” nature of the Arab and Muslim culture and neglect the fact that these problems exist world wide including in the advocating country. INGOs develop a discourse where the naming of these social issues is different according to its geographical locations. For example, Massad asks why isn’t there an uproar about the high rates of domestic violence and the crimes of passion in the US similar to that of crimes committed in the name of honor in Jordan although the United States ratio of crimes will beat that of Jordan when compared. He also questions the concern of INGOs with the practice of female genital mutilation in the Middle East and not with that of male mutilation. He argues that while that the act of genital mutilations is similar to females and males (taking out a part of the body without the knowledge or permission of the child), INGOs are still more concerned with the female mutilation. Massad attributes the hypocrisy and exclusive discourses of INGO to their efforts in drawing the crystal clear image of the western role model that the “child” Arab culture should grow into.
Although I agree with Massad that these social issues are not exclusive to the Arab world and exist among the “modern” as well as the “underdeveloped” countries, I was intrigued by Massad’s dismissal of the fact that gender inequalities exacerbates in manifesting itself in every aspect of the society starting with public policy and ending with the responsibilities and roles that the family assigns to men and women. While most discriminatory policies in Jordan laws came from colonial mandates and never changed since then, it should’nt mean that the maintenance of such laws cannot be attributed to some exclusive mentality and cultural conceptions of policy makers. Yes, domestic violence widely exists in the United States, but also fair laws against assaulters and murders exist. The fact that a lot of those who committed a crime in the name of honor in Jordan got away with a reduced sentence and got blessings from the family makes me truly believe that there must be deeply rooted cultural conceptions that make a judge justify a crime just because it was done in the name of “honor”.
Massad mentions that the universalization of human values and rights, makes a lot of Middle Eastern countries at the bottom of the ladder : an excuse to these NGOs to intervene. Massad fails to mention, however, that while the “West” use “gender inequality” as reason for intervention, “protecting women from western immorality” is used by Jordanian parliamentarians to justify maintaining unjust laws. “Women” are used by both, the local and the international in their power struggle as a winning bargain card.
Sometimes I wonder if some unjust laws will never disappear if it isn’t because of this external pressure to comply with international and universal laws? Although I consider myself a manifestation of an extremely cynical person when it comes to “western” development practices, one question that I find myself walking out with was how do we let the study of Orientalism blind our eyes and make us react to what happens in our back yards? How do we stop being passive critics and start looking for alternatives?
It seems to me extraordinary that Joseph Massad equates male and female circumcision without noting that the IMPACT of the cutting is radically different. In many of its forms, the cutting of female genitals includes excision of the clitoris. To many women the clitoris is a primary source of sexual pleasure. Thus, genital cutting can deprive women of pleasure in sexual intercourse. In extreme forms, genital cutting for women includes stitching up the entrance to the vagina – and the subsequent re-cutting on the wedding night. Many women report that this is traumatic. There is no parallel trauma as a result of male circumcision when men are initiated into active sexual practices. The incidence of mortality and morbidity as a result of genital cutting for females is far higher for women than for males. … the list goes on. So.. while there may be all sorts of validity in the debate about gender / orientalism… let’s at least recognise that the process and impact of genital cutting is very different for men and women.
It seems to me extraordinary that Joseph Massad equates male and female circumcision without noting that the IMPACT of the cutting is radically different. In many of its forms, the cutting of female genitals includes excision of the clitoris. To many women the clitoris is a primary source of sexual pleasure. Thus, genital cutting can deprive women of pleasure in sexual intercourse. In extreme forms, genital cutting for women includes stitching up the entrance to the vagina – and the subsequent re-cutting on the wedding night. Many women report that this is traumatic. There is no parallel trauma as a result of male circumcision when men are initiated into active sexual practices. The incidence of mortality and morbidity as a result of genital cutting for females is far higher for women than for males. … the list goes on. So.. while there may be all sorts of validity in the debate about gender / orientalism… let’s at least recognise that the process and impact of genital cutting is very different for men and women.
Sounds like someone who has a stake in keeping women down. Intellectually, his arguments are bankrupt.
Sounds like someone who has a stake in keeping women down. Intellectually, his arguments are bankrupt.
It is important having interdisciplinary forum or a national campaign should be easier to contributes to the understanding of public’s comprehension regarding honor crimes problem, FGM, and gender based violence (GBV)/ Orientalism .. It is getting a fashion in the INGOs in bringing gender equality and women empowerment as tool of solving problem!!!!
For these organizations, it is important to help different organizations that work with domestic cases to understand the society awareness towards women’s services to victims of abuse or using gender casual analysis to improve their programs. Then the organizations will focus in the places where there is no awareness for the organizations’ services and its programs .
The media, particularly journalists with whom links have previously been built up, or who are broadly supportive of the issues involved in gender rights, are a useful conduit to information about pending legislation and parliamentary proceedings.
Such links enable information to flow in two directions: helping activists, through their contacts with journalists and tracking developments of relevance to work on Gender in our societies .
It is important having interdisciplinary forum or a national campaign should be easier to contributes to the understanding of public’s comprehension regarding honor crimes problem, FGM, and gender based violence (GBV)/ Orientalism .. It is getting a fashion in the INGOs in bringing gender equality and women empowerment as tool of solving problem!!!!
For these organizations, it is important to help different organizations that work with domestic cases to understand the society awareness towards women’s services to victims of abuse or using gender casual analysis to improve their programs. Then the organizations will focus in the places where there is no awareness for the organizations’ services and its programs .
The media, particularly journalists with whom links have previously been built up, or who are broadly supportive of the issues involved in gender rights, are a useful conduit to information about pending legislation and parliamentary proceedings.
Such links enable information to flow in two directions: helping activists, through their contacts with journalists and tracking developments of relevance to work on Gender in our societies .
Well said, Reem. I would say ‘use’ aspects Western pressure and an active form of Orientalism to accomplish what you feel needs to be done.
Well said, Reem. I would say ‘use’ aspects Western pressure and an active form of Orientalism to accomplish what you feel needs to be done.
A very pertinent topic, thanks for the post, Reem. Real solutions for gender inequality in the Arab world need to be home grown. Applying western solutions to Arab problems and expecting them to work is naive.
I believe that those advocating for change are neglecting a very powerful tool; raising religious awareness.
If we approach topics from a religious point of view people suddenly become much more perceptive.
A very pertinent topic, thanks for the post, Reem. Real solutions for gender inequality in the Arab world need to be home grown. Applying western solutions to Arab problems and expecting them to work is naive.
I believe that those advocating for change are neglecting a very powerful tool; raising religious awareness.
If we approach topics from a religious point of view people suddenly become much more perceptive.
Thanks for the round-up of the discussion Reem – indeed, ‘women in our part of the world are used as bargaining chips in the power struggle both by international as well as local actors’ – brilliantly said.
and to answer your questions (or to attempt to do so briefly) we need to recognize that human rights accords are meant to be universal declarations of shared values – not a scale on which local performance needs to be ‘critiqued’. All countries, including Middle eastern countries, should be able to attain the humanistic values underpinning these accords on their own, using their local discourses, and their specific social/cultural/historic values.
Here, I do not blame international organizations for enforcing the language of the accords as much as I blame local activists for blindly adopting them for ‘easy access’ rather than searching for parallel discourses that are socially sensitive.
The Egyptian scholar Sheikh al-Tahtawi was once dispatched by Muhammad Ali to France for 7 years to assess French enlightment and see what benefits the European reinessance can have on Egyptian society. His conclusion was that Western ideas of liberty and freedom already had their counterpart in Islamic philosophy:
“…just as the French, and mroe generally Wetsterners, thought of good goverment and bad government as freedom and slavery, so Muslims conceived of them as justice and injustice” (quoted in Lewis 2005).
We are not children who need to be taught to become adults ala the Western paradigm, but we do need to re-engage with our past, reclaim our humanism, and grow from there.
Thanks for the round-up of the discussion Reem – indeed, ‘women in our part of the world are used as bargaining chips in the power struggle both by international as well as local actors’ – brilliantly said.
and to answer your questions (or to attempt to do so briefly) we need to recognize that human rights accords are meant to be universal declarations of shared values – not a scale on which local performance needs to be ‘critiqued’. All countries, including Middle eastern countries, should be able to attain the humanistic values underpinning these accords on their own, using their local discourses, and their specific social/cultural/historic values.
Here, I do not blame international organizations for enforcing the language of the accords as much as I blame local activists for blindly adopting them for ‘easy access’ rather than searching for parallel discourses that are socially sensitive.
The Egyptian scholar Sheikh al-Tahtawi was once dispatched by Muhammad Ali to France for 7 years to assess French enlightment and see what benefits the European reinessance can have on Egyptian society. His conclusion was that Western ideas of liberty and freedom already had their counterpart in Islamic philosophy:
“…just as the French, and mroe generally Wetsterners, thought of good goverment and bad government as freedom and slavery, so Muslims conceived of them as justice and injustice” (quoted in Lewis 2005).
We are not children who need to be taught to become adults ala the Western paradigm, but we do need to re-engage with our past, reclaim our humanism, and grow from there.
@ winkie, I found that a distorted parallel as well.
@ RTS: I don’t think keeping women down is his aim. Massad tries to draw parallels between social injustices happening both in the “west” and the “east” to break the stereotype that it is culturally exclusive to our part of the world. He is trying to shed the light on the political agendas behind INGOs which is something that we definitely need to understand to stray away from being dependent on them to solve our problems. They are also not looking in their backyards as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/opinion/08herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
@ Moamer and Deena, he who doesn’t have it , cannot offer it (فاقد الشىء لا يعطيه ) but this still makes me wonder if I should wait years,decades for things to change from within at least in terms of policies (not only gender related but also, torture in prisons and freedom of the speech) or just wish for a quick stronger enforcement of universal laws?
Recognizing that these problems exist universally is very important, but yes we need to identify and acknowledge the local context and the factors behind these practices/laws – that contradict with our heritage and religion – in order to be able to come with a homegrown solution.
@ winkie, I found that a distorted parallel as well.
@ RTS: I don’t think keeping women down is his aim. Massad tries to draw parallels between social injustices happening both in the “west” and the “east” to break the stereotype that it is culturally exclusive to our part of the world. He is trying to shed the light on the political agendas behind INGOs which is something that we definitely need to understand to stray away from being dependent on them to solve our problems. They are also not looking in their backyards as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/opinion/08herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
@ Moamer and Deena, he who doesn’t have it , cannot offer it (فاقد الشىء لا يعطيه ) but this still makes me wonder if I should wait years,decades for things to change from within at least in terms of policies (not only gender related but also, torture in prisons and freedom of the speech) or just wish for a quick stronger enforcement of universal laws?
Recognizing that these problems exist universally is very important, but yes we need to identify and acknowledge the local context and the factors behind these practices/laws – that contradict with our heritage and religion – in order to be able to come with a homegrown solution.
Deena –
I’d be very wary of ANYONE that quotes from Lewis. He is a dangerous ‘academic’ and his work should be taken with a large grain of salt.
“Bernard Lewis hasn’t set foot in the Middle East, in the Arab world, for at least 40 years. He knows something about Turkey, I’m told, but he knows nothing about the Arab world.” – Edward Said
Edward Said considered that Lewis treats Islam as a monolithic entity without the nuance of its plurality, internal dynamics, and historical complexities, and accused him of “demagogy and downright ignorance.”
As for the human rights accords, they only work if everyone is considered human. Where were the human rights in Congo? El Salvador? What about Afghanistan? Iraq I and II? Lebanon 2006? Gaza?See, universal declarations would be useful, if us brown people counted as HUMANS. But we don’t, so I don’t really see the universality of the declarations.
I agree that we need to re-engage our past, but comparing ourselves to a Eurocentric measuring stick is downright offensive to our collective past.
Its not just about where the idea came from, but also what the idea is. Liberty and justice are defined by a system of laws and rules that White Men created. They benefit white males, specifically, and whites in general. Until we tackle racism, i take serious issue with western liberalism. it erases differences and flattens everything out. we need to embrace our differences not seek to make us all equal.
@Moamer I think two things would happen: 1. religious folks would respond, and 2. non-religious people would immediately shut down.
divide and conquer as the colonialist used (still?) to say.
Deena –
I’d be very wary of ANYONE that quotes from Lewis. He is a dangerous ‘academic’ and his work should be taken with a large grain of salt.
“Bernard Lewis hasn’t set foot in the Middle East, in the Arab world, for at least 40 years. He knows something about Turkey, I’m told, but he knows nothing about the Arab world.” – Edward Said
Edward Said considered that Lewis treats Islam as a monolithic entity without the nuance of its plurality, internal dynamics, and historical complexities, and accused him of “demagogy and downright ignorance.”
As for the human rights accords, they only work if everyone is considered human. Where were the human rights in Congo? El Salvador? What about Afghanistan? Iraq I and II? Lebanon 2006? Gaza?See, universal declarations would be useful, if us brown people counted as HUMANS. But we don’t, so I don’t really see the universality of the declarations.
I agree that we need to re-engage our past, but comparing ourselves to a Eurocentric measuring stick is downright offensive to our collective past.
Its not just about where the idea came from, but also what the idea is. Liberty and justice are defined by a system of laws and rules that White Men created. They benefit white males, specifically, and whites in general. Until we tackle racism, i take serious issue with western liberalism. it erases differences and flattens everything out. we need to embrace our differences not seek to make us all equal.
@Moamer I think two things would happen: 1. religious folks would respond, and 2. non-religious people would immediately shut down.
divide and conquer as the colonialist used (still?) to say.
@ Remsey – completely agree on Lewis – this wasn’t his idea it was Tahtawi’s idea which he quoted. I don’t have Tahtawi’s original so I quoted Lewis quoting him (not paraphrasing, quoting).
Lewis went on to discredit Tahtawi’s opinion based on the fact that whilst some Islamic scholars find ‘grandeur ways of ‘making excuses’ for Islam’s inability to adapt’ to what he believes is civilization. That was me paraphrasing Lewis, so I obviously do not endorse his position.
Just wanted to explain that it was not Lewis’s views I was endorsing, but Sheikh Tahtawi’s.
But by endorsing Tahtawi’s views I also disagree with you coupling liberalism together with justice as a ‘white man’s system’. The idea of creating a just society finds resonance in Islamic scripture, history, philosophy, as well as our Mesopotamian past. That was my reasoning behind the need for a local discourse that is based on ‘social justice’ rather than ‘gender equality’.
@ Remsey – completely agree on Lewis – this wasn’t his idea it was Tahtawi’s idea which he quoted. I don’t have Tahtawi’s original so I quoted Lewis quoting him (not paraphrasing, quoting).
Lewis went on to discredit Tahtawi’s opinion based on the fact that whilst some Islamic scholars find ‘grandeur ways of ‘making excuses’ for Islam’s inability to adapt’ to what he believes is civilization. That was me paraphrasing Lewis, so I obviously do not endorse his position.
Just wanted to explain that it was not Lewis’s views I was endorsing, but Sheikh Tahtawi’s.
But by endorsing Tahtawi’s views I also disagree with you coupling liberalism together with justice as a ‘white man’s system’. The idea of creating a just society finds resonance in Islamic scripture, history, philosophy, as well as our Mesopotamian past. That was my reasoning behind the need for a local discourse that is based on ‘social justice’ rather than ‘gender equality’.
@ Ramsey – ok went back to the original text (not my notes) and found that Lewis had paraphrased Tahtawi not quoted him. just wanted to point that out so i don’t come off as misleading 🙂
also feel i need to point out i do not endorse all of Tahtawi’s views (as my above comment may have suggested, i just found his idea on the discourse of justice as opposed to western liberalism interesting). his entire documentation of his paris stay has been published in al-rihlah / the journey.
@ Ramsey – ok went back to the original text (not my notes) and found that Lewis had paraphrased Tahtawi not quoted him. just wanted to point that out so i don’t come off as misleading 🙂
also feel i need to point out i do not endorse all of Tahtawi’s views (as my above comment may have suggested, i just found his idea on the discourse of justice as opposed to western liberalism interesting). his entire documentation of his paris stay has been published in al-rihlah / the journey.
I must say this I agree with Massad ,he has written extensively on this subject and some of your readers don’t know much about him or his brilliant work
Let me remind your readers about the advancement of women rights in the Arab world during and after the post colonial periods,for example ,,in the early 1950s women movement especially the left leaning parties were much stronger and made tremendous stride and changes but contrary to to that, the west opted to support the most reactionary government in the Arab world especially Saudi Arabia, Jordan Morocco and most of the tiny Gulf States that enacted the most reactionary laws to suppress both women and men at the same time .
I must say this I agree with Massad ,he has written extensively on this subject and some of your readers don’t know much about him or his brilliant work
Let me remind your readers about the advancement of women rights in the Arab world during and after the post colonial periods,for example ,,in the early 1950s women movement especially the left leaning parties were much stronger and made tremendous stride and changes but contrary to to that, the west opted to support the most reactionary government in the Arab world especially Saudi Arabia, Jordan Morocco and most of the tiny Gulf States that enacted the most reactionary laws to suppress both women and men at the same time .
@Deena I would be very interested in looking at Tahtawi’s texts. Do you know where or if it is available in Jordan? Is it found in English and Arabic?
Wasn’t trying to say that Islamic scripture doesn’t have a system of justice. It has a very strong and just system. So does Christianity in fact. But the problem isn’t with Islam, as Lewis likes to tell us. The problem happened during French enlightenment when they decided to say that they were all of a sudden secular, and extracted their system of justice, laws, etc from Christianity. But what is denied is that this system is basic on a system of Christian texts. Attempts of claiming secular are baseless in my opinion.
I am not well read enough on Islamic and pre-Islamic thought on justice, equality, etc. So it is difficult for me to comment. But I would find it very odd if these thousands of years of civilization that didn’t produce anything of the like. From my childlike knowledge, I know there were many philosopher debating these very questions.
However, I do know from my studies that Greeks and Romans were influenced by Eastern scholars. Very interesting stuff.
@Deena I would be very interested in looking at Tahtawi’s texts. Do you know where or if it is available in Jordan? Is it found in English and Arabic?
Wasn’t trying to say that Islamic scripture doesn’t have a system of justice. It has a very strong and just system. So does Christianity in fact. But the problem isn’t with Islam, as Lewis likes to tell us. The problem happened during French enlightenment when they decided to say that they were all of a sudden secular, and extracted their system of justice, laws, etc from Christianity. But what is denied is that this system is basic on a system of Christian texts. Attempts of claiming secular are baseless in my opinion.
I am not well read enough on Islamic and pre-Islamic thought on justice, equality, etc. So it is difficult for me to comment. But I would find it very odd if these thousands of years of civilization that didn’t produce anything of the like. From my childlike knowledge, I know there were many philosopher debating these very questions.
However, I do know from my studies that Greeks and Romans were influenced by Eastern scholars. Very interesting stuff.
I find this article as well as the different comments refreshing, thanks everyone!
We do have an impressive past that should be taken into consideration it is true. Our social and cultural specificities are of the utmost importance if “we” are to be understood by “them”… Fair enough. However, I think it would also be refreshing if we could stop drawing paralels as disregardful as the ones we criticise with nationalistic verve! I would be pleased to see us taking criticism (even if inconsiderate of our middle-age greatness) as holding agendas set to undermind us. I think we have the capacity to refute unbased criticism with scientific demarch, instead of revamping our yea-old slogans.
After reading what I just wrote I find out that I also strayed away from the main issue of concern here… Gender equality! Finally, I find it sad to open a conference with what we should “not” study in the arab world.
And yes… Comparing male circumsition (an act of empowerment, boy to man) and excision (degrading act, girl to powerless object), comme on!
Thank you Reem
I find this article as well as the different comments refreshing, thanks everyone!
We do have an impressive past that should be taken into consideration it is true. Our social and cultural specificities are of the utmost importance if “we” are to be understood by “them”… Fair enough. However, I think it would also be refreshing if we could stop drawing paralels as disregardful as the ones we criticise with nationalistic verve! I would be pleased to see us taking criticism (even if inconsiderate of our middle-age greatness) as holding agendas set to undermind us. I think we have the capacity to refute unbased criticism with scientific demarch, instead of revamping our yea-old slogans.
After reading what I just wrote I find out that I also strayed away from the main issue of concern here… Gender equality! Finally, I find it sad to open a conference with what we should “not” study in the arab world.
And yes… Comparing male circumsition (an act of empowerment, boy to man) and excision (degrading act, girl to powerless object), comme on!
Thank you Reem
Glad that Massad clears out this misunderstanding, which was actually the core of the post-lecture discussion as most of us were not happy with the parallel.
http://ikbis.com/7iber/shot/193232
Masaad was only focused on attributing “intervention” as the only reason behind INGOs’ concern of female genital mutilation over the male one, although, as he said in the lecture and repeated in his response, “are similar in a way”. His recognition of the medical and physical differences between both acts was missing from his argument in the lecture. In general, while Massad’s criticism stand place, he takes an easy way out through simplifying terms of what transpires and creates a simple west against east dichotomy that fails to capture the entire nuance, or the local politics that also use same cards.
Glad that Massad clears out this misunderstanding, which was actually the core of the post-lecture discussion as most of us were not happy with the parallel.
http://ikbis.com/7iber/shot/193232
Masaad was only focused on attributing “intervention” as the only reason behind INGOs’ concern of female genital mutilation over the male one, although, as he said in the lecture and repeated in his response, “are similar in a way”. His recognition of the medical and physical differences between both acts was missing from his argument in the lecture. In general, while Massad’s criticism stand place, he takes an easy way out through simplifying terms of what transpires and creates a simple west against east dichotomy that fails to capture the entire nuance, or the local politics that also use same cards.
“Comparing male circumsition (an act of empowerment, boy to man) and excision (degrading act, girl to powerless object), comme on!”
I think this summarizes it for me … the whole discussion here is trying to say We are and were better and they are bad … boo
I wish i can think as simplistically and I don’t get what was done to gender equality in the arab world in the past 100 years ? from what i experience i only see it getting worse and you people are cheering for that ?
“Comparing male circumsition (an act of empowerment, boy to man) and excision (degrading act, girl to powerless object), comme on!”
I think this summarizes it for me … the whole discussion here is trying to say We are and were better and they are bad … boo
I wish i can think as simplistically and I don’t get what was done to gender equality in the arab world in the past 100 years ? from what i experience i only see it getting worse and you people are cheering for that ?
Mas’ad is just like As’ad Abu Khalil. Both live in the USA, enjoy their personal and political liberties but yet thrive on criticism without providing any tangible solution. Good for Al Jazeera and angry Arabs but no contribution to progress, development and democratization in the Arab world.
Mas’ad is just like As’ad Abu Khalil. Both live in the USA, enjoy their personal and political liberties but yet thrive on criticism without providing any tangible solution. Good for Al Jazeera and angry Arabs but no contribution to progress, development and democratization in the Arab world.
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