Some western 'champions' of the feminist cause have reserved their fury for the plight of Israeli women, ignoring the catastrophic suffering in Gaza
A Palestinian woman mourns loved ones killed during overnight Israeli strikes on 21 February, 2024 (AFP)
Maryam Aldossari writes in Middle East Eye 22 February 2024
From the outset of the war on Gaza, an unsettling narrative has permeated western media, portraying Israel as a paragon of civilisation starkly contrasted against the bastion of backwardness that is the Middle East. Some pundits have even gone as far as reducing its people to the level of the animal kingdom.
Such bias is nothing new, further amplified in the UK by outlets such as UnHerd, as media propaganda continues the unsettling tradition of misrepresenting the Arab community. But it has been unexpectedly troubling to hear such distortions echoed by British feminists and activists.
If you are following well-known UK feminists in hopes of finding a united outcry and empathy for the violence faced by Palestinian women and children, I am afraid you will be deeply disappointed.
Despite the International Court of Justice’s warning that Israel’s onslaught in Gaza could plausibly be a genocide, some of western feminism’s most vocal champions against gendered violence seem to have reserved their solidarity for Israeli women alone, accusing the international community of remaining silent about the rapes and sexual assaults against Israeli women on 7 October.
Don’t get me wrong: as feminists, our creed to believe women and condemn the weaponisation of rape in conflict is non-negotiable, even in complex situations where direct victim testimonies are scarce and evidence comes from entities such as the Israeli army.
Yet, the absence of comparable empathy and fury for the plight of Palestinian women and children reveals a shocking double standard and deep moral failure.
This is not the first time western feminists have fallen short. This brand of feminism, with its history of shining a spotlight only on issues palatable to western tastes, often ignores the concerns of brown women.
Selective ire
This disturbing pattern is unmistakably evident in what’s widely referred to as “imperial feminism”. Consider the outcry from UK feminists over the tragic case of Iran’s Mahsa Amini, who was punished for her “improper” hijab, leading to her death.
Like many, I was incensed by the injustice she faced. The global reaction to Amini’s ordeal sparked a significant feminist movement, with solidarity in the UK, as activists staged dramatic hair-cutting protests in the heart of London.
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Yet, the dire situation facing Palestinian women and children in Gaza has not benefitted from similarly loud and passionate advocacy. It’s as though feminist ire and power selectively rears its head for issues that fit a decidedly western narrative of liberation – leaving others, such as those in Palestine, in the shadows.
The history of imperial feminism is like a broken record, replaying the same errors without learning lessons. Draped in the lofty notion of “liberation”, it often imposes western values on women around the globe, leaving chaos in its wake.
This brand of feminism overlooks the fact that women, no matter where they are, possess their own voices and resilience
Take the example of Iraq, where military intervention was partly framed as an attempt to liberate Iraqi women from tyranny. This rationale, using women’s rights as a shield for war, didn’t take into account what would come afterwards, or what Iraqi women truly wanted and needed.
Predictably, this led to turmoil, increased violence, and the breakdown of the very social fabric that held communities together, making life even harder – especially for women.
This same western narrative to “liberate” Afghan women from the Taliban’s harsh grip initially created some new opportunities for them in education and employment. But years of upheaval and instability followed, leaving Afghan women in a precarious position today.
Once again, this brand of feminism overlooks the fact that women, no matter where they are, possess their own voices and resilience. Imperial feminism subtly perpetuates the notion that western methods are superior, while sidelining the rich tapestry of views that Iraqi and Afghan women hold, and the grassroots feminists fighting for change at home.
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