In a scheme ostensibly conceived by users of 4chan's /pol/ board, fliers declaring "Islam Is Right About Women" have begun appearing across Massachussetts. These have sparked a multitude of reactions, mostly ranging from offense to confusion. It is suspected that this is a bit of right-wing and/or Islamophobic trolling intended to reveal the inherent contradictions that allegedly pervade left-wing thought on issues relating to Islam and feminism. Specifically, offense generated from this can be interpreted to confirm that progressives and feminists do not genuinely believe that Islam can fit neatly into a progressive and inclusive worldview.
Of course, the counter-argument is that these fliers amount to a dog-whistle that stigmatizes and others local Muslims while not contributing to any meaningful dialogue on or critique of patriarchal social mores and rigid gender norms within Muslim institutions and society. For their part, the majority of Muslims who have been interviewed by local media outlets have reacted with confusion and/or magnanimity, assuming good intentions where it is likely none are present. One preacher stated that he hoped the fliers would encourage members of the community to do research on Islam's attitudes towards women and that this would serve to dispel bigotry and harmful stereotypes.
As a quick aside, while this story would arguably fit with the theme of the Islamic Discussion Thread or the Feminist Thread, I felt that it represented a unique intersection of issues such as Islam, feminism, racism/bigotry, progressive, and right-wing thought and that we could explore those ideas with greater flexibility by setting aside a thread for it.
So NSG what do all y'all think about this? Does it highlight the hypocrisy of the political left and reveal that progressives often hold more negative attitudes about Islam and Islamic religious doctrine in private than they let on? Is it simply a bunch of dog-whistles fueled by confirmation bias and Islamophobia? Is Islam right about the nature and role of women? How would this translate to other religious traditions?
As it's customary and polite to offer your opinion as OP, I'll give it a go. I tend to perceive Islam in much the same way as I perceive Judaism or Christianity, albeit conceding that it is more often at odds with liberal conceptions of the world and a good many of the social mores that have come to predominate in the West. As a traditionalist of sorts, I'm often somewhat sympathetic to rejections or critiques of modernity and hyper-individualism. That said, I'm inclined to assert that I don't necessarily agree with the statement "Islam Is Right About Women" because I'm not a Muslim and, beyond that, Islam is as broad as most religions and a variety of opinions exist within it. I do think this campaign unnecessarily singles out Muslims and that it doesn't really serve as an effective critique of the more problematic attitudes towards women and femininity in the Ummah, but that the aim was more geared towards "owning the libs."
What say you?
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