As a feminist of Egyptian and Muslim descent, my life's work has been informed by the belief that religion and culture must never be used to justify the subjugation of women.
Mona EltahawyRead
My feminism does not demand that a woman have an equal opportunity to torture, alongside men. Torture is no less wrong because a woman, not a man, carries it out.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Feminism is about equality and justice, not about enabling harmful actions by women.
Mona Eltahawy's quote critiques a narrow understanding of feminism that merely seeks equal participation in power structures, even if those structures perpetuate harm. She emphasizes that true feminism should reject all forms of violence and oppression, regardless of the gender of the perpetrator, and argue for a moral stance against wrongdoings rather than merely seeking gender parity in committing them.
Themes
FeminismEqualityJusticeViolenceOppression
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about gender equality, this quote can emphasize the moral dimensions of feminism.
More from Mona Eltahawy
All quotes βI'm no fan of Sarkozy, but I support a ban on face veils because they erase women from society and are promoted by an ultra-conservative ideology that equates piety with the disappearance of women.
Mona EltahawyRead
It is the harassers and assaulters who make us 'look bad,' not the women who have every right to expose crimes against them.
Mona EltahawyRead
I can write about my culture and religion because I am a product of both. Even when I'm accused of giving ammunition to the Islamophobic right, in the struggle between 'community' and 'women,' I always choose the women.
Mona EltahawyRead
I believe at the heart of any revolution for social justice and human dignity are consent and agency, the unequivocal belief that I own my body - not the state, not the church/mosque/temple, not the street and not the family.
Mona EltahawyRead
I will never ally with Islamophobes and racists. But in the choice between 'community' and Muslim women, I will always choose my sisters.
Mona EltahawyRead
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