the burkha...the thong - what they have in common
Revolutionary Communism and the Liberation of Women -- WE NEED TOTAL REVOLUTION!
#3
"While they may appear very different, the burkha enforced by fanatical Islamic fundamentalism, on the one hand, and the "thong," widely advertised and promoted as "sexy underwear" for women, in "modern" capitalist society, on the other hand, are both hideous symbols and embodiments of the degradation of women. The fundamental thing they have in common is that they are both manifestations of a world marked by horrendous forms of oppression, both "traditional" and "modern"—a world dominated overall by capitalist imperialism—a world that needs to be turned upside down and radically transformed."
by Revolution Newspaper
Labels: communism, feminism, International Women's Day, Islamic fundamentalism, Marxism, movement for revolution, objectification, sex objects, thong, women's liberation, women's oppression
1 Comments:
Thanks for doing this. I know a lot of people on the left are afraid to criticize Islamic fundamentalism's treatment of women (or the patriarchal aspects of any culture other than their own) since they don't want to stoop to the level of the far-right. However, as feminists and anti-authoritarians, we need to criticize ALL forms of patriarchy as far as I'm concerned. If we don't criticize it, I feel that people will start legitimizing it out of "tolerance" (bad choice of wording but I couldn't think of anything better). We need to show that oppression of women comes in many more forms than "sexy advertising", whether it's the beauty myth or the purity myth. In fact, many anarchist and marxist friends of mine contend that the gender binary itself is inherently oppressive and needs to be thrown out.
2/18/12, 2:25 PM
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