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
Some forms of veil are justified by the idea that you're not tempting men. Well how about men just behaving and keeping their hands to yourselves? How about, instead of criticizing how I dress, respecting me and my right to the public space?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote challenges the notion that women's clothing is to blame for men's behavior, advocating for respect and personal freedom.
Mona Eltahawy's quote emphasizes the importance of personal agency and the need for mutual respect in public spaces. It criticizes the tendency to hold women accountable for the way they dress, suggesting instead that men should learn to behave appropriately without imposing restrictions on women's choices based on their attire. This statement calls for a cultural shift that prioritizes respect over judgment regarding personal expression.
Themes
VeilRespectFreedomPublic SpaceDressBehavior
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on women's rights, this quote can highlight the importance of personal choice.
More from Mona Eltahawy
All quotes →I'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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