For all the talk about promoting women’s rights worldwide, you’d think someone might mention that feminism and women’s place is a contentious issue in the Syrian Civil War. Bashar al-Assad’s regime, while authoritarian, is remarkably liberal by Arab standards where women are concerned. The rebels, on the other hand, are dominated by Muslim fundamentalists akin to the Taliban. You know, the type who execute women for fornication, keep girls out of school, force women to cover themselves and employ beatings and gang rape to keep them in line.
That the Obama administration and the US elite in general support these rebels suggests that feminism is amongst the least of their concerns in a global context. In fact, feminism is strictly for domestic consumption, and used as a tool to put ordinary American boys in their place. In the greatest of ironies, Obama is about to order American military personnel, who have had feminism shoved down their throats since he took office, to assist these ultra-patriarchal jihadis and attack Assad. In the meanwhile, many of them will have wives back home going out clubbing and fooling around with townies and other soldiers off base.
These inconsistencies of US policy reveal that ideologies like feminism are not really taken seriously by those in power, but are instead just a convenient tool or an effective weapon, like a Tomahawk cruise missile that destroys American families and renders children fatherless so as to prevent them from challenging the scions of our overlords.
However, in the case of Assad and the rebels I can’t in good faith support either side. Assad has employed feminism in the same manner as our elites, while the rebels have a burning hatred for my civilization and religion. If I had to choose a side, I’d go with Assad, because at least he doesn’t burn churches and massacre Christians (BTW, whether you call yourself secular or Christian, if you’re an American you’re still a “kafir” to these rebels). And anyway, the kind of patriarchy fundamentalist jihadis support is totally alien to my people and our tradition, which has always been a lot more moderate and benevolent in that regard.
So, when the cruise missiles start raining down on Damascus, keep in mind what a fraud Western feminism is. Hell, I’ll bet even Patty Murray supports an attack on the Syrian regime.
