Between the Ernst reading and this one I found myself particularly intrigued by this one. In Ernst’s writing I found that religion as a term has changed a lot over the passage of time. In Lughod’s writing, I was able to see how that shift in terminology manifests in our society.
As I was reading “Do Muslim Women (Still) Need Saving” I did find myself confused at times as well as invested in what was being said. I was pondering the question of whether the overwhelming interest in Muslim women was exploitative rather than helpful. As noted by the author, she said the priorities of interviewers in questioning was focused on dividing the public rather than examining the internal political struggle of what was going on. Further, there was an agenda being pushed that presented the military intervention in Afghanistan in a light that suggested we saved women from being oppressed.
Most notably, to me, from this reading was the quote on the white savior complex. “Be wary when Lord Cromer in British ruled Egypt, French ladies in Algeria, and first lady Laura Bush, all with military troops behind them claim to be saving/liberating Muslim women.” The word liberation or saving sets up a hierarchy. White men being the savior depicts Muslim women as helpless or in need of saving. It seems that the government would like us to think we are a gift to anyone we decide to help, but this article suggests that there is far more to it than that (of course.) And I am incredibly curious about the rest of this article.
In other words, the public’s fascination with the small picture rather than the why seems to be one of the most relevant points of this reading.
