This reading was not assigned in our class, however, it was in my PHL of Feminism. Upon reading the first chapter of this, I recognized a multitude of connections to our class discussions. The term moral universalism is especially important here. Moral Universalism is defined as the notion that some things are better and worse for human beings across all contemporary contexts. In the context of missionary feminists and Islamic women, there is a western liberatory narrative. Missionary feminists believe that the practice of Islamic culture is objectively oppressive or “an other” to Western society. The tensions between missionary feminists and Islamic women also tie back to sabr and controversy of veiling.
Sabr is connected in the sense that passivity is deemed as weak. So, what is right and wrong or what is “gender-just” ? Is there a right way universally to be a woman? The controversy of veiling is relevant here in terms of power. In other words, is veiling a power over women or is it an autonomous decision made by women? The real issue here along with that of debating sabr is that missionary feminists don’t have a relativist consideration of other cultures differing from their own. Regardless of the reasons someone is doing something, unless practices mimic that of the west, missionary feminists want to change it. For instance, the quote “Afghan women might be called to personhood in a different language.”
My apologies if my thoughts don’t make sense!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing this great connection with us!