Why is this the crisis of Feminist Politics only? On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 10:06 AM, C.K. Vishwanath < [email protected]> wrote:
> > > > > --- On Sun, 25/1/09, C.K. Vishwanath <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > < > > > > > > <http://www.solidarity-us.org/node/576> > > > > > > > > [Shahrzad Mojab is a prominent Iranian professor > > at > > > the > > > > University of Toronto.] > > > > > > > > "Little effort is undertaken by feminist > > > activists to > > > > confront boldly, > > > > without any hesitations, both imperialist > > aggressions > > > and > > > > religious > > > > conservative forces. Some of us recall the debate > > in > > > the > > > > summer of > > > > 2006 when we were organizing against the Israel > > > aggression > > > > on Lebanon, > > > > when some women argued in support of Hezbollah, a > > > religious > > > > conservative group, as an anti-imperialist > > resistance. > > > > Others went as > > > > far as carrying portraits of Ayatollah Khomeini > > and > > > Moqtada > > > > al-Sadr, > > > > two symbols of women's oppression, in antiwar > > > marches. > > > > > > > > Some antiwar feminist academics cloak their > > support > > > for the > > > > patriarchal-religious force in the "cultural > > > > relativist" argument > > > > which privileges the "indigeneity" of > > > patriarchy. > > > > My question is: Why > > > > have feminists, especially those with a > > progressive, > > > > antiwar, > > > > anti-globalization agenda, in recent years > > repeatedly > > > > failed to uphold > > > > a multi-edged banner of resistance? Why have we > > failed > > > us > > > > to see the > > > > multiplicity of contradictions in patriarchal > > > capitalism? > > > > We should > > > > seek the answer, I would like to propose, in the > > > following > > > > factors: > > > > > > > > 1) The theoretical turn in feminism in the last > > three > > > > decades has had > > > > a devastating impact on women's struggle > > globally. > > > > > > > Exaggerated > > > > emphases on "identity," > > "voice," > > > > "agency," "location" and > > > > "experience" > > > > have reduced patriarchy to questions of culture > > and > > > > religion. This > > > > means that patriarchy as an institution of > > women's > > > > subordination is > > > > separated from capitalist relations of > > exploitation, > > > from > > > > imperialist > > > > domination, and from the rise of nationalism and > > > > fundamentalism. This > > > > myopic view of patriarchy, sometimes even > > endorsed the > > > > colonialist > > > > "liberation" agenda for women in > > Afghanistan > > > and > > > > Iraq. > > > > > > > > 2) The political implications of this theoretical > > > shift > > > > have been even > > > > more disturbing. Feminism as a potential strong > > > opposition > > > > social > > > > force has been reduced to fragmented, disjointed > > and > > > > coopted > > > > tendencies. The outcome is the re-emergence of > > > colonial and > > > > imperialist feminisms on the one hand, and > > nativist > > > > feminisms which > > > > perpetuate patriarchy under the banner of culture > > on > > > the > > > > other. > > > > > > > > 3) The post-9/11 condition has added more > > complexity > > > to > > > > this already > > > > messy situation. In the West we are faced with > > the > > > rise of > > > > state > > > > suppression of individual rights and civil > > liberties > > > under > > > > the name of > > > > "security" and "war on > > terror." > > > > State-sponsored racial profiling is on > > > > the rise, and Islamophobia, anti-Arab, and > > anti-Muslim > > > > racism are > > > > growing. Most feminist responses are at best > > ambiguous > > > > toward this > > > > environment of fear and terror. > > > > > > > > 4) The right turn in the feminist movement > > coincides > > > with > > > > three > > > > decades of cooptation and fragmentation of > > women's > > > > movements through > > > > the instruments of the UN, World Bank, > > International > > > > Monetary Fund, > > > > and a vast network of non-governmental > > organizations > > > > (NGOs). These > > > > capitalist institutions have supported, funded > > and > > > promoted > > > > patriarchy > > > > by turning the struggle of women to > > de-politicized and > > > > liberal notions > > > > of "gender mainstreaming" and > > > "women's > > > > empowerment." > > > > In this imperialist feminist scheme, women were > > > trained to > > > > lead NGOs, > > > > to participate in the political structure of > > > conservative > > > > and > > > > pro-Western states, to engage in alienating, > > pacifying > > > > training > > > > programs for the capitalist "democracy" > > and > > > join > > > > the army of workers > > > > to build "civil society." In this > > version of > > > > women's struggle, > > > > capitalist relations of power and the > > institutions of > > > state > > > > and > > > > patriarchy are left untouched." > > > > > > > > -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- > > > Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! 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