Whenever the Equal Rights movement in the 50’s began, there were a lot of naysayers advising, “Yes, blacks should be equal, but now is not the time.” Fortunately Martin Luther King ignored that advice and made it happen, conventional wisdom be damned.
Arab women are now fighting for their equality and some have chosen the ol’ shirtless shock method employed by PETA and FEMEN to get the world’s attention. Tunisian embassies across the world have come face to face with a barrage of boobs protesting both the persecution of missing MENA girl Amina and women’s rights in general in the region.
So far, this Tidal-breast Wave has been more a blonde babe camp than the Arab Muslim contingent or brigade of Jihadis you might have expected. To this point, we’ve seen less ladies slipping out of their veils and more middle-aged less desirables and young busty bomb shells!
Personally, I don’t think these Skin-a-thons work. Most American men click on the news links of topless babes, see some flesh, crack a smile and move on. I’d bet they probably couldn’t even tell you what the protest was for (I had to Google the Pam Anderson cause).
From an Arab male perspective, I think this just drives them insane. For better or worse, the honor of the umma, or community, finds much of its value in the propriety of their women. So if a Western girl does go bare, it is not a big deal. But if one of their own flashes some flesh, they take it personally-- really personally.
I understand that the whole gist of Topless Jihad is to call out this honor paradigm and say 'We want it changed'. In theory, as a Westerner, I’m also not comfortable with the control males assume over women’s bodies here in Arabia.
But Titslamism might be taking the cause a few pairs too far. Practically speaking, I find myself wanting to say, “ Yes, women should be equal, but now is not the time for Topless Jihad in the Middle East ”. Sound familiar?
Because I am a male who’s not been prejudiced against due to my gender, I cannot relate. As a foreigner in this Arab land who does not find my honor in what random women do with their bodies, I can make no judgment.
So, if the goal of the Jugs Jihad was awareness, let’s hope it works. Based on what many full clad Arab women are saying though, in oppostion to the mammory movement, this Jihad might just blow up in FEMEN's faces.
By Brett Weer
