As a western feminist interested in women’s rights in the Middle East, I stand in awe of the brave, strong women standing up as a fresh voice of a generation that will not accept sexist inequality and oppression anymore. One of those contemporary voices is the Egyptian-American journalist and activist Mona Eltahawy, who published the book Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution in May. Although I think these are the kind of books that need to be published today, I agree with an often articulated critique of Eltahawy’s point of view: not all men are our enemy. Feminism is not a war against men; it’s too often about fighting an idea that resides in the minds of women themselves as well. What I noticed while reading Eltahawy’s book is the emotional factor that greatly influences her perspective. Instead of writing from a point of view that stems from rationality in pursuit of a solution, she seems driven by a lot of anger and pain, which is understandable. I am not saying it is impossible for women to be emotional and rational at the same time,…
