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I agree and that’s what i have said million times on CC. IMO that’s the root of evil. For Muslims outside the Arab world only the sand of Arabia is sacred; the culture of their own country is of no importance. That’s why they tend to create a mini-Arabia be it Bombay or Birmingham.</p>
<p>The recent incident involving Iran and the British soldiers, including one female, and Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Syria has raised this issue again for me. I think Britain handled this as well as they possibly could have without starting WW3. I think Pelosi’s visit to the Syrian legislature (women are barred from serving) was just so stupid on her part. </p>
<p>Since my last post here I have been reading a lot (eg, Bernard Lewis’s The Crisis in Islam-it’s terrific and a surprisingly easy read). This situation is going to be with us for a long time to come and while they have tried a little, the Bush administration has done a poor job of educating the American people and has made a hash of most everything they have touched in the Middle East. </p>
<p>Despite all of this, I continue to believe that the US needs to make more noise about the treatment of women in Islamic cultures. Increasingly I view this as a human rights issue that has geopolitical implications and the empowerment of women, while being a good thing in its own right, would also work to the strategic benefit of the US and the West. Am I completely out of my mind to think that the US should be making a big stink about this?</p>
<p>“would also work to the strategic benefit of the US and the West.”</p>
<p>Omit “also”…Strategic benefit suffices. Utilizing “human rights,” “women empowerment”…etc works well as a political blanket. Only! So you don’t really need it here on the forum.</p>
<p>“Am I completely out of my mind to think that the US should be making a big stink about this?”</p>
<p>Nope youre not. The US WAS making a “big stink” about it up until the war. Now we’re too busy repairing our image and restoring our crdence in the Muslim world, which is exhibiting tremendous changes/“awakening” since the war(s) began more than four years ago.</p>
<p>Moreover, the Muslim etremists’ leaders (and Muslim public) became well aware of the US’ policy.</p>
<p>With Ahmadinejad’s visit to Columbia and the UN, I thought some might enjoy revisiting this topic. If anything, his visit has only reinforced my negative perceptions of how Muslim societies treat women. </p>
<p>Personally I think that the treatment of women (and homosexuals), in Islamic societies generally and in Iran particularly, is disgraceful. I hope that whoever is elected our next President will use his/her bully pulpit and do more to promote women’s rights in these societies.</p>