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Assignment 11

In Lila Abu-Lughod’s, Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving, she discusses Islamic women, opinions on their lifestyle and rights, the burqa and its importance as well as the argument that they are in need of saving due to the differences between them and Western women.

Abu-Lughod brings up the burqa, a piece of clothing worn by Islamic women, and the West’s opinion on it as well as how it differs from the actual meaning and reason for it. Westerners see it as a restriction placed upon Islamic women as well as something they need to be saved from, when in reality, a large majority of them make the decision to wear it for various reasons such as respect for their god and culture or privacy. Many fail to see the differences between Western culture and Islamic culture and as a result, believe anything different from what they are used to is wrong and should be changed.

Discourse on humanitarianism and human rights in the 21st century paint Islamic women as in need of saving due to the oppression and restriction they face. By bringing up abuse, restriction, obligation to wear the burqa, etc. the West can say that Islamic women are oppressed and need to be saved even though this is not the case for most of them. Abu-Lughod recommends that the Western world focus on themselves and/or actually understanding other cultures and traditions before making conclusions. Many overuse the oppression argument in order to fuel bigger things such as war even though their argument is wrong to begin with. Not all Muslim women are oppressed to the degree that is brought up and the majority of them choose to wear the burqa even after being ‘liberated.’