It’s been a while since we last checked in with fierce feminist warrior Mona Eltahawy. What’s she been up to?
Just using her imagination:
How many rapists must we kill? Disturbing question? I stand in the disturbance and discomfort of my question because women, girls, nonbinary and queer people face more than disturbance and discomfort — they are dying, and patriarchy shows little concern. https://t.co/VVTeGiGSGO
— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 20, 2020
Why is that question and others I ask about hypothetical violence against men in the chapter on Violence more disturbing than the actual violence patriarchy subjects us to? https://t.co/d8dyy4NZBJ
— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 20, 2020
I insist we push the conversation until we get to the part where men fear women enough that rape becomes an anomaly. I don’t want the state to protect me – protection from the patriarchy is conditional.
I want to be free of patriarchy, not at its mercy. pic.twitter.com/iJcvxzDvR6
— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 20, 2020
And the way to free yourself of patriarchy is by wondering aloud about the messaging potential of killing men? Even hypothetically?
Genuinely disturbing stuff from @monaeltahawy, “begin dismantling patriarchy or we will continue killing more and more men every week.” https://t.co/lJLHrQkBk4 pic.twitter.com/DfHaFEyJgH
— Arthur Bloom 🇺🇸 (@j_arthur_bloom) September 21, 2020
It’s OK. This is all just “hypothetical.”
Well, Mona, for what it’s worth, we read it. And we’re pretty sure there are better ways to make a point about your perceived oppression than this:
That is an intentionally disturbing scenario, I know. But we are long overdue a f*ck-this-sh*t snapping. It is as if men have hoarded the operating manual for violence, and from boyhood, have been taught the language of that manual, while girls and women are kept illiterate. Violence — daily acts of violence against women simply for being women — benefits men. Patriarchy’s copyright over violence has terrorized us into fear and submission. If every act of violence against women were reported on the news, it would be recognized for the epidemic — the war — that it is. Instead, only “especially” violent attacks are reported and not even all of those, which tells you that society does not care and/or is immune to them. A daily war is carried out against women, and yet it is not called “barbaric” or “savage.” We are supposed to learn to live with it, accommodate it, never fight it.
Well, enough. Why shouldn’t we declare want [sic]?
Disturbing but not unexpected.
— BrianDC (@BrianDC_China) September 21, 2020
Framing this as a “what if” exercise doesn’t really do Eltahawy any favors. Because it takes a pretty disturbed mind to even imagine something like this.
You missed the part where this is an “imaginary scenario,” I see.
— Nothing (@nadanothingzip) September 21, 2020
Yeah, imagine the same piece but replace ‘men’ with black women, but it was just a ‘what if’ scenario, you would have no problem with that. Assuredly.
— Unwoke Duffy ☦ (@TheIllegit) September 21, 2020
Here’s a thought: Maybe don’t discuss social issues in the context of whether or not murdering innocent people could teach the world to see things your way. Hypothetically or otherwise.
Nothing to see here folks, move along https://t.co/FqQH8uUOxN
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 21, 2020
If Mona Eltahawy is the best and brightest that feminism has to offer, feminism is in some serious trouble.
