Why Won’t The Media Pay Attention To Muslim Human Rights Activists?
Perhaps it’s because there aren’t too many of them? This report from Amnesty International mentions five prominent Muslims who speak out on the turmoil in Darfur. I have not read their statements directly so I cannot determine their “perspective” on the problem. Below is a statement against the lack of coverage by Lynn Fredriksson (likely not of the Muslim faith) of Amnesty International:
“The world hasn’t paid enough attention to Muslim organizations and individual Muslim leaders who have strongly condemned devastating human rights abuses in Darfur and who continue to press for more effective action to stop the killing,” said Lynn Fredriksson, Amnesty International USA’s advocacy director for Africa. “Their perspectives and their outrage over delays in resolving this crisis need to be heard by our own government as well.”
I’ll try to give Muslim organizations and leaders the benefit of the doubt here. First I need to know which organizations are speaking out on atrocities committed against non-Muslims in the name of Islam. To date, I have not read the writings of nor listened to a lecture of a Muslim condemning the acts of their fellows without blaming western policies. So here is my sincere invitation to Muslim readers: speak out against the bad apples within your religion. Condemn them and offer what you think might be a practical solution to the negative image that Islam has in the west. I’m not asking you to renounce your faith. I certainly don’t feel that any one individual has the answer. Just speak out against the injustice that exists in the Muslim world.
There are plenty of Muslim women that are taking steps to reformulate their culture and religion. They are not recognized because they are women and also because the west has much invested in portraying all Middle Eastern/Muslim women as victims. The discourse is West = enlightened and East = backwards despite the fact that we know that violence against women is a global phenomenon
I wouldn’t doubt that there is a silencing of female activists in the muslim world.. I am curious though, who do the female activist generally blame for the problems within their religion or culture?