…sexual assault. At the time of the attack on CBS News reporter Lara Logan, I wrote:
Is this a one-off crime? Or a cultural faultline?
Today in Tahrir Square:
Caroline Sinz told France 3 television, her employer, that she and her cameraman were set upon by young men in the square then separated on Thursday. She said she was punched, then “subjected to a sexual aggression in front of everyone in full daylight.” Providing more detail in an interview with RMC radio, she said boys 14 to 16 years old “tore off my clothes and undergarments” and assaulted her.
If the authorities intervene, it can be a mixed blessing. Yesterday in Tahrir Square:
The U.S. journalist who was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted by Egyptian riot police as she covered the Tahrir Square protests has posted a photo online which shows both her arms in plaster.
New York-based Mona Eltahawy, 44, tweeted the picture, which shows casts on her broken left arm and right hand, to demonstrate the ‘brutality’ of Egyptian police.
She claimed they hit her with large sticks, groped her breasts and tried to push their hands down her trousers – before detaining her for 12 hours with ‘no real reason’.
The American-Egyptian said: ‘I am speaking out to shame them for what they did. As I was being assaulted it was as if I was set on by a bunch of beasts.
’This is not the Egypt we love and not what the revolution is about.’
Except that it is – at least in the sense that post-Mubarak Egypt is already more institutionally misogynist.
My old friend Edward Behr, a distinguished foreign correspondent for Newsweek, wrote a memoir of his life on the front lines with the cynical title (in its London edition) Anyone Here Been Raped And Speaks English? – which, naturally, the halfwit American publisher changed to the somnolently portentous Bearings: A Foreign Correspondent’s Life Behind The Lines. These days, the fastest way to get a “yes” would be to ask his fellow western reporters.
"’This is not the Egypt we love and not what the revolution is about.’"
Silly woman, no one knew what that revolution was about other than get rid of Mubarak, the Jew-loving, pro-American dictator. As far the Egypt that you "love", maybe you should look at Egypt pre-1950 and post-1950. You'll see that the Egypt you might have "loved" died sometime in that decade.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI feel bad for these gals. They have had their heads filled with nonsense about the differences between men and women. So much so they are willing to wade into a crowd of excited young males without protection. It is easy to say they are stupid and should know better. The sad truth is we have trained our women and ourselves to believe things about human nature that are false.
At some point, I hope, reality will be so unrelenting that we shall be shaken from these delusions.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHow can reality be "more" unrelenting than it is? Those who would bring us down and the naive "liberal/progressives" who support and enable them will not be swayed by reality. And those who do not shrink from reality should have seen enough of the opposite already to understand that, counter intuitively, reality needs to be defended at all costs.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWho would have predicted 50 years ago that early in the Twenty-First Century, vast swaths of humanity would be returning to the Seventh Century. Well, besides Ayn Rand!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe Shah was sooo terrible that President Carter actively promoted his overthrow. How'd that work out, eh?
Oh, and I don't mean just for the US over the past 30+years. How about for, say, the women of Iran? Or the Left's favorite group, the LGTX-BLT(hold the mayo) or whatever they call themselves - kinda cool being a homosexual in Iran, isn't it?
The only country in the Mid-East moving into the 20th Century and we encouraged the Mullahs because Carter thought the SAVAK wasn't treating the commmies nicely. Ugh.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYes, Carter thought the Shah was treating the Communists too roughly. Well, after helping the Islamists overthrow the Shah, the Commies were beaten and executed by Khomeini's peaceful followers. The American Leftists should take heed.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is a very good point that should be reported and repeated over and over gain. But it probably won't be because Jimmy had a large, hysterical enabler when he did that: the liberal media.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSomehow the MSM will blame this on Palin. You know, some kind of neurotic/project/anti-conservative reaction thing. Oh wait that's the MS's projection...Never mind.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat's also just plain stupid is all the calls from feminists and media types is not to "discriminate based on gender" when it comes to these assignments.
(insert sound of forehead slap here)
Of course the should discriminate. This is the thought process that should happen in the mind of an editor: "Egypt revoloution assignment. Who to send? Joanne, who would do the best job, or Mark, who is also very good? It would be less dangerous for Mark because he's a man. He will go."
Done. No more rapes. The feminists can thank us later.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAggieben, Joanne will have trouble doing the best job while she fends off a horde of Muslim rapists.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat's all very interesting, but we ARE still going to give them a lot of money, right?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Houston--We have a problem." The problem is that fundamentalist Islam is now fast becoming (or already has become) “Mainstream Islam." There are ever increasing numbers of "moderate" Muslim's who want to live under "Sharia Law." Sharia Law is nothing but codified barbarism. The assault on women Journalists; and women in general in Islamic nations increases, yet far too many in the West insist on "tolerance" when that is a one way street. As long as we maintain our “politically correct” stance toward the Islam of today, these atrocities will continue. It is time to recognize we have a true clash of cultures. One mired in Seventh Century barbarism and mysticism, and one in a far more modern world. They cannot coexist. The Islam of today is fast becoming the Islam of Saladin, and it must either be forced into modernity, or defeated. Make no mistake, the Mullah’s of Iran; Egypt; and Wahhabi Saudi Arabia are working toward a world dominated by fundamentalist Islam. Till this is recognized, no woman will be safe in an Islamic nation—Journalist or not.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Sharia Law is nothing but codified barbarism."
That sums it up nicely.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"It would be less dangerous for Mark because he's a man. He will go."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDone. No more rapes." You haven't read much T. E. Lawrence, have you?
Well, perhaps Mark would be safe.
Q: What do Arab men and Penn State football coaches have in common?
A: Shhhhhhhhhhhh.
My family moved to Iran in September 1954, when I had just turned 18. The Shah had been in power a little over a year. The Communists had been pushed back but continued working toward their revolution. The Islamists were angry at the Shah becasue while modernizing Iran, the Shah also looked back to the Iran of Darius and Persepolis, that is, prior to the 7th cenury Islamization of Iran. In 1979, the Communists helped the Islamists overthrow the Shah. In return, Khomeini's followers rounded up and executed the Communists. (See the graphic novel, Persepolis) The American Left, which seems to believe that Islam will aid them in their revolution to "fundamentally change America" should pay heed: Islamists mean business.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIrshad Manji wrote in her first book about the calming or moderating force that Islam should have been on the Arab culture. Instead, she argues, the Arab culture hardened and coarsened Islam.
I don't know enough about the history of the religion to know how much validity there is to her argument. But, I think it's interesting that 1200-years later, many people (including myself) thought (and perhaps continue to think) that Democracy would be a calming and/or moderating force on Arab culture and the larger Arab would in general. I realize that we're very early into the first inning of a nine inning game, but thus far, the pitcher known as "Democracy" is gettin' rocked.
A little more than 40-years ago, Nixon went to China. The idea was that open and robust trade with China would bring openness, transparency and human rights reform to an impoverished and potentially dangerous foe. 40-years later, I'm not sure we've seen in China what Nixon probably anticipated seeing. Perhaps China is a bit more open today, but not by much. And, even after Tienanmen Square, we haven't seen bupkis in the way of substantive human rights reforms or transparency. And instead of seeing the moderation that Capitalism theoretically should have brought to Communism, if anything, we're seeing a coarsening of Capitalism (even Smith warned about the perils of what would become to be known as Capitalism, without morality - and that coarsening is being used against.
I have a very bad feeling that 40-years from today, somebody might be writing the EXACT same thing about our Democracy adventure in the Middle East. I guess there's a chance this could all turn out just fine. But, it's clear that there are no guarantees, and at this point, I'm just not very hopeful.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI notice you didn't mention GWB's democracy adventure in Iraq, which has created an Iranian ally in Baghdad.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou mean you think that 40 years from today there will be books or people to write them?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI have written a textbook exactly for people like you (and me too!). It is also good for schools, which is why I have used it for fourteen year olds (intelligent ones). If you would like a look (free download) please go to:
External Link
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThere's been a wave of sexual assaults at the Occupy shanties as well. And they did warn everyone they were going to recreate Tahrir Square...
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