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An American convert to Islam in Dubai fights against the mistreatment of women in Dubai -- a mistreatment that most Muslim and non-Muslim Islamic apologists in the West have consistently ignored and denied, in Dubai and elsewhere. Few, if any, seem willing to consider the possibility that Qur'an 4:34 (the verse that counsels men to beat disobedient women) and other anti-woman material in Islamic texts and teachings might create a culture that institutionalizes discrimination against women and worse.
"Voice for Abused Women Upsets Dubai Patriarchy," by Robert F. Worth for the New York Times (thanks to Sr. Soph):
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — For years, Sharla Musabih has fought a lonely battle to protect battered wives and victims of human trafficking here. She founded the Emirates’ first women’s shelter here and she became a familiar figure at police stations, relentlessly hounding officers to be tougher on abusive husbands.She has also earned many enemies. Emiratis do not often take kindly to rights advocates drawing attention to the dark side of their fast-growing city-state on the Persian Gulf, better known for its gleaming office towers and artificial islands.
[...]
The ferocity of the dispute is unusual for Dubai, and underscores a major challenge facing this proudly apolitical business capital. The city’s few rights advocates have always been quietly shunted aside. But as the conservative Muslim ethos of Dubai’s native Arab minority rubs against the varied perspectives of a much larger foreign population, debates about how to approach taboo subjects like domestic violence and the city’s prevalent prostitution are getting louder.
Battling Tradition
Ms. Musabih, 47, a boisterous American transplant who was born and raised on Bainbridge Island, Wash., argues that confrontation is essential in fighting the patriarchal Arab traditions that allow men to beat their wives with impunity. She and her supporters also say the Emirates have not acknowledged the severity of their problem with human trafficking, the brutal business in which foreign women are lured here with promises of jobs and then forced into prostitution or servitude. Last year the United States State Department placed the Emirates and 31 other countries on a watch list for failing to effectively combat the illegal trade.
“When a woman has three broken bones in her back, and the police don’t take it seriously, yes, I get angry,” Ms. Musabih said.
Others say Ms. Musabih’s aggressive approach — which includes appeals to foreign news media as well as tough, face-to-face lobbying — is inappropriate in the Arab world, and has needlessly fueled the backlash she now faces. That assertiveness may also have made it easier to dismiss her as an outsider. Although she has lived here for 24 years, converted to Islam, is an Emirati citizen, wears a veil and has raised six children here with her Emirati husband, Ms. Musabih is still unmistakably American, from her moralistic zeal to her habit of calling the women in her shelter “darlin’.”
“I have told her sometimes I think she is wrong, she goes too far,” said Lt. Gen. Dahi al-Khalfan, the chief of the Dubai Police, who has supported Ms. Musabih in the past but now tends to criticize her work as divisive. “There is a case between husband and wife; let the court decide! Leave it.”...
"Leave it." And many do. After all, what's a few broken bones in a woman's back? And the only way this injustice will ever be corrected is if more and more people refuse to be cowed by charges that they are "divisive," and refuse to "leave it."
Posted by Robert at March 23, 2008 6:48 AM
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Robert:
Proof that though she's a convert to Islam, she still retains a Christianized morality that's quite fussy about the individual dignity of ALL people and everyone's an imago Dei.
Islam will never have such concrns given its supremicist views that ARAB men are the mountain summit of humanity
xavier
Posted by: xavier![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 23, 2008 8:03 AM
Spot on, X!
Posted by: John C at March 23, 2008 10:40 AM
"Leave it." And many do. After all, what's a few broken bones in a woman's back? And the only way this injustice will ever be corrected is if more and more people refuse to be cowed by charges that they are "divisive," and refuse to "leave it."
Is it 'divisive' to point out abuse and violence? If a mugger attacks an innocent victim, is it divisive to stop him? The Muslim mind is so inverted when it comes to justice or protecting the innocent that it makes itslef guilty of the crime when they shelter such abuse. THAT is divisive, to fail to stop the crime.
at March 23, 2008 11:56 AM
Silly bint.
What did this idiot think she was getting into when she recited the shahadah?
Now she believes she can impose the golden rule onto the barbaric misogynist death cult?
Another psychically marginalized westerner entering Islam with starry-eyed, wishful and fanciful expectations.
Stupid woman should have stuck with Christianity.
Posted by: Mike_W at March 23, 2008 12:01 PM
From above: What did this idiot think she was getting into when she recited the shahadah?
I wonder about that also Mike W. Not just about her, but any convert, especially western converts, especially women. Do they go in with their eye's open, or has their vision been blurred by sweet talking eye salve. I suppose the answer is that there are a lot of people in the world with marginal intelligence, and a number of them are drawn to Islam. Once in the fold, they are easily manipulated and controlled, or abused...
at March 23, 2008 1:56 PM
the patriarchal Arab traditions that allow men to beat their wives with impunity
No, it isn't "patriarchal Arab traditions," it is islam that allows men to beat their wives with impunity.
This lady sounds like the typical liberal, guilt-ridden, white feminist who discovered enlightenment in the qur'an.
Posted by: senatortombstone at March 23, 2008 3:27 PM
Wasn't it Mohamand who hit his child bride in the chest for going out without asking him first?
That "perfect man" Mohamand, what a guy!
Muslim men love "follow the leader",so good luck trying to change them.
Better to free the women, but then again, they can only marry Muslim men.
It is no wonder Mohamand put that law on the books, if the women were free, they would all be out of there.
No women , no babies, no Muslims,can't have that.
Peace on earth,
"The King is coming"
Happy Easter!
at March 23, 2008 3:28 PM
After those who live in the North of the planet, Muslim women in the Middle East are the biggest purchasers of light boxes for seasonal affective disorder. Actually they are experiencing Islamic Affective Disorder. Their "faithful" husbands never let them out of the house so they get a light deprivation disorder from the lack of sun. This in a desert country!
Muslim men must pass laws against Muslim women marrying non-Muslims simply because Muslims are bad husbands. There is no mutuality in Islam, since women are a field to be plowed. A prized field, but an object nonetheless. Jews and Christians make better husbands because their love is covenant and a mutual self-giving. Just look at the massive disparity between the levels of Muslim abuse of wives (very high) and the leve of abuse by Christian /Jewish men (low). In Europe, the abuse shelters are full of Muslim women wanting to escape their "peaceful" Islamic husbands.
Islam is a frustrating lie and does not produce peace for those who practice it, for the nations which live it, and especially for those who reject it. There is no real peace in Islam, only frustration.
Posted by: James Martel at March 23, 2008 3:55 PM
OT
Prague- The Czech extra-parliamentary nationalist National Party (NS) has offered its foreign server for the release of the controversial anti-Islamic film of Dutch ultra-right MP Geert Wilders, the NS announced on its website today.
http://illustratedpig.blogspot.com/2008/03/prague-czech-extra-parliamentary.html
Posted by: Shiva at March 23, 2008 4:56 PM
You can take the girl out of America but you can't take America out of the girl. Surely after 24 years, six children and, I'm sure, compulsory Qu'ran reading Miss Sharla would have figured out she ain't in Kansas anymore by now, Toto.
Islam is such a whorehouse. Why fret about a simple thing like broken bones in a woman's back? The important thing is to keep the supply of ready and able (no need to concern ourselves with willing) women available anytime a Muslim man needs servicing.
For anyone who still insists that this sort of atrocious, sanctioned and encouraged behavior is better than Christianity, please go suck an egg. Make that an Easter egg while you're at it.
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at March 23, 2008 5:01 PM
It's hard to feel really sorry about that woman, after all, she must have been pretty clueless to convert in the first place. What did she expect, Islam is one big NOW convention?
Posted by: Dumbo at March 23, 2008 8:22 PM
This idiot woman has been used by her muslim husband to earn a pticket to paradise for himself. He got an infidal woman to become muslim and she promptly spit out six muslim kids. he won the lesser jihad.
Posted by: desidude at March 23, 2008 9:03 PM
This idiot woman has been used by her muslim husband to earn a ticket to paradise for himself. He got an infidal woman to become muslim and she promptly spit out six muslim kids. he won the lesser jihad.
Posted by: desidude at March 23, 2008 9:03 PM
well, she wanted islam, that what she got!
what is her problem now?
Posted by: ploome at March 23, 2008 9:11 PM
With all due respect to Ms. Musabih, what the hell did she expect when she married a Muslim man, converted to Islam, and moved to a Middle Eastern country?
You move to a Muslim country and discover, to your horror, not only rampant physical and sexual abuse and exploitation of women, but rampant police and societal indifference. But does this have any connection to that fact that this is a Muslim country? Never!
As a woman I respect her for what she's doing to help abused women. But I also think she's long overdue for a "wake up and smell the Turkish coffee" moment.
Posted by: angloirishslav at March 23, 2008 10:46 PM
Others say Ms. Musabih’s aggressive approach — which includes appeals to foreign news media as well as tough, face-to-face lobbying — is inappropriate in the Arab world
They will "do her in."
well, she wanted islam, that what she got!
what is her problem now?
This is the same attitude that reigned supreme after 911. My English class was asked, "Does Islam oppress women?" One girl answered, No, it's not oppressive, it's not as if they don't know their own culture. They're used to it how could it be oppressive?
Yeah, I guess you get used to being beaten for accidently showing your ankles or having their head bashed in with rocks when you're seen with the wrong people - it goes with the territory. You know, kind of like being beaten and drug down the stairs in American culture - we're used to it so how ITF can we bitch about it, right? No sense in trying to stop it, right?
Thank G-d your not on my jury when my battering husband goes to trial for smashing my face into a mirror and throwing me out the plate glass window.
Posted by: Kemaste at March 24, 2008 1:45 AM
There are some people, who, in the end, when everything is against the wall, stand against evil. Labels, even self-ascribed, mean nothing then.
Posted by: Marwan'sDaughter at March 24, 2008 4:39 AM
It's in the book! It's in the Qur'an! Does that mean that the West has to look the other way? Nope.
Posted by: tanstaafl at March 24, 2008 8:33 AM
These "emirates" are living proof that money can buy anything.... except a civilization.
Posted by: Infidel33 at March 24, 2008 10:24 AM
Issabella,
Dubai is more like Oz crossed with Bladerunner. Why would an American woman move there, convert, and spit out six muslim kids? Simple: The wealth for Emrati citizens is fabulous there. She probably never had to change one stinking diaper and probably doesn't know how to boil water. She lives in a country with lovely beaches, new mansions, shiny cars, and great health care (though most the doctors are probably NOT Emrati). At least she is trying to do something though. Something is always better than nothing. If she stays alive and squeeks loud enough she might even gain some momentum. Give her credit for that at least. Gotta hand it to her husand though, she would never be able to do any of this WITHOUT his consent. Remember how the camel racing industry using young boys as jockeys got banned there. Most everyone in the UAE knew what was going on with those kids but it was international pressure that forced them to change. And it did not happen over night.
Posted by: never_submit at March 24, 2008 6:27 PM
Perhaps she was once moved by a masterpiece such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and then into her life stepped her own suave Omar Sharif pouring a honey coated potion in her ear which was so liberating,so empowering,so contrary to her own culture,that it could only serve to satisfy the appetite of the ignorant or the psychotically marginal of our civilization. Either way, a naive but stubborn woman. Stubbornness in this context is to be applauded,provided she isn't accident prone.
Posted by: We need G.C. Scott at March 25, 2008 8:16 PM
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