Liberating women

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One of the curious paradoxes of U.S. engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan is that while conservatives have seen the status of women in these societies as key to their transformation, Western feminists have been largely absent in this cause. Giving women political rights, allowing them to hold jobs, receive education and run for political office somehow have not reached the level of the feminist agenda. Feminists and Muslim women seem deeply estranged; dialogue between Muslim women and American feminists is an extremely rare occurrence.

As an article in the Carnegie Reporter on Islam and feminism stated, "Muslim women complain that many American feminists remain ignorant about Islam and unaware of groundbreaking theological work on women's rights being done by female Muslim scholars. They also criticize feminists for dismissing faith-based women's movements, "matronizing Muslim Women, and being fixated on the Islamic head cover."

Feminists are far too busy for that, promoting abortion "rights" and transgender issues around the world. As one self-declared feminist has put it, "Feminism is not just an issue or group of issues; it is the cutting edge of a revolution in cultural and moral values. ...The objective of every feminist reform, from legal abortion ... to child-care programs is to undermine traditional family values." In this agenda, there is little room or understanding for the hardships of women of the Muslim world. And of course it actually undermines the cultural values of much of both the Muslim and Christian worlds whose center is the family.

It is, therefore, the case that it has fallen to the Bush administration to champion the promotion of political and civil rights of women in the two countries that we have the possibility to impact the most — Iraq and Afghanistan. Today's program at the Heritage Foundation, featuring Andrea Bottner, director for International Women's Issues at the State Department, will focus on the courageous women in both countries who have stepped up to the challenge and engaged in the political process in their countries. Supporting them will have been one of the proudest achievements of the Bush administration.

As a consequence, while there certainly remain many problems, including a rise in the power of fundamentalist clerics who do push back against this trend, much has happened. Through our continued engagement — if indeed the American people through their votes in the presidential election chose to stay engaged — these two countries present a unique opportunity for those who believe in the universality of human and political rights.

To look at Iraq first, according to the State Department, the Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative helps build NGO and private-sector participation in leadership training and employment opportunities for women in Iraq. Today, women participate in all levels in Iraqi political parties, including leadership positions, and an increased number of women are now judges in Iraqi courts. Iraqi women's civil society associations have become more successful in advocacy aimed at the Iraqi government. The international community has engaged in support of Iraqi women and women-run businesses, and cooperatives in Iraq are growing in number and effectiveness. Likewise, among foundations, business, universities and professional associations, partnerships are growing to allow women more opportunities.

In Afghanistan, women's representation is growing in non-traditional ministerial, deputy ministerial and other policy-level positions. Afghan women continue to secure positions even as ambassadors, diplomats, judges, and the levels of Afghan female enrollment in schools and the workforce continue to increase.

The philosophical reason for this role reversal between American liberals and conservatives in embracing women's rights in these countries is that the liberal agenda has run into a self-delimiting phenomenon in dealing with the Muslim world. If you truly believe in multiculturalism and "tolerance," you cannot be allowed to judge other cultures, even when those cultures exhibit values that run deeply counter to your own. Tolerance becomes its own worst enemy — particularly as Muslim cultures are not themselves famous for tolerance of the values and faith of others.

Meanwhile, conservatives believe in a set of universal human rights that apply to human beings wherever they are — Afghanistan, Iran, China and Sudan — simply by virtue of their humanity. These rights are neither male nor female and therefore do not fit into the thinking of traditional feminism. However, they are extremely powerful and liberating.

Here is hoping that the good work of the Bush administration will take root for the benefit of those brave Muslim women who have risen to claim what is theirs by birthright.