Egyptian Islamist warning giving womens rights could destroy country

[demosincebirth]

Last edited Sun Mar 17, 2013, 12:45 AM - Edit history (1)

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood warns that a U.N. declaration on women's rights could destroy society by allowing a woman to travel, work and use contraception without her husband's approval and letting her control family spending.

The Islamist movement that backs President Mohamed Mursi gave 10 reasons why Muslim countries should "reject and condemn" the declaration, which the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women is racing to negotiate a consensus deal on by Friday.

The Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party propelled Mursi to power in June, posted the statement on its website, www.ikhwanweb.com, and the website of the party on Thursday.

Egypt has joined Iran and Russia - dubbed an "unholy alliance" by some diplomats - in threatening to derail the women's rights declaration by objecting to language on sexual, reproductive and gay rights.

The Muslim Brotherhood said the declaration would give "wives full rights to file legal complaints against husbands accusing them of rape or sexual harassment, obliging competent authorities to deal husbands punishments similar to those prescribed for raping or sexually harassing a stranger."

http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-islamists-warn-giving-women-rights-could-destroy-061331905.html

[GodlessBiker]

1. And here we are arguing about whether it's sexist for a man to open a door for a woman.

This Muslim Brotherhood is loaded with crackpots and losers who have nothing but contempt for women.

[niyad]

4. just like their like-minded brethren in this country--every single reichwingnut fundie who

seeks to revoke and destroy women's rights and autonomy. muslim fundie or xian fundie, very little difference.

[GodlessBiker]

10. +1

[The Straight Story]

5. Well I am betting part of their evil plots revolve around opening doors for them

That is a gateway into abuse.

It can't be that men like women and are suckers at times for doing nice things for those they like in a general sense. When I was young my dad told me 'to keep a woman in her place, help her out, open doors for her, help her with changing a tire'

I was at Sav-A-Lot today with my son. Old lady behind us in line had a few items (several roasts) and we could have let her go ahead. And for a second I thought about it.

Then realized it might be sexist or ageist. Letting her go ahead of us could possibly make me a bad person and harm her in a way she was not smart enough to understand (unless she reads here and has been educated).

She shuffled up and laid the roasts down on a shelf next to us so she would not have to hold them (she should have got a cart). I felt proud of myself. I didn't give in and let her be independent. She probably went home and thanked the lord that us younger guys did not insult her age and gender. I was hoping she would have thanked us right there and then for not subjecting her to unwanted kindness based on our sick prejudices. Was hoping to get some acknowledgement of my progressive actions and treating every single human on the planet as exactly the same.

Someday, perhaps, these people will realize I am just trying to help them pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

And yes - I really did go to sav-a-lot today and didn't let her cut in line. I felt I would be less of a person if I treated her somehow differently. My mom would kick my ass if she were alive, but then mom was not as enlightened as some here and did not get that being nice to others does more harm than good. And yes, I did think about DU and the posts here about this whole thing.

I now feel more progressive that I got out of the store a few minutes before she did. I didn't cave in to my biases. I treated her just like every other person. If dog the bounty hunter had been behind me I wouldn't offer him to move ahead in line, and I treated her as an equal to him.

Do I win the internets??

[PDJane]

2. The muslim brotherhood are doing just fine on their own.

Of course, the UN did a study that proved the fastest way to improve a country's economy and well-being is to educate women......which is being ignored in all of this.

[demosincebirth]

3. I'm sure it's pretty well known to Muslim leaders that education leads to empowerment

[LadyHawkAZ]

6. Wait, that's Egypt? I thought that was CPAC. n/t

[RainDog]

7. Women are the ones who will bring democracy to Egypt

And everywhere else in the world - not the "Brotherhood."

At least that's what the demographers see. When girls are educated and given the capacity to limit their family sizes, democracy flourishes. That was the "tell" for the collapse of communism in the USSR for demographers, too.

Funny that Russia is joining with religious fundamentalists now that they have robber baron capitalism.

Reminds me of something...

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. +1

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Ah patriarchy....

[Quantess]

9. Religious fundamentalism at its worst.

This is where christianity is heading if we let the fundies take control.