Challenging The Sacred: A Patriarchal System In Jeopardy?

The tidal wave of the Arab Spring (AS) upturned the dictatorships of Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak from Egypt, and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. The AS continues to burn hotly even two years on, threatening other authoritarian regimes in the Middle East with ruin. While many view the AS as a triumph of democracy and the social justice movement, it also signifies a ground shift in another important area. Not only are the long-standing authoritarian regimes threatened, but so are the fundamentally patriarchal social, cultural, political and economic systems in the Middle East. 

In a patriarchal social system, the father is the final authority. Females and children are subservient and society is patrilineal. Patriarchy has existed since the dawn of civilization, although in the past century many cultures have become more egalitarian (See "Patriarchy"). In the Western world, according to Manuel Castells, a sociologist specializing in research on communication and information, there has been a marked decline in the “patriarchal family concept” (See Castells, Manuel, p192). This decline stems largely from the democratization of information, technology and the rise of globalization (See Castells, Manuel, p196). Two key trends which challenged the patriarchal system were: 1) the dissolution of the Patriarchal Family ("the nuclear family") and 2) the rise of the feminist movement, and women's liberation, by association gay and lesbian movements as well (See Castells, Manuel, p196). The availability of birth control, family planning, and the introduction of women into the workforce allowing women to achieve economic independence have also been very important factors in challenging the patriarchal system.

While the strength of the patriarchal system has been eroded in the West, the same cannot be said of the Middle East. The AS has triggered a resurgence in the feminist movement. Women served at the frontline during the Tunisian and Egyptian Revolutions—marching, protesting, and dying with their male counterparts in the pursuit of social justice and freedom from oppression. With the dissolution of authoritarian regimes, newly drafted constitutions and laws to instill egalitarian ideals and women serving in legislatures, the future for women’s rights seems to be bright.

              Mona Eltahawy, a columnist and activist argues in “Why Do They Hate Us?” (See Eltahawy, Mona) that while political and social revolutions are occurring all over the Middle East, a war of oppression is still being waged on women in the Middle East-- despite the AS. “Political revolutions will not succeed unless they are accompanied by revolutions of thought – social, sexual, and cultural revolutions that topple the Mubaraks (sic) in our minds as well as our bedrooms.” (See Eltahawy, Mona). Her article has been decried by many (some of them feminists as well) as oversimplifying the relationships of women in patriarchal Islam. It has sparked hot debate. It seems that there is a wakening activism in the ME gaining momentum from the successes of the AS, where more and more women are embracing the goal of ending oppression by “men stuck in the seventh century” (See Eltahawy, Mona, describing the state of the Egyptian Parliament) and the redefining of woman's identity to affirm the long held goal of every feminist movement: "equality between men and women" (See Castells, Manuel, p234). 

The tone of Eltahawy’s writing is anger and frustration in the fact that there is world-wide media coverage of human rights in the Middle East with selective attention paid to a relatively small number of countries whereas the oppression of women is taking place systematically throughout the region. Female workers being beaten in Saudi Arabia (See Quiano and Basu), seemingly state sanctioned female rape in Tunisia (See “Tunisia Woman Accused”…), and the infamous “virginity tests” conducted during the Egyptian Revolution by the military (See “From Virginity Test to…”) are but a few examples. The attention given to women is far less than it deserves considering the seriousness of the ongoing and systemic abuses endured by them, so women must be continually persistent in their struggle for equality.

The advent of the AS has re-invigorated long struggling feminist movements in the Middle East and the toppling of authoritarian regimes has created a new environment in which issues involving women can be promoted and nurtured. On the other hand, there is a real risk that the ascent of Islamist parties to power may play a reactionary role in limiting women's rights, or at least the Western conception of women's rights, in Egypt and other countries. Will this movement ultimately liberate women's culture and women's minds to the extent that they will contravene long held social mores in Middle Eastern patriarchal societies (such as the place of women in the household and the workplace)? It is too early to tell, but there will certainly continue to be great upheaval in the societal mores of the Middle East.

Sources:

Castells, Manuel. (2004). “The Power of Identity 2nd Edition.” Singapore: Blackwell Publishing.

"Debating The War on Women." Foreign Policy. (April 24, 2012). Retrieved October 4, 2012, from: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/24/debating_the_war_on_women

Eltahawy, Mona. (May/June 2012). “Why Do They Hate Us?” Foreign Policy. Retrieved October 4, 2012, from: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/23/why_do_they_hate_us?page=0,1 

"Patriarchy." Wikipedia. (nd). Retrieved October 3, 2012, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarchy 

Quiano, Kathy and Moni Basu. (November 19, 2010). "Indonesian Maid Dies After Abuse In Saudi Arabia, Rights Group Says." CNN World. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from: http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-19/world/indonesia.saudi.maid.abuse_1_saudi-arabia-indonesian-maid-jeddah?_s=PM:WORLD 

"Tunisia Woman Accused Of Indecency After Alleged Rape By Police." Los Angeles Times. (October 2, 2012). Retrieved October 5, 2012, from: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/10/tunisia.html

Wilson, Willow. (September 3, 2012). "From Virginity Test To Power." The Guardian. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/sep/03/virginity-test-to-power