Fighting repression in the Land of the Free: an Arab-American feminist perspective

This article is part of aseries for the annual and global 16 Days of activismagainst gender-based violence published in collaboration with the WomenHuman Rights Defenders Middle East and North Africa (WHRDMENA) coalition aspart of its #SheDefends yearly campaign. The articles reflect on the past, presentand future of feminist movements and the meaning of global solidarity.

El Saadawi Was Much More Than News Media Portrayed

On March 22, 2021, renowned Egyptian Arab feminist Nawal El Saadawi died of natural causes. A former comrade, she authored more than 50 books and her work has been translated into more than 30 languages. Itis no surprise that many corporate media obituaries have misrepresented her contributions, focusing only on aspects of her work that align with the sensationalized racist ideas that circulate across U.S. society about Arab and Muslim women.

Blatant Racism Against Muslims Is Still With Us

Shortly after his inauguration, President Joe Biden reversed former President Donald Trump’s MuslimTravel Ban, stating those actions are a stain on our national conscience.” This stance aligns with that of the tens of thousands of protesters who, at the time the first Muslim Travel Ban was enacted in January 2017, took the streets and to airports across the country with slogans such as, “We are all Immigrants,” “Standing with Muslims against Islamophobia,” and “Stop Hatred against Muslims.”