I fail to see the empowerment in hiding in a giant trash bag all day everyday.

I display my beauty to who I choose, too. Funny how I don't ahve to wear a full body bag, and be stoned to death if I'm raped, in order to accomplish it.

Hey, a full body bag IS a pretty appropriate thing for them to wear, given that they are so likely to die of violence. Maybe they just want to save the M.E. some time

The problem is, things are getting worse, not better. When I went to Gaza in the late 90s, there was almost no one in the full black abaya. Oh, there were a few, but not many. The white headscarf was much more common. But not everyone wore it either. Gaza was, and from my understanding still is, more Islamic and modest-dressing than the West Bank. But from the sound of it, it is going further in that direction which is not good.

I guess the folks who say that Christians in the U.S. need to relax and stop being so uptight, need to understand the rest of the world. Though, they tend to be the ones who also say that we need to be one world, without understanding what that means, also.

There are very few in the U.S. feminist movement who protest against the treatment of women in the Middle East including, but not limited to, the wearing of the hijab. Why is that ?

Forget Gaza. Muslim girl's schools in Britain have made niqabs & burkas compulsory (hijabs won't do):

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8038820/British-schools-where-girls-must-wear-the-Islamic-veil.html

That's what it's come to: Muslim fanatics are enforcing a harsher version of sharia on girls in Western cities than Hamas is on girls in Gaza. And they're getting away with it.

There are very few in the U.S. feminist movement who protest against the treatment of women in the Middle East including, but not limited to, the wearing of the hijab. Why is that ?

Not true. It's a major issue for NOW and the Feminist Majority.

On another site I read everyday, Susan Jacoby was [rightfully] mocked for her take on a similar issue. The best comment I there was this one:

Jacoby is wrong when she states:

"Her (Ali) thinking has clearly been influenced by the narrow prism of her colleagues — she is under the mistaken impression, for example, that most American feminists are indifferent to universal human rights..."

All of them are.

What do you expect?

The Gazans regularly harass and rape Western collegiates who volunteer to support the Pali cause.

And the Left-wing organizations cover it up.

Agreed, Martin.

To MonicaP: You say that a major issue for NOW is the maltreatment of women in the Middle East. Yet, mutilation of girls' genitals, stoning to death for adultery, and honor killings for marrying the wrong man continue and even increase.

What exactly are NOW and the feminists doing about it? How does one measure the effectiveness of whatever NOW is doing ?

Not sure I understand the point of a "class photo" in one of those getups... one lump of cloth looks pretty much like the next one. If the SNL cast had any balls, which they don't, they'd do a hilarious sketch mocking this. It's just begging for parody.

Problem is, Nick, NOW doesn't have a hell of a lot of clout... particularly in the Middle East.

Other nonprofits exist in the various oppressed places in the world... UN, Red Cross, CARE, etc. They tend to focus on educating women and helping them gain economic independence. The NGO I interned for focused on small business and promoting breastfeeding (sounds odd but is actually economically important for a variety of reasons) and feeding 8 kids on a small budget.

The problems are so big, that you have to start with very basic stuff. People in the West can't solve all the problems of the world, unfortunately, but you shouldn't knock their efforts. What are YOU doing, Nick?

I don't recall a statement from NOW per se, but you make a good point Amy.

I think it is a bit of inherent racism in our culture, there is a tendency for us (not everyone, of course) to shake our heads at "those savages" and the things they do, and to chalk it up to them just being inferior. I think most people consider Israel "one of us" and thus hold them to a higher standard.

Bit ironic, because the people who are saying "That's just their culture" probably see themselves as being more progressive and egalitarian, when in fact, its not.

On the other hand, though, the flotilla was more violent than the "repressive rules, hurtful comments, stupid words and contemptuous looks, and scorn" as described in your article. Perhaps videos of women getting beaten up in Gaza would do more to spark outrage.

Lets see, NicoleK.

In the past few years leaders at now have called ALL elementary aged school boys EVERYWHERE IN AMERICA 'gang rapists'

They came right out and said that they looked the other way when Ted Kenedy killed Mary Jo Kopechne and as such they were owed his offical endorsment for the Hillary Clnton presidental campaign.

They lie outright about the seriousness, frequency, and nature of sexual assults and rapes in america

They get legilastion passed which allows a woman to cry rape after regreting consentual encounters.

Theyar currently trying to pass laws federally criminalizing the 'wage gap' which is nothing more than a mathmatical mirrage created only by outrights lie about womens personal choices

But I cant for the life of me recall one thing they as a group have done about the plight of women in the middle east

Further, NOW just gave their endorsement to Jerry Brown in the CA governor's race... the day after he was revealed to have referred to his opponent, Meg Whitman, as a "whore".

NOW's Web site has a lot of stuff on it which argues intently against women's suffrage; fortunately, I know women are not all that nuts.