Dear Coffeehouse Barista,
I’m not sure if you remember me, considering how your comments on the book I was reading,
Opening the Gates: A Century of Arab Feminist Writing, were completely nonchalant and unimportant
to you. Yet, your little remark calling Arab feminism an “oxymoron” means so much more than you
could ever understand. By dismissing Arab feminism as nonexistent, you not only disregard and
belittle generations of work by important Arab feminists, you also fuel militarist and imperialist
attitudes through promoting the notion that Arab women need to be “saved” from tyranny and
oppression. The fact is, attitudes and beliefs like yours are the largest challenge activists such as myself
face when confronting real issues and concerns. Rather than spending time actualizing real change and
making a difference, I’m forced to waste the time to write this letter and clarify your misconceptions
about Arab feminism and Arab women. Unfortunately, this issue isn’t limited just to you. In the US,
there are far too many cultural stereotypes about the Muslim and Arab world, all relying on misinformed
symbols such as the “veil,” which push a linear, and incorrect, narrative that justifies intervention and
conquest. While I do acknowledge Islam's flaws, by painting us all as victims, you deny us our
individuality. I hope that for the future, you carefully evaluate these misconceptions and view
people not through the lens of common stereotypes, but through their unique
lived experiences.
From,

Amira Jarmakani

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