Egyptian feminist Mona Eltahawy cancels talk in De Balie/KUDOS Letter to Eltahawy!
Wo 24 April 2019 03:14 |
Astrid Essed |
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EGYPTIAN FEMINIST MONA ELTAHAWY FIGHTS ISLAMOPHOBIA/
CANCELS HER TALK IN THE ISLAMOPHOBIC DEBATING CENTRE DE BALIE, AMSTERDAM
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INTRODUCTION:
Dear Readers,
Hereby I share with you a Shout Out Letter to the Egyptian feminist Mona
Eltahawy for her cancelling of her talk in the debating centre De Balie in Amsterdam.
Background
The Egyptian writer, journalist and feminist, Mona Eltahawy would pay a visit to the Netherlands [her second] to
talk about her feminist ideals and especially about her forthcoming book, The Seven
Necessary Sins for Women and Girls, which will be published in
September 2019.
But debating Centre de Balie and her director Yoeri Albrecht has
turned into an Islamophobic centre.
A notorious example was a socalled ''ethnic cleansing debate'', held in De Balie,
called ''Waarom haten ze ons eigenlijk'' [Dutch for ''Why do they hate us?''] [1]
where notorious Islamophobic personages like the Dutch professor of jurisprudence
Paul Cliteur [2], the Belgian extreme right wing propagandist Wim
van Rooy and his son [a former politician of the Dutch right
wing Party of Freedom of Geert Wilders] and others, talked in
hate speech language about the Islam and muslims.
After this notorious debate another hatemonger, the Dutch journalist
Bernadette de Wit did a plea for the ethnic cleansing of muslims,
who didn't respond to her sick, far right views. [3]
Those facts were unknown to Mona Eltahawy, who lives and works
in Egypt and New York and is, except for radical feminist, being
a muslim herself, also a tough fighter against racism, fascism, Islamophobia and
''all forms of bigotry'' [her own words] [4]
Luckily, her Dutch progressive contacts and followers [Mona Eltahawy has
a very active twitter account] [5], warned her against the Islamophobic character
of De Balie and so she cancelled her talk tour evening in De Balie! [6]
I applauded this statement and decision of Mona Eltahawy, [whose
struggle I support although not agreeing at all points with her] and
therefore I wrote to her a KUDOS Letter of appreciation, titled
''YOUR STATEMENT TO DE BALIE/SHOUTOUT TO YOU!''
See below my KUDOS Letter to Mona Eltahawy, with notes
And down below, the notes, belonging to this Introduction, the Statement
of Mona Eltahawy [7] and
also the De Balie reaction on Mona's cancelling [8]
ENJOY READING!
Astrid Essed
MY KUDOS LETTER TO MONA ELTAHAWY
''''YOUR STATEMENT TO DE BALIE/SHOUTOUT TO YOU!''
TO
MRS M ELTAHAWY
Writer
Columnist
Journalist
Champion of women's rights and fighter against racism,fascism
,Islamophobia and all forms of oppression
Dear Mrs Eltahawy,
Being an admirer of your courage in the struggle for women's rights
as against racism, fascism and Islamphobia [although we disagree
on some minor points, but that matters not], I was very pleasantly surprised by your cancellation of your evening talk tour at De Balie. [1]
I am very glad you did, because on this way you are making a powerful
statement against De Balie's long time Islamophobia, with racist components
when it concerns easpecially Moroccons and other muslims of
colour.
De Balie angered me since long time, with as horrible point of depth the ''ethnic cleansing'' debate ''Why do they hate us'' [2] during which notorious
Islamophobe speakers like the Dutch professor of jurisprudence
Paul Cliteur [3], the Belgian extreme right wing propagandist Wim
van Rooy and his son [a former politician of the Dutch right
wing Party of Freedom of Geert Wilders] and others incited hatred in
their debate about ''the Islam'' and ''muslims''
After their hatred debate Bernadette de Wit, a hatemonging
journalist, invoked to the deportation of muslims.
There was pretty much outrage about this scandalous talk and
de Balie Director Joeri Albrecht [another Islamophobe] did not condemn
this ethnical cleansing debate.
I am glad, mrs Eltahawy, that your Dutch friends and contacts warned you
and that you canceled your De Balie talk.
KUDOS!
BRAVA!
You did the only right thing, given the circumstances
As you wrote in your excellent statement:
''These are dangerous times.'' [4]
There is an increasement of racism and fascism in Europe.
In the Netherlands, fascist parties like the Party for Freedom
[Geert Wilders] and Forum for Democracy [Thierry Baudet] [5]
are not only flourising.
They are treated like normal parties, especially in
talk shows as the media.
This is deadly dangerous.
As for me, on my own way I try to fight racism and Islamophobia [6]
and luckily there are far more critical people, but we are too few and
our number is diminishing.
Therefore you gave us hope.
Go on Mona Elthawy, with your struggle for what is right.
All the progressive forces will fight together and NEVER give up!
I thank you.
Though long the fight we know that right will triumph at the end!
Kind greetings
Astrid Essed
Journalist
Historian
Human Rights activist
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
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