Karen Hughes vs. muslim women

Karen Hughes is not enjoying herself on her middle-east tour; she is metting discontent with muslim women in 2 countries, both of them are US allies. First Saudi, then Turkey. Bad news, no? Let's take a closer look, shall we? The Women of Saudi meetup: The Audience? The audience - 500 women covered in black at a Saudi university - seemed an ideal place for Karen P. Hughes, a senior Bush administration official charged with spreading the American message in the Muslim world, to make her pitch. An ideal place? Really? Ok! Who picked them and what segment of society do they represent? The group of women on Tuesday, picked by the university, represented the privileged elite of this Red Sea coastal city, known as one of the more liberal areas in the country. The Priviliged elite. Clearly the most oppressed of all saudi women, no? It even shows in their grievences: She seemed clearly taken aback as the women told her that just because they were not allowed to vote or drive that did not mean they were treated unfairly or imprisoned in their own homes. "We're not in any way barred from talking to the other sex," said Dr. Nada Jambi, a public health professor. "It's not an absolute wall." Not an absolute one, but a wall nonetheless! LOL And then there is the Michael Moore effect A woman in the audience then charged that under President Bush the United States had become "a right wing country" and that criticism by the press was "not allowed." LOL As for male chauvinism and that pesky question of women's rights? "There is more male chauvinism in my profession in Europe and America than in my country," said Dr. Siddiqa Kamal, an obstetrician and gynecologist who runs her own hospital. Yes, there is Chauvinism in the west, which makes the one we have at home Ok. "I don't want to drive a car," she said. "I worked hard for my medical degree. Why do I need a driver's license?" "Women have more than equal rights," added her daughter, Dr. Fouzia Pasha, also an obstetrician and gynecologist, asserting that men have obligations accompanying their rights, and that women can go to court to hold them accountable. Oh my God, this is too funny! I am laughing my ass off. Hehehehehehehee! Gotta say, Saudi men really know to how to "break-in" their women. For those of you who may disagree, I am sure those women could've spoken up against male domination and managed not to get beat up by their men at home. No? Well, enough of Saudi, on to Turkey, where things kept getting interesting for Karen, If interesting meant continuing to hear idiotic arguments: "You are very angry with Turkey, I know," said Hidayet Tuskal, a director of the Capital City Women's Platform, referring to what she characterized as United States reaction to opposition in Turkey to the Iraq war, which she said was a feminist issue because women and children were dying daily. "I'm feeling myself wounded," Ms. Tuskal added. "I'm feeling myself insulted here." Ok, does anyone get her point? She opposed the Iraq war because of women and children dying in it, and wasn't concerned with the women and children dying under Saddam? And it's a femenist issue? She feels wounded and insulted? What? Ohh, and please, american readers, let's take a survey: Every person who is "very angry" at Turkey for not supporting the US in the war raise your hands. Every person who couldn't give 2 shits about Turkey's support anyway-like the rest of the world- please refrain from laughing at her idiotic statement. And it just keeps getting better: Fatma Nevin Vargun, identifying herself as a Kurdish rights advocate, said she was "ashamed" of the war and added that the United States bore responsibility. Referring to the arrest of a war protester at the White House on Monday, she added, "This was a pity for us as well." She is a kurdish rights activist and opposed to the war that gave the Kurds their rights. Is anybody else getting this? Ahh, me loves the New York Times. It always gives me a good laugh!