Friends,
I am sure all on my list remember Wafa Sultan, the courageous woman from Syria who on live Al Jazeerah television told millions of Muslims that they were backward, and treated women like animals. She continues to receive death threats. What is harder to believe, is that some of the harshest criticism she’s gotten comes from a California Rabbi, director of inter-religious programming at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, who slammed her for telling the truth.
To Sultan’s remark in a speech that:“all Muslim women—even American ones, though they won’t admit it—are living in a state of domination” Stein replied: “There is no subjugation in the homes of American Muslim women I know. They are equal, fully contributing members of their families.” Right, the big expert on Muslim women. Stein was also “dismayed” that Sultan “never alluded to any healthy, peaceful Islamic alternatives.” Like he’s read the Koran in Arabic?
This reminds me of the days in which good Jewish communists refused to believe Stalin was slaughtering millions of Russians. They kept defending him, especially American Jewish communists, and vilifying anyone who dared say the truth.
From a Jewish woman who has written a number of books critical of my own Jewish community, my deepest apologies to Wafa Sultan. I think I speak for most in the Jewish community whose brains are still in tact, and who have the guts to think independently. Bravo Wafa. You are my hero.
Below, Wafa Sultan’s own words about Rabbi Stein. An absolute must read.
Naomi Ragen
