Iranian Women's Rights Activist address veil cultural relativism in the west

Andrew Doyle on Free Speech Nation asks a question most won't.

I have mixed views on GB News. It’s not something I often watch live. Firstly, I think the attempts to have it shutdown before it even launched were unhinged and hysterical.

Some of the people working there I like, and others have registered on my crankometer on occasion. But the point is, I’m a big boy and I should be allowed to make my own mind about about these things.

Someone who has been a constant voice of reason is my friend Andrew Doyle. It’s been great to see someone with his commitment to reason get his own show on a news channel.

On the Sunday 10th edition of Free Speech Nation, Andrew did a couple of things that absolutely needed to be done in news media—yet rarely, if ever, are.

Firstly, he put gender ideology and the issues of child safeguarding exactly where it belongs—in the news. You can watch his opening monologue about this here:

GB News @GBNEWS

Andrew Doyle: 'It's becoming increasingly clear that Mermaids - for all that it has been perceived as being progressive, inclusive and on “the right side of history” is, in fact, regressive, reactionary, and a danger to the very people it purports to help.'

He makes an excellent point about how other news channels go missing on this issue.

I was also pleased to see some of my footage from the Women’s Rally outside Scottish Parliament used on his show.

But the thing that stood out to me most was when Andrew welcomed two Iranian Women’s rights activist to his show. ‘Mooniter’ and Elnaz Sarbar joined him via video link to discuss the increasing civil unrest in Iran.

Then at some point in the interview Andrew asked them about the Western feminists that sometimes attempt to argue that the veil can be ‘empowering’. You can see the clip of this below:

Stephen Knight 🎙️ @GSpellchecker

Just look at the faces of these Iranian women's rights activists when @andrewdoyle_com asks them about Western feminists that think the face veil is "empowering". It tells you everything you need to know. Their response is well worth listening to.

The faces of the two activists tells you everything you need to know. This is the face I have seen at every conference involving Muslim dissidents when this topic has been brought up. Every time I have ever interviewed a feminist of a Muslim background, they have all shared their dismay at the cultural relativism of what passes for modern mainstream feminism.

They feel betrayal by the lack of interest in addressing conservative Islamic norms—which cause untold misery for women across the planet. Some western feminist groups actively use the Hijab as a symbol of defiance against perceived misogyny.

The point is—no one forced to wear a face covering feels particularly empowered, and whilst the vast majority of the ones wearing it are forced, it may be best not to include a symbol of global misogynist oppression in your feminist campaigning.

And those suffering under such oppression will not thank you for shutting down any discussion of it with cries of “Islamophobia”.

It was refreshing to see this point highlighted and discussed on an actual News Channel for a change.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.