Stuff We Love
Myriam Dalal

The Best Possible Comeback to a Sexist Attack


(Photo via Twitter)

Nasawiya activist Sinine Nakhle held up a poster during the solidarity protest in front of the Justice Ministry on Monday that said: “Mr. Imad Moussa, I wore a dress for you, is my voice heard now?”

She was responding to a host of sexist remarks published on both the NOW Media Arabic website by journalist Imad Moussa and the Lebanese Forces’ website by reporter Vera Bou Mounsef earlier this week.

In his piece, posted on NOW Media’s website on Sunday, Moussa describes Nasawiya’s group, saying: “I thought the Nasawiya NGO was [supposed to be] focused on female survival in Lebanon in the face of male domination, as well as an effort to protect pretty girls from rape and domestic violence.”

“Whoever thinks the ministers of this nation would [do anything] or [feel] regret for not doing anything about the parliament’s decision to extend its own term [into 2014] — just because these ladies decided to revolt against it — is mistaken.”

“I would’ve appreciated the enthusiasm from Nasawiya’s ladies more had they decided to go to a [Hezbollah-dominated neighborhood] and bash the ministers there with tomatoes.”

“Civil society movements are nothing more than exaggerated [entities, run by] fake elites, and in which women are becoming men and men just act like ‘cool’ kids.”

While Moussa’s comments were abhorrent, Vera Abou Monsef’s piece on the Lebanese Forces’ website , published on Monday, takes sexism to a whole new level. In her piece titled, “‘Hey Nasawiya,’ Acting a bit Feminine wouldn’t Hurt,” Abou Monsef starts the article by saying: “Maybe the group at Nasawiya needs some instruction on how to be feminine and on how to eradicate their violent and weird masculine sides.”

I, for one, am mourning the days when blogs didn’t yet exist and the only thing journalism was supposed to be was objective.

That’s all I have to say. Objectively.

And as for Sinine, dress or not, girl – you rock.