“One of the quarrels I have with European feminism is that they equate emancipation with looking ugly. “ Ayaan Hirsi Ali in Rebecca Johnson’s Vogue February article, ‘The Unbeliever.’
Happy Friday!!!
So I was tickled to receive my February issue of Vogue yesterday in the mail...
Apparently it's the 'Female Empowerment' issue.
I usually just flip through the book at first to get an idea of what’s going on, then delve into reading it—cover to cover—at a later date.
I was almost shocked to see that Vogue had not one, but two black contributors for the issue!
One was Edward Enninful...
... who, in response to ‘What do you wear to work?” said, “Black on Black is always chic.” I was confused by that statement just by looking at the picture, but I kept on scanning…
Then I saw that there was a beautiful black woman (in a hot suit)...
...named Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who is profiled in the back of the book. So of course I flipped to check her out.
So this woman is a very controversial figure…
She's an outspoken critic of Islam’s treatment of women, and has basically had to flee persecution several times. She was involved in making the Anti-Islam movie Submission with Theo van Gogh (You might have heard of this) which resulted in his death.
Vogue also included an excerpt from her book, the Infidel, where she talks about rescuing family members and friends during Somalia’s Civil War.
Definitely check it out!
Go on Vogue for showcasing sisters who, controversial or not, are doing it for themselves.
Want to know more about her story? Take a look at this video:
Smootches!
PS Shout out to Andre Leon Talley who featured the PBS DVD Boxed set of Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement ...
...in his ‘Life with Andre’ section.
At $385, it’s still very Vogue, but hey, you can’t put a price on history!
Have good weekends!
I thought that I was the only one who get giddy when receiving her monthly fashion mag. I do the exact same thing, get excited when I see it in the mail, get comfy and flip through the first time, then go back to read it thoroughly. Great minds think alike. Ciao!
ReplyDeleteYes Ayaan Hirsi Ali was the source of a lot of problems in Belgium and The Netherlands. Yet many of the women here admire her. Great you discovered her as well :).
ReplyDeleteEuropean feminists equate feminism with looking ugly? I thought that's what American pseudo feminists had as a preconception. *snort*
ReplyDeleteCan anyone help me with this fashion matter since this is a fabulous fashion blog.....I want to dress my black tuxedo suit down (yes, I'm a girl!), and wear it without the jacket...but what kind of top (and shoes for that matter) should I wear?? HELP!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI just saw one thrift store online
ReplyDeletehttp://pandora-closet.blogspot.com/
maybe you will like to visit.
Anyway I love reading your blog!
I did find Ms. Ali interesting, but I admit that I give her the side-eye when I found out she works for the Heritage Foundation, which is no bastion of progressive thinking.
ReplyDeletejust a heads up to anyone who may not have known: FGM (female genital mutilation) is actually forbidden in Islam. It's a cultural practice of Somalia, not a religious one. Also, forced marriage isn't allowed in Islam either--the bride must give willing consent before the marriage is validated, and her wishes must be upheld. I'm not trying to make this a theological/political discussion. Just wanted to get that out there b/c I have a muslim woman friend and learned about this stuff.
ReplyDeleteIt's just that the article didn't make this stuff entirely clear, and after reading it, I thought people should know.