Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption
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- Create Date：2021-08-20 00:19:07
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Rafia Zakaria
- ISBN：1324006617
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Reviews
Brown Girl Bookshelf
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If you're in a fiction groove， we implore you to get out of it - even if briefly - for Rafia Zakaria's "Against White Feminism。"Zakaria's work is destined for every "must-read feminist" list for its searing truth and organized research。 Despite the hard-hitting title， Zakaria's thesis is inclusive: eliminating white feminism cannot be equated to dismissing white women from feminism; rather， we must collectively remove centuries of white supremacy and capitalism from the common spaces of feminism If you're in a fiction groove， we implore you to get out of it - even if briefly - for Rafia Zakaria's "Against White Feminism。"Zakaria's work is destined for every "must-read feminist" list for its searing truth and organized research。 Despite the hard-hitting title， Zakaria's thesis is inclusive: eliminating white feminism cannot be equated to dismissing white women from feminism; rather， we must collectively remove centuries of white supremacy and capitalism from the common spaces of feminism to enable Black and Brown voices to equally participate in the movement。Where Mikki Kendall's "Hood Feminism" fell short of historical and contemporary examples， Zakaria's work includes an overflowing amount of studies。 The insertion of her personal experiences - moving from Pakistan to the U。S。， escaping an abusive marriage， and witnessing inequalities as an attorney at a majority-minority firm - will， I hope， allow readers to not simply observe her zeal but buy into her words too。 。。。more
Liz
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Thank you， NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。In Against White Feminism， Zakaria highlights how feminism has continuously ignored the needs of women of color。 She effortlessly blends examples from her own life and connects them to white feminist movements throughout history and the present day。 Zakaria has obviously done her homework and is well-spoken on the topic。 I think this is an important work for any feminist to read。 Zakaria states her thoughts clearly and inclu Thank you， NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。In Against White Feminism， Zakaria highlights how feminism has continuously ignored the needs of women of color。 She effortlessly blends examples from her own life and connects them to white feminist movements throughout history and the present day。 Zakaria has obviously done her homework and is well-spoken on the topic。 I think this is an important work for any feminist to read。 Zakaria states her thoughts clearly and includes many examples to make her point。 I have found myself taking my time to read through each chapter because it's a lot to digest。 There are a lot of different ideas in this book （and some new ideas to me， although they're probably not new to non-white folk） and it's also helped me view the world and womanhood from a different perspective。 I'm interested to read more non-white feminist theory， specifically Muslim feminist theory， and I'd like to learn more about the time periods and historical references she made throughout the book。 。。。more
Barrett
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https://apple。news/AUP0NZGHbQyq9_J4gT。。。 https://apple。news/AUP0NZGHbQyq9_J4gT。。。 。。。more
Gisele McGraw
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Intellectually lazy and gratuitously antagonistic--most likely with the goal of increasing sales by aspiring to be "provocative"。 The title is needlessly inflammatory and foments outrage much like Fox News。 When you confound the notion of white women with women of privilege who are of Anglo Saxon or western European elites you essentially dismiss women who appear to be "white" physically but are Slavic， Persian， Romanian， Lebanese， Armenian etc。。。 and you relegate their struggles and their contr Intellectually lazy and gratuitously antagonistic--most likely with the goal of increasing sales by aspiring to be "provocative"。 The title is needlessly inflammatory and foments outrage much like Fox News。 When you confound the notion of white women with women of privilege who are of Anglo Saxon or western European elites you essentially dismiss women who appear to be "white" physically but are Slavic， Persian， Romanian， Lebanese， Armenian etc。。。 and you relegate their struggles and their contributions to the dustbin with one pathetic reductionist， woefully inaccurate term。 Well this Slavic woman whose immigrant mother and grandmother struggled to overcome deeply entrenched patriarchal values and misogyny is not impressed。 This author is the flip side of a die-hard Trumpist fundie--different lens but same narrow， unhinged and unenlightened way of delivering her point of view。 And it is just that--a point of view although deeply warped and myopic。 。。。more
Susan
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This book took a more global approach to the impacts of white centric feminism than I had expected。 That isn't a bad thing。 It was an educationally different thing than what I had anticipated reading。 White privilege impact how feminist doctrine has been formed。 The book pushes for these to be removed from the fight for women's rights by recognizing that the issues of feminism aren't just those issues facing white women。 Unlike a few other books on this subject I have read， this book placed a la This book took a more global approach to the impacts of white centric feminism than I had expected。 That isn't a bad thing。 It was an educationally different thing than what I had anticipated reading。 White privilege impact how feminist doctrine has been formed。 The book pushes for these to be removed from the fight for women's rights by recognizing that the issues of feminism aren't just those issues facing white women。 Unlike a few other books on this subject I have read， this book placed a larger emphasis on the commercialization of feminism。 While being told they are independent and equal to men， women are at the same time being told that this cigarette will make them sexy thereby immediately objectifying them。 It continues to provide multiple examples of how colonialism brought about the unequal view and treatment of brown women versus white women。 In the UK and USA， women were burned at the stake while in India， British colonizers made it illegal for a widow to burner herself on her husband's pyre。 Really， it was about control。 It still is。 Women， white women， need to recognize that the privilege they receive as second class white citizens is just that and only at the convenience of white men。 All women need to consider the concerns for all women and provide a united front。Thanks to NetGalley and W。W。 Norton & Company for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Ceci - csquaredreads
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Feminists， add this book to your TBR。In AGAINST WHITE FEMINISM， Rafia Zakaria writes on the many blind spots of feminism that hinder true equality and instead promote oppression。 This work is an essential piece of the feminist puzzle。 Zakaria writes with clarity and brevity， providing not only historical and modern critiques but also necessary steps to make actual feminism a reality。 The book excels at giving context while also getting straight to the point。Some topics covered:-What white femini Feminists， add this book to your TBR。In AGAINST WHITE FEMINISM， Rafia Zakaria writes on the many blind spots of feminism that hinder true equality and instead promote oppression。 This work is an essential piece of the feminist puzzle。 Zakaria writes with clarity and brevity， providing not only historical and modern critiques but also necessary steps to make actual feminism a reality。 The book excels at giving context while also getting straight to the point。Some topics covered:-What white feminism is & how and why ANYONE can be a white feminist-Trickle down feminism - the false and dangerous assumption that empowering white and wealthy women will in turn empower BIPOC and low income women-The cultural superiority the west believes in， when violence against women is just as embedded in their society-How capitalism is incompatible with the feminism & co-opted feminism as a brand rather than a force for changeThis book reminded me a lot of HOOD FEMINISM in its writing and focus。 I highly recommend it BUT I also recommend reading WHITE TEARS/BROWN SCARS by Ruby Hamad BEFORE reading this book。 Hamad lays a lot of the foundational work to understand the points Zakaria is making， and Zakaria provides examples that build off and flesh out Hamad’s work。"When you are called out for white feminism， this not a mere description of your racial heritage， something you may feel guilty about but can do nothing to change。 It is a description of your words and actions。 It is crucial that white women realize that being white and a woman are not the criteria that make a woman a white feminist; it is instead refusing to recognize white privilege。""This is not an elimination of white women from feminism; it is an elimination of “whiteness” from feminism， in the sense that whiteness has been synonymous with domination and with exploitation。 And this goal can never be achieved without the support of white women。"Thank you W。 W。 Norton for the gifted ARC！ 。。。more
Risa
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An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review。 4。5 stars？This is a good read， an important one， and not an easy one。 It requires thought and processing time。 Although the writer takes time to define key terms related to intersectionality， oppression， and identify， the text extends beyond a simple introduction to these ideas。 It addresses current issues as well as selected crucial moments from feminist history。 I learned quite a few things from An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review。 4。5 stars？This is a good read， an important one， and not an easy one。 It requires thought and processing time。 Although the writer takes time to define key terms related to intersectionality， oppression， and identify， the text extends beyond a simple introduction to these ideas。 It addresses current issues as well as selected crucial moments from feminist history。 I learned quite a few things from reading it and am considering other issues differently after some of the facts and arguments that the author presented。 I think this will be a book that I also purchase （as a physical copy） and revisit in the future。 I’m very glad to have read Against White Feminism this summer。 。。。more
Adn
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A much needed discussion。 The book is well written and it rightly excoriates white feminism。
Violet
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I picked this book mostly because of the provocative title， which Rafia Zakaria explains in her introduction: "（。。。） to be a white feminist， you simply have to be a person who accepts the benefits conferred by white supremacy， at the expense of people of colour， while claiming to support gender equality and solidarity with 'all' women"。 You do not need to be white to be a white feminist， and you can be white and a feminist without being a white feminist。Rafia Zakaria came to the US as a bride， o I picked this book mostly because of the provocative title， which Rafia Zakaria explains in her introduction: "（。。。） to be a white feminist， you simply have to be a person who accepts the benefits conferred by white supremacy， at the expense of people of colour， while claiming to support gender equality and solidarity with 'all' women"。 You do not need to be white to be a white feminist， and you can be white and a feminist without being a white feminist。Rafia Zakaria came to the US as a bride， on an arranged marriage to a Pakistani-American doctor。 She was seventeen and was 'allowed to go to college' in exchange。 She left the marriage a few years later with her two year old daughter and stayed in a centre for victims of domestic violence。 Throughout the book， she examines the heritage of both Western colonialism， and Western feminism: where women of colour have been subjected to new rules by various empires， only to be told now they must be saved and liberated by the descendants of the colons。 She goes into the way Western feminism values "rebellion rather than resilience"， and that women of colour who remain with their families and endure difficult circumstances are not celebrated and admired because of their resilience， but pitied because of course they should want to be liberated， and to be able to leave， get a job and pursue their dreams in a capitalist world。 She provides many examples of misguided help to 'save' these women - the initiative to liberate Indian women from the kitchen by giving them modern stoves to replace the wood stoves they used， and to encourage them to leave the kitchen to go and work - when opportunities are limited， but working in a factory is seen as more liberating than spending hours by the hearth cooking for the family。 She examines how we remember the white suffragettes， Western feminists and celebrate them for fighting for women's rights， forgetting the many black and brown activists who also identified fights to be fought and mobilised women。 What we see today as the liberation of women is based on "Western norms"， she writes: white feminists want to liberate Muslim women from the hijab or from sexual submission， but these women are not heard。 They are "helpless， backwards， pre-Enlightenment versions of white Western women， whose social and cultural differences are to be solved"。 White feminists know what they need in order to be 'saved' and 'liberated'， and "the poor Brown woman will gratefully accept it"。 The story of the Gates fundation gifting chicken to empoverished women to help them start their own business was a telling story。 She also examines the media and how women of colour are portrayed: "Brown and Black women are imaged to exist in a much simpler world， held back from success by very basic issues that have very basic solutions"。 This is the narrative - and charitable organisatons love these stories， and the solution is always a stove or a handful of chicken -， and they are perpetuated by many white journalists - many white women， who have access to intimate circles and report gleefully on the sad lives of these women， according to their own standards of what a good， liberated life should be like。 There is a chapter about sexuality - how the norm for a feminist sexuality is more "Sex and the City" than whatever cultural norms women from around the world might know and want - and the assumption that "as a society evolves it becomes more sexually liberated" - hence why so many portrayals of women in Muslim countries， for example， show a fascination for their sexuality （or lack of） and sees it as a clear sign of repression。 Rafia Zakaria talks about various issues - honour killings （she notes that male violence is referred to as "honour killing" when both individuals are Muslim; but this is not the case when a white woman dies at the hand of a white， male perpretator）， FGM， and highlights that although they are serious issues， they are maybe not the main issue faced by women and that although a lot of money is spent by Western countries such as Sweden and the US to protect girls from countries where FGM is practiced， the progress made was made by local， women-led organisations。Lastly， she reflects on how feminism has become capitalised and individual， rather than political - with no one really accountable anymore， and solutions being individual rather than， say， economical or political。I was surprised by how much there was in such a short book！ I thought I knew roughly about white feminism， without being to articulate it very well - she proved me there was so much I did not know， did not think about， did not realise， or that I did not know the details of。 It was incredibly well-written， clear， engaging， thought-provoking without being provocative， and well-researched。 I have really enjoyed reading it; I don't know how much someone who knows more about intersectionality would learn from it， but I think just because of the examples she provides and the other female Muslim scholars she quotes， it is worth reading。Free copy sent by Netgalley。 。。。more
Sally
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remember kids， misogyny is okay as long as you preface it with "white"！ :） remember kids， misogyny is okay as long as you preface it with "white"！ :） 。。。more
Puppet Master
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Another racist book that attacks productive thinking and action。 The intersectional Marxists won’t stop until they’ve alienated every “group” from all others。 This book claims that white women somehow have different wants， needs， and values than women that aren’t white—mental acrobatics at its best。 It also ignores all of the women， that aren’t white， that have played a role in American feminism。 Another Marxist tactic—rewriting history。 And simple-minded fascists eat it up， ignoring their famil Another racist book that attacks productive thinking and action。 The intersectional Marxists won’t stop until they’ve alienated every “group” from all others。 This book claims that white women somehow have different wants， needs， and values than women that aren’t white—mental acrobatics at its best。 It also ignores all of the women， that aren’t white， that have played a role in American feminism。 Another Marxist tactic—rewriting history。 And simple-minded fascists eat it up， ignoring their families and humanity because of their psychotic， imaginary obsessions。 。。。more
Meaghan
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This may be the most racist & hateful manifesto I’ve ever digested。Shame on you for spreading lies and hate。Not to mention rife with jealousy & self hatred。
Daniel Bergeleen
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This book is an important take on the state of feminism in the United States， though it can also be applied to the global feminist movement， as well。 Despite the inflamatory title， Zakaria isn't trying to exclude anyone from feminism。 Rather， the intent of this book is to expose how whiteness has detracted from the ultimate goals of feminism while also silencing the voices of feminists/allies of color。 "White" feminism is the movement of feminism built upon the same power structures that have re This book is an important take on the state of feminism in the United States， though it can also be applied to the global feminist movement， as well。 Despite the inflamatory title， Zakaria isn't trying to exclude anyone from feminism。 Rather， the intent of this book is to expose how whiteness has detracted from the ultimate goals of feminism while also silencing the voices of feminists/allies of color。 "White" feminism is the movement of feminism built upon the same power structures that have restricted the rights and voices of people of color and the LGTBQ communities。 White feminism is less about the race of feminists， and more about the ignoring of the power structures that allow white scholars， activists， and politicians to be the de facto spokespeople for the feminist movement because those avenues are more easily accessible for non-POC。 Overall， an interesting， eye opening， and potentially inspiring read addressing the possible futures of feminism。 。。。more
Róisin （somethingarosie）
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‘A white feminist is someone who refuses to consider the role that whitness and the racial priveledge attached to it has played， and continues to play， in universalizing white feminist concerns， agendas and beliefs as those of all of feminism and all feminists’。。。。‘More broadly， to be a white feminist you simply have to be a person who accepts the benefits conferred by white supremacy at the expense of people of colour， while claiming to support gender equality with “all” women’。…‘An aversion to ‘A white feminist is someone who refuses to consider the role that whitness and the racial priveledge attached to it has played， and continues to play， in universalizing white feminist concerns， agendas and beliefs as those of all of feminism and all feminists’。。。。‘More broadly， to be a white feminist you simply have to be a person who accepts the benefits conferred by white supremacy at the expense of people of colour， while claiming to support gender equality with “all” women’。…‘An aversion to acknowledging lived trauma permeates white feminism， which in turn produces a discomfort towards and an alienation from the women who have experienced it’。Against White Feminism is a thought-provoking， educational and at times， difficult read。 An exposé on the performative nature of the feminist movement which is primarily lead by the most privileged and rarely allows the voices of those who truly need feminism， to be heard。 Rafia Zakaria offers a clear and concise analysis of how we have gotten to this point and what should happen next， to improve the situation。 Their passion for the cause is palpable throughout。 This is a necessary book， one that needs to be read by everyone。 Especially the most privileged who blindly lead the feminist movement。 Thank you to Netgalley for my advanced copy。 。。。more
TKP
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Been waiting a long time for a book like this to be written。 A must read for all feminists！ I loved this， knew a lot of it already but was still learning new things。
Diane
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In Against White Feminism， Rafia Zakaria investigates White Feminism， or feminism steeped in white supremacy and capitalism that centers on the needs and existence of white women。 Zakaria brings the reader alongside a thorough examination of the pitfalls of White Feminism， primarily through historical and contemporary examples。 Zaharia highlights a patronizing and dangerous trend in which white women are presumed experts in liberation， despite lacking the knowledge and cultural competency to be In Against White Feminism， Rafia Zakaria investigates White Feminism， or feminism steeped in white supremacy and capitalism that centers on the needs and existence of white women。 Zakaria brings the reader alongside a thorough examination of the pitfalls of White Feminism， primarily through historical and contemporary examples。 Zaharia highlights a patronizing and dangerous trend in which white women are presumed experts in liberation， despite lacking the knowledge and cultural competency to be effective， too frequently resulting in more harm than non-action。 I learned so much from Zakaria’s intentional research， and I found her analysis to be both accessible and engaging。 I really enjoyed this work， and I highly recommend it！I received an advanced copy of Against White Feminism from Netgalley and W。 W。 Norton in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Alexis
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In Against White Feminism， Rafia Zakaria pens an informative narrative of how whiteness is embedded into the very foundation of American （to some extent even global） feminism。 Since it’s conception in the 1800s， feminism has sought to improve the lives of women global， but at the fault of doing so through a predominately white， Western lens。 Despite its cries of and for inclusivity and solidarity， it is the elite white woman who have left their lasting marks on the movement at the expensive of s In Against White Feminism， Rafia Zakaria pens an informative narrative of how whiteness is embedded into the very foundation of American （to some extent even global） feminism。 Since it’s conception in the 1800s， feminism has sought to improve the lives of women global， but at the fault of doing so through a predominately white， Western lens。 Despite its cries of and for inclusivity and solidarity， it is the elite white woman who have left their lasting marks on the movement at the expensive of silencing the Black and brown voices they claim to help。 Highlighting her own experiences with exclusion from feminist forums， as well as exclusion of Black and brown global voices， Zakaria calls for a re configuring of feminist discourse to highlight common ground issues faced by women global， not just those that affect the white narrative。 Zakaria highlights early on that eliminating white feminism is not the elimination of white women from feminism but removing centuries of white supremacy and capitalism from the common spaces of feminism， such that Black and brown voices can carry equal weight in their narratives。 This book forces all those who consider themselves feminists to truly consider the voices that carry weight and the harm being done to marginalized communities by perpetuating the current form of feminism in today’s society。 This is a must read book for every feminist， years too late in its making but crucial to the movement going forward。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
cave dweller
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Powerful， punchy and VERY much needed in our current climate， Zakaria's book is a call for attention to racial differences in the feminist movement。 After finishing this all in one day and sitting with a lot of concepts and knowledge that was new to me （such as how deeply capitalist many aid initiatives are beneath the surface） i think it would be a crime for this book not to be considered required reading on its release within the next few months。 It covers an extremely broad amount of ground i Powerful， punchy and VERY much needed in our current climate， Zakaria's book is a call for attention to racial differences in the feminist movement。 After finishing this all in one day and sitting with a lot of concepts and knowledge that was new to me （such as how deeply capitalist many aid initiatives are beneath the surface） i think it would be a crime for this book not to be considered required reading on its release within the next few months。 It covers an extremely broad amount of ground in detail and depth without ever losing pace or focus， and questions many of feminism's flaws when it comes to the acceptance of white women as the 'norm' and its failure to account for the unique experiences of WOC， or even consult them on their own issues。 This book may cause some discomfort amongst many white feminists but that is essential to bring about change。 I highly recommend this！（Recieved for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review） 。。。more
Viola
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AlienatedRafia Zakaria， May 14th 2021 TheBaffler。All the CIA’s WomenWhen the Sisterhood is too powerfulIT IS A TRUTH UNIVERSALLY acknowledged that the spy agency of a superpower constituted mostly of white men must be in search of brown women。 So it appears is the current reality of the CIA， which， to the general disapprobation of all sides of the political spectrum， has produced a recruitment advertisement featuring a Latina woman。 In the commercial， this cis-gender millennial （we know this bec AlienatedRafia Zakaria， May 14th 2021 TheBaffler。All the CIA’s WomenWhen the Sisterhood is too powerfulIT IS A TRUTH UNIVERSALLY acknowledged that the spy agency of a superpower constituted mostly of white men must be in search of brown women。 So it appears is the current reality of the CIA， which， to the general disapprobation of all sides of the political spectrum， has produced a recruitment advertisement featuring a Latina woman。 In the commercial， this cis-gender millennial （we know this because she tells us） admits to all sorts of deficiencies; she has an anxiety disorder and has struggled with imposter syndrome （because minority women， all of them， must worry about being as good as middle-aged white men， the CIA’s chief demographic）。 Perfection， the ad seems to tell us， has to be abandoned in the agency’s turn to be racially inclusive; now it has to deal with anxious moms who’re worrying about their children。Most of the debate around the ad， which has received an inordinate amount of attention （to which I am grumpily contributing）， has revolved around issues of “wokeness。” Conservatives （to the extent that the post-Trump remainders can be referred to in this manner） still clutching to the myth of a raceless America are decrying the agency’s drive for inclusion as a capitulation。 Senator Ted Cruz mourned the new turn for the fact that it was not scary enough， tweeting: “If you’re a Chinese communist， or an Iranian mullah， or Kim Jong Un 。 。 。 would this scare you？ We’ve come a long way from Jason Bourne。” Someone had to remind the senator that Jason Bourne was not an actual agent， but a work of fiction。 The American left laughed too。 The ad’s clever if ironic co-opting of anti-racist language to further the interests of an organization that has been implicated in the torture of thousands and in coups that have destabilized nations was duly noted。These， however， are superficial quibbles and they ignore the infrastructure that has already been put in place to create the agency’s particular brand of what Columbia University anthropologist and social science professor Lila Abu-Lughod has called “securofeminism，” or the particular installation of women in leadership positions of initiatives to counter violent extremism。 White women， either unsuspicious or unconcerned about the blood on the hands of empire （or its spy agency）， gladly signed up。 Proof was in the pudding in 2011， when Osama bin Laden was killed by American Navy Seals; for years， even before bin Laden was well-known， the work of finding him was attributed to a team of white women within the CIA called “The Sisterhood。”They may have felt they were on a noble mission， but the work always requires moral and ethical compromise: the CIA is the entity that attempted in 2011 to gather DNA evidence from children believed to be associated with bin Laden by using a vaccine clinic as a covert operation。 The CIA’s actions to co-opt the vaccination campaign ended up harming the trust in vaccines in Pakistan altogether， which led to a drop-off in vaccinations， thus contributing to deaths in the current pandemic。 This sisterly superpower of looking the other way was distilled into a single heroine in the raid’s cinematic translation， Zero Dark Thirty， where Jessica Chastain plays Maya， an undeterrable woman who does not balk at torture。 A future projection for Chastain’s character could easily have been a shoo-in for the agency’s recent director， Gina Haspel， the first woman to hold that role。 The model for the ultimate CIA heroine is for her to be white and for her to elide over the obvious white supremacy built in to American foreign policy and its espionage agenda。 The invitation to join the CIA proffered to Latinas， then， is hardly an invitation to wokeness or racial diversity; it is simply an invitation to become white， or at least to pretend that you have done so。Those who would describe themselves as intersectional feminists would have some problems throwing other women under the bus or， more aptly， under the drone。For the torrent of wokeness that the CIA recruitment commercial belts out， one word is notably missing。 “I am intersectional，” the unnamed woman declares; not “I am an intersectional feminist。” The absent word， its intentional and， to use the ad’s own word， “unapologetic” excision of feminism， may well be one bumbling Freudian attempt to own up to the dirty work that the agency will require Brown women to do。 An intersectional feminist， a la the legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw， would be someone who recognizes that race and class have an impact on the worth assigned to women。 Those who would describe themselves as intersectional feminists would have some problems throwing other women in other countries， declared worthless as they are by a global system erected on white and Western supremacy， under the bus or， more aptly， the drone。 They would know that the United States does not simply institutionalize white supremacy at home but as far as its imperial tentacles will reach。 There is a crucial difference here: an imperial feminist joins the CIA to feel powerful by signing up to the further the agenda of empire; an intersectional feminist refuses to target and kill Brown and Black women at the behest of empire and white supremacy。In her incisive new book Radicalizing Her: Why Women Choose Violence， Dr。 Nimmi Gowrinathan presents a pressing analysis that reveals just how little the struggles or achievements of female fighters in other countries are valued by mainstream white feminists。 She interviews women from the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka and women in Eritrea， Colombia， and Mexico to reveal that these women are neither duped nor weak-willed， assumptions that have nevertheless been deployed both by the state they confront and struggle against and an international aid infrastructure that constructs the Countering Violent Extremism programs that are meant to re-train them to be politically mute and hence “safe。”Over the past few years， the growing prominence of women in movements protesting against the rampant police killings of Black people and of the inhuman conditions afforded asylum-seekers and migrants from Latin America has undoubtedly worried the CIA。 The risk is that these Black and Brown women would identify more readily with those others in the world fighting oppressive states rather than their own state institutions （such as the FBI and the CIA） likely poses， in their view， a risk that government in the United States would be recalibrated such that billions are not poured into agencies like the CIA but instead into programs that actually help Black and Brown women。The goal of the CIA in recruiting Latina women， then， is not to implement some newfound commitment to racial inclusion by the adoption of policies or at least language that suggests a sensitivity toward racial and sexual minorities。 It is instead a selfish initiative， designed to take in Brown women by providing them a shortcut to power rather than actual empowerment。 Here again the agency is playing the long game; enough racial diversity at a time when the United States is undergoing demographic transformation ensures that future voters will not cut down its cushy share of the pie and continue to let its officers be imperial killers。+++++++Rafia Zakaria is the author of Veil （Bloomsbury 2017） and Against White Feminism （forthcoming， August 2021）。 She is a columnist for Dawn in Pakistan。 She's written for the Guardian， Boston Review， The New Republic， and The New York Times Book Review。Source: https://thebaffler。com/alienated/all-。。。 。。。more
Sara Broad
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"Against White Feminism" by Rafia Zakaria is about how the feminist movement， with its primary focus on white women， has historically excluded women of color。 From Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech during the women's suffrage movement to white， female-led NGOs， white， upper-middle class women have both willingly denied a voice and decided what is best for women of color in the United States and around the world。 While there is not 100% equality between white women and white men， there a "Against White Feminism" by Rafia Zakaria is about how the feminist movement， with its primary focus on white women， has historically excluded women of color。 From Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech during the women's suffrage movement to white， female-led NGOs， white， upper-middle class women have both willingly denied a voice and decided what is best for women of color in the United States and around the world。 While there is not 100% equality between white women and white men， there are privileges afforded nevertheless， and it is from this privilege that white women have shaped and defined what we are taught is feminism。 The feminist ideals of capitalist-influenced sexual freedom， an emphasis on women's empowerment， and the disruption of cultural practices deemed unsavory have had severe， irreversible consequences on black， brown， and Asian women across the globe。 This book also forced me to think critically about some of the female journalists， authors， and photographers that have profited off how they exposed women in other countries。 I really hope that all white women who consider themselves feminist will read "Against White Feminism。" 。。。more
Jasmine
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Against White Feminism will be a hard pill to swallow for a lot of white feminists， but it is something that needs to be strived for in order for all feminists to be included in feminism。Rafia Zakaria states that a white feminist is someone who does not consider the role that whiteness and its inherent racial privilege that has led to universalizing white feminist concerns and goals and liberally applying it to all feminism and feminists。 Zakaria also asserts that a white feminist is not always Against White Feminism will be a hard pill to swallow for a lot of white feminists， but it is something that needs to be strived for in order for all feminists to be included in feminism。Rafia Zakaria states that a white feminist is someone who does not consider the role that whiteness and its inherent racial privilege that has led to universalizing white feminist concerns and goals and liberally applying it to all feminism and feminists。 Zakaria also asserts that a white feminist is not always white and that someone can be white and a feminist without being a white feminist。 Her argument for this work is that whiteness and white supremacy needs to be removed from feminism in order for feminism to evolve into something better。 The topics discussed here range from white feminists imposing their feminist views across the globe to the topics of “honor” killings and female genitalia cutting。 The latter is something that I have only previously considered from a western viewpoint， but from reading this I have learned that programs fighting against FGC are creating new problems for these communities which are highly invasive and traumatizing for the young girls affected。 Namely， that girls who have not experienced FGC are falsely under the suspicion that they have and are now forced into an invasive medical exam by some well-meaning white feminist。 This book clearly needed to be written。 Rafia Zakaria did a superb job highlighting these issues and providing a guide on how we can move forward。 。。。more
Bob Hughes
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This book packs a powerful punch in a short space， and I think is destined to be on hundreds of 'books you must read' lists to come。Covering a broad range of topics， from her personal experiences as a woman moving from Pakistan to the US and navigating conversations with white friends and colleagues， to the harmful outlooks and decisions of international aid organisations， Rafia Zakaria argues powerfully about the dangers of one narrative- a white and often privileged one- dominating all discuss This book packs a powerful punch in a short space， and I think is destined to be on hundreds of 'books you must read' lists to come。Covering a broad range of topics， from her personal experiences as a woman moving from Pakistan to the US and navigating conversations with white friends and colleagues， to the harmful outlooks and decisions of international aid organisations， Rafia Zakaria argues powerfully about the dangers of one narrative- a white and often privileged one- dominating all discussions， and shutting out voices。She describes being invited to an event to talk about Pakistan， only to realise that she has been put on a stall where she is expected to dress 'conventionally' and go around 'selling' both her culture and some bangles to the white women in the audience。 She describes leaving the event early to go and cry in her car， and you can't help but feel both sad for her， but also truly angry。And anger is at the heart of this book， in such a powerful， tear-down-the-system-and-start-again， kind of way。 And its anger is also its strength- these are issues that we should be angry about， and part of Rafia Zakaria's power as a writer is channelling the rage she and many others rightly feel， and using it as a tool for empowerment， education and change。 One section I found especially poignant was the one I mentioned above on aid。 Rafia Zakaria points out how racist double standards radically affect how 'aid' is given， and even who is doing the giving。 From journalists putting women in danger by not getting consent for photos that are then used to cover stories of abuse， to the assumption that non-white women need to be 'saved' from non-white men， to even Western （and often hyper-capitalist/consumerist） narratives （especially around sex and sexuality） being seen as the benchmarks of 'progress'。She is razor-sharp in her analysis of not only how we have reached this stage， but also what needs to happen next。There is too much to go into one review， but this book burns with passion and intellect， and is a vital voice that we owe it to ourselves and others to make sure we listen to。I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Haleena Hussain
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Review to come
Kerri
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