Thread by @monaeltahawy

#Libyan authorities raided a women’s tweetup at #Benghazi cafe, detained staff & announced it had broken up an “immoral” gathering. Read more about how the raid was used to promote a “law and order” campaign & how it resulted in misogynist attacks against the women h/t @PSilphium

https://twitter.com/psilphium/status/1079107473460682752

Why raid a women’s gathering? Is a group of women meeting that scary for #Libyan authorities? Or are they deliberately using misogyny to drum up support, pretending they put an end to “immorality” for the sake of “security”?

A group of women meeting in a #Benghazi cafe are not the #Libyan authorities biggest concern. There are serious security concerns they should focus on. This is a reminder that patriarchy uses “immorality” and the need to control women to drum up support.

This is a reminder that regardless of political differences, patriarchy ensures that whether police or civilians, all can unite over the need to control women. #Libya #Benghazi