Following #WomenWallKerala protest & entry by 2 women into #Sabarimala Hindu temple for 1st time since #Indian Supreme Court lifted ban on women of “menstruating age” I’m writing about time I prayed while menstruating (during Amina Wadud’s historic mixed gender prayer NYC 2005)
Writing about it in chapter on Power in my new book. I am not interested in “Who gave you permission?” I gave myself permission. I took it. Amina Wadud leading mixed-gender Friday prayer was revolutionary and I decided to pray behind her without a headscarf and on my period.
Menstrution remains a taboo and a source of at times deadly consequences of patriarchal notions that it makes us “impure.” I am not “impure.” I am just as I’m supposed to be. I am not interested in arguing with anyone about this. I own my body and I gave myself this permission.
#Ugandan feminist @drstellanyanzi was jailed for more than a month in 2917 essentially for protesting period poverty.Women have died in #Nepal after banishment in “menstruation huts.” #Indian women faced violence vs their efforts to break temple ban on women of “menstruating age”
We all must break the patriarchal stranglehold over our bodies. Defy, disobey, disrupt patriarchy every day and at every turn.
And for anyone who is about to send me “just leave religion, it’s patriarchal”: yes, it is, I know. And so is every other space, sacred and secular. Menstrution taboos exist in secular as well as sacred spaces. Fight them everywhere. Defy, disobey and disrupt patriarchy. Always.
I would write more but I must finish Power chapter tonight. I remind you what’s at stake: it took more than 3 months for 2 women to finally enter Sabarimala temple. In Oct, 2 women in full riot gear couldn’t enter despite 100 policemen protecting them
Patriarchy uses taboos & laws against us and in the few and rare instances when laws favour us, patriarchy ignores them. Defy, disobey and disrupt patriarchy every day and at every turn.
