Thread by @NoopurTiwari

What Kind of Feminists Are Not Supporting Palestine? Reluctant "feminists" aren't taking an unequivocal stand against the inordinate violence. Who are they? #Thread

1. Those indoctrinated into imperialism who weaponise feminism to vilify groups resisting oppression. They believe the oppressed only deserve liberation in utopias where patriarchy has been totally dismantled.

[Moreover, they are Islamophobic and hyper-fixated on the terrorist narrative, failing to recognise their own patriarchy and pretending they’re not subjugated. State violence serves them so they don't see that terror. E.g. White feminists.]

2. Passive bystanders conditioned into colonial narratives of mental health care. They're convinced looking away is a responsible act of self-care.

[They narcissistically extract benefits from community but withdraw into shells or offer semantic word soups when asked to state their position on the ongoing genocide.]

3. The placid types who only speak benign words to avoid accountability. Their behaviour is a variant of tone-policing. You are "bad" if you speak of things that make them uncomfortable.

[This hypocritical communication shrinks space for naming violence and garnering solidarity. The language of resistance derails them unless they are the ones benefiting from the demands.]

4. Those who outsource resistance to others while nurturing themselves and avoiding risk. They don’t understand that those of us witnessing, grieving, and protesting are not all in mint condition. We also have our traumas, surgeries, projects, disabilities, pain, crises, etc.

[We are learning how to expand our capacity. We are not insensitive to the fact that protesting involves risk assessment but some with privilege keep the threshold too low.]

5. Mainstream “political analysis” junkies who remain misinformed and are vulnerable to propaganda. They feed on macho, outdated templates created by White legacy media.

[They fail to see that foreign policy “experts” and mainstream journalists propagate the discourse of those they are meant to be challenging. They are uncritical of empire and state violence.]

6. Pinkwashers who believe recruiting women soldiers is very feminist, vegan soldiers are morally superior, and waving rainbow flags on top of rubble is queer affirmative. These are people who see militarisation, incarceration, and colonisation as compatible with feminism.

[Often, the transphobic and ableist are among them. They refuse to see frameworks of systemic oppression.]

7. Zionists/direct beneficiaries of apartheid & settler colonialism. 8. Hindu Supremacists who perpetuate variants of the same violence. 9. Savarna feminists who internalise racism/are casteist. 10. Hardcore capitalists who profit from conflict and think violence is inevitable.

[In short, those who view feminism as a movement for an equal share of the patriarchal pie.]

8. Those steeped in respectability politics or elitism. They are getting on with business as usual because they feel being apolitical is professional.

[They either believe their oppressed communities create barriers to success or are dedicated to conformity. Many are comfortable with their complicity as they’re focused on personal gain.]

Note: The most vulnerable who run a high risk of imprisonment or losing jobs, those with bodymind disabilities can't be expected to be at the forefront but the fact is that they *are* speaking the loudest right now

It's pointless arguing over who can use the feminist label but that doesn't stop us from seeing people for who they are. If they change their minds, we will not stop them. #FreePalestine #EndApartheid #PermanentCeaseFireNow