Shakira, Muslim men are not toxic because they are disempowered, but because of the hate, frustration and resentment in Islam. Your religion is a major factor in the anger and violence we see in Islamic communities allover. Islam provides a spiritual base of hatred that gives meaning to their lives. This meaning is expressed in oppression and violence.

I would like to share some thoughts from:
http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2006/10/muslim-mind-is-mind-of-rapist.html

To a Muslim a woman's body is meat, disgusting but made desirable by Satan to men. Women are nothing more than walking talking meat whose presence corrupts men and makes them sin. The only place a woman belongs is at home, in her room, wearing her Hijab. Anything else makes her fair game for rapists.

Muslims see women the same way they see America and Europe, dirty, disgusting, satanic but desirable. They do not integrate into American or European society because they do not love their new countries, they despise them but desire them for their material and physical abundance. Their relation to these countries is not love but lust fused with hatred into a desire to rape.

Along with the gang rape epidemic across Europe and Australia comes the rhetoric. In France Muslim rappers write songs that speak of raping France like a woman. When they loot, burn and kill in Paris or Sydney, it is that same perverted desire that drives them. They cannot become Americans or Europeans for the very same reason they cannot love a woman. Love or citizenship in a democratic nation with values demands virtues of them they do not have. So they turn rapist instead.

While Europe and America fruitlessly woo Muslims, the Muslims only grow more vicious and demanding. They cannot understand that these nations want to genuinely accept them and welcome them into their family. They see only an invitation to brutality...

Shakira, you know, after reading your "It not Muslims fault" column, I think that Mohammad was right about women, some women.

Kactuz

Brilliant article, Shakira. And you sent shivers down my spine with your description of Mustafa and his reign of self righteous terror against you. As you say, you were very fortunate that the rest of your extended family supported you and not him. What must it be like for muslim girls in less enlightened families? What hope do they have of ever establishing their own humanity?
Yet, what I love about your piece is that while he failed to see or acknowledge your different but valid humanity, you have not fallen into the same trap. You allow us to see Mustafa's confusion and turmoil and you have attempted to understand what triggers his extreme behaviours. He remains human to you in a way that you never did to him.
I have often argued ( as a card carrying feminazi - as some of the weirder posters on this site are wont to call me) that the hardest battle for human rights is that of women, because when black people fight for their rights they do so against whites, Palestinians do it against Jews, workers battle bosses, gays battle straights and, in the Sectarian battles of old, Catholics fought Protestants or vice versa, but women must fight for their rights against their fathers, their brothers, their husbands and, worst of all, their sons. And, angry though we may get about our situation sometimes, we can never disregard their essential humanity.

Hey ybgirp - someone who talks sense !

When will humanity learn that religion is a complete waste of time. There is no god ! Religion is all just convoluted, hypocritical, self serving, power-broking, patronising NONSENSE.

Not one "theologian" or philosopher has proven/demonstrated the existence of god (any god). (BTW the Hindus worhip, literally, millions of deities - what does/has that acheive/d ?).

More blood has been shed in the name of religion than for any other cause (except for just bloody-minded greed or power). Dare I mention the Crusades, the Inquisition, War of the Roses... and that's just a few of the Sins of christianity. Let us not forget murderous spread of Islam via the Ottoman and Murghal Empires in their respective times and places in history.

The sooner humanity puts to better use, all the resources it wastes on religion, globally, the better off this planet will be.

Wake up !

Kenny you are wise in these ways

There is no god says Iluvatar and I am absolutely right. Drrr

Personally I believe that I have much to learn from Shakira.

We all could if we put aside our predjudices. Why suggest that Mustafa was a looser? We could all be loosers if put in the appropriate situation. Hating Muslims as some do only exacerbates the situation.

And stop trying to hijack the article for a separate agenda. It was not about women's rights but a window into a difficult problem of certain Muslims behaving in a dangerous manner.