Hi, I’m glad that you wrote this, and definitely bring up several unfortunate facts regarding negative realities that affect us women in today’s world; especially Muslim women. Islam is the religion that all Muslims follow. For more information about it, and the beliefs of a Muslim, do feel free to google “The Quran,” which is the book that all of them live by. Their religion is extremely oppressive to all women. I am a woman who was born and raised in America, but one of my parents is originally from Europe. I sincerely love to go overseas (Europe is fantastic) to visit family and friends when I am able; it’s absolutely incredible to travel, and feel that it is the best experience and education for a person. Anyways, I feel I am very lucky to have been raised with non-religious parents in America. They both never forced my brother and I to go to church or put pressure on me to “find a husband and have children.” What you wrote about women in the beginning of your comment is definitely debatable. Not every single American woman desires to get pregnant, bear children, get married (IF the father of the child that they both created CHOOSES to stay with her and be her “lawful” husband; she cannot force him, note..) I personally KNEW from a very young age that growing up and becoming a “housewife,” getting married, and looking for a man to support me financially was not going to be my path in life. Luckily, my parents agreed to allowing me to take a year off of school after my graduation, find employment, move out with my best friend (who was a gay man), and my boyfriend at the time, and just experience LIFE. Looking back, I had a fantastic time! A year later, my family and I went to Europe to visit some of our relatives; (the experience was AMAZING), and a short month later, I was going to move to the large city of my dreams to attend college at an amazing art school! If my parents lived by, and believed in the “rules” of whatever “religion” they happened to follow (let’s use “Islam” for example), I as a woman would have NEVER had the pleasure of having the freedom to choose to move out of my parent’s home at 18, find employment, travel, etc. The Quran (the Islamic “Bible”) does not state that all Muslim females have to undergo the HORRENDOUS, brutal, UNNECESSARY, misogynistic, and extremely nightmarish trauma of “Female Genital MUTILATION,” but many, many of them DO. I cannot say “all,” because I do not know this for a fact. I can not imagine anything more absolutely terrible than having to be restrained and being FORCED to live through an experience such as FGM. (Razors, scissors, and pieces of GLASS are reportedly used, and no anesthesia is administered to the females). I genuinely feel extreme empathy and sadness for Muslim women who have been made to go through this. I am lucky to be an American woman; in America, this isn’t something that I am forced to have done to my most private parts. The after affects of FGM are: extreme pain during sexual intercourse, CHILDBIRTH, and urination, just to name a few. Death is also a possibility while a female is being mutilated. What a NIGHTMARE!! So, “honor killings” (I call them “ honor MURDERS!”) are done to females who so called “dishonor” a Muslim family. She may fall in love with a man who her family does not “approve” of, for example. Her murder will be then committed by the males in her family, I believe. Can you imagine being MURDERED by your own FAMILY just because you, (because you happened to be born FEMALE), do not have the decision to have a relationship with the person of your own choosing?! That horrifies me down to my soul! Everyday existence must be very uncomfortable for Muslim women due to the fact that they are forced to wear hijabs (they are worn over their heads and cover all of the woman’s hair. Some cover a woman’s entire FACE, so only their EYES are visible to others. Heavy, long clothing is also mandatory for them to wear to cover their BODIES. Muslim men demand Muslim women appear “modest.” I agree with your comment about it being the MAN’S issue if he CHOOSES to think about sex while looking at a woman’s body. FORCING women to essentially walk around wearing a glorified paper bag made out of heavy cloth is extremely OPPRESSIVE and UNFAIR. I see Muslim women walking around my city a lot; the temperature here has been 80 degrees and higher at times; they must be incredibly UNCOMFORTABLE!! I do not believe that every single woman should be expected and forced to bear children and become housewives. THANKS to the BRAVE, REVOLUTIONARY, Wild, and strong women in the 60’s, the Feminist movement was created to LIBERATE and EMPOWER ALL women. Now, in the year 2019, American have CHOICES. If they are girls who are now growing who unfortunately have strict, religious, and oppressive parents, then they will have to wait to move out on their own to be able to live a free life of their own choosing. American women STILL do not earn the same salary as a man for doing the same exact JOB. Black women earn even LESS money! I am SHOCKED that this is STILL reality in the year 2019, and am HOPING these unfortunate facts will change! Women today have more choices and freedom than ever before in life, and I am thrilled and extremely happy to be alive right now. I also identify as “LGBTQ,” and am ecstatic that my people and I have more rights than EVER in our society! I believe that EVERY woman (REGARDLESS of her sexual orientation, ethnicity, or age), should have the freedom to pursue her dreams and goals in life! In conclusion, I played on my city’s Little League team when I was a young girl! (I was “designated hitter,” played 2nd base, and also left field)! My father was a coach! He always said to me “you can do anything that a boy can do, and even do it better)! I thank my Dad for making me believe this. He passed away about 4 years ago.. Dad, Rest In Peace! I love and miss you immensely! My message to ALL women and girls who are reading this is that I hope you all have the chance to enjoy living authentic and free lives! “Always be true to yourself!”