Sex and Muslim Women

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/16/opinion/sex-and-muslim-women.html

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To the Editor:

As an Egyptian-American, I applaud the beautifully audacious article by Mona Eltahawy, “Sex Talk for Muslim Women” (Sunday Review, May 8). By the end of this year, I will have lived in the United States more years than I lived in my home country, which I left at 21.

In coming of age in America as a young adult, I unlearned and learned a great deal about men, appropriate and inappropriate conduct, and how to honor and cherish my own sexuality. I learned that there is no shame in our human instincts of desire or sexual orientation. I continue to learn that the honor and moral character of men and women lie elsewhere.

Ms. Eltahawy’s article is a reminder of the people and societies that have made healthy sexuality hostage to financial means to marry, the dogma of religion, and the power of archaic social mores. Her courage to speak up about it and for women like me is a breath of fresh air.

RANIA SANFORD

San Jose, Calif.