LONDON -- Muslim women have organised a 'Twitter storm' against David Cameron to protest comments he allegedly made in private last week about, "the traditional submissiveness of Muslim women."
The comments were apparently made in relation to the English language test, which Cameron's government has recently announced as part of an effort to improve migrant integration.
"David knows that the traditional submissiveness of Muslim women is a sensitive issue," the Telegraph quoted a Government source as saying, "but the problems of young people being attracted by extremism will not be tackled without an element of cultural change within the community."
Unsurprisingly, the phrase "traditional submissiveness" didn't go down too well with a lot of Muslim women.
I bought a sports car and published a book (in English and eight other languages). I must be doing this wrong #traditionallysubmissive— Shelina Janmohamed (@loveinheadscarf) January 18, 2016
Actually, my husband runs my Twitter feed because I can't speak English #traditionallysubmissive— Shelina Janmohamed (@loveinheadscarf) January 18, 2016
41-year-old author Shelina Janmohamed was one of the people who found the comments frustrating.
"There were a lot of ideas about Musliim women squashed together, which for me just do not represent the diversity, and the talents, and the achievements of Muslim women in the UK," she told Mashable. "For me they just re-enforce a particular stereotype."
She said she was saddened by the headlines and thought Cameron's purported statement would only make "life harder for Muslim women."
"So I responded in the most British way I could, which was with some sarcasm," Janmohamed said. "I tweeted some tweets with the hashtag #traditionallysubmissive -- some fun examples and a bit of black humour -- and it got picked up."
More and more Muslim women got involved with the hashtag, and Janmohamed planned Twitter storm for Sunday evening, with the aim to send a clear message to the Prime Minister.
Twitterstorm 24.01.16 6pm-9pm. Stand in solidarity. Muslim women are not a problem to fix. https://t.co/GbOzrRgAWn #TraditionallySubmissive— Sukaina Hirji (@SukainaHirji) January 23, 2016
Janmohamed described the response to the hashtag as overwhelming and incredibly inspiring.
"There was so much energy, it was so vibrant, it was so upbeat, it was so optimistic, it was so funny... they really took their response to the Prime Minister in a really upbeat, positive way that suggests that Muslim women really want to engage with the government," she said.
"There's such a huge diversity of opinion, of talent, of how Muslim women look, of what they do -- all of them trying to make the point that there is no one submissive type of Muslim woman," Janmohamed said. "[T]hat really needs to be recognised by both the Prime Minster and the development of Government policy."
Not sure how @Number10gov comes up with his assumptions. #TraditionallySubmissive pic.twitter.com/tJXG0Qs5Tg— Leyla Habebti (@loopielala) January 24, 2016
@David_Cameron We shall lift up our sisters ourselves because we are not #TraditionallySubmissive pic.twitter.com/JFn9RIlNMT— Nicole Correri (@Ensaniyaat) January 24, 2016
@David_Cameron #traditionallysubmissive pic.twitter.com/gBIZsOreX5— arifa (@arifadavdani) January 24, 2016
Muslim women are not a problem that needs solving. #TraditionallySubmissive@David_Cameron pic.twitter.com/6IcG3cZSth— Fiza Azlam (@FizaAzlam) January 24, 2016
@DavidCameron_MP #TraditionallySubmissive really? I really don't think so pic.twitter.com/7EtHB1t8cs— ZainabLaLaLa (@AyyLaLaLaLa) January 24, 2016
@david_cameron #TraditionallySubmissiveWhy don't u get to know us before u feel u have the right to comment on us pic.twitter.com/vvsmSLFX5u— Fuf Virani (@FufV22) January 24, 2016
Hi @David_Cameron, here's me graduating as a #TraditionallySubmissive Muslim woman.
Are you sick of being off message @David_Cameron ? Man up & apologise to Muslim women. #TraditionallySubmissive pic.twitter.com/NYBkSf7C1D— yvonneridley (@yvonneridley) January 24, 2016
my mom was so #TraditionallySubmissive she left home to go to med school in 1960s Pakistan. thanks to her, i'm a journalist and a professor.— Asmaa Malik (@asmaam) January 24, 2016
Columbia grad, BBC journo, Pilates instructor, sport enthusiast and mummy. Yes, Cameron #TraditionallySubmissive pic.twitter.com/LYqzPDGH8Q— Zahra Khimji (@zahrakhimji) January 24, 2016
@David_Cameron I speak 4 languages,how many do you speak? #TraditionallySubmissive pic.twitter.com/tfX9EIvgEI— Aasiya Versi (@mamanabeelah) January 24, 2016
My mum's response to @David_Cameron... #TraditionallySubmissive pic.twitter.com/nxrKEfAMqQ— Salim Kassam (@msalimkassam) January 24, 2016
Loving this #TraditionallySubmissive twitter storm today pic.twitter.com/mkW4efnCSK— Rimla Akhtar (@RimlaAkhtar) January 24, 2016