Anthony Weiner’s wife has stood by him in a baffling show of support – and the media, both mainstream and right-wing does not know what to make of it.
With all the talk surrounding Anthony Weiner’s ( second!) sexting scandal, and what it means for his chances for an electoral comeback (not looking good), his wife Huma Abedin, the Michigan-born, Saudi Arabia-raised, former aide to Hillary Clinton is coming in for her share of totally speculative, and unflattering coverage. There is the puzzle of why a woman of her stature is sticking with a man of Weiner’s ever-diminishing one, as well as depressiingly ignorant speculation about what her ethnic background has to do with all this.
And much of it, as should be expected, has been tinged with that unique sort of racism called Islamophobia, often concluding that her baffling resolve to stand by her man is the result of her ethnic background as a Saudi woman—as opposed to, you know, her personal choices as a human being capable of asserting free will.
Below are some of the best (by which I mean absolute worst,) most egregious offenders of this subtle, patronizing form of racism, a.k.a. Islamophobia, that is so pronounced on the right, but which you will find among some so-called liberals too. Some familiar faces will appear (shout out to Rush Limbaugh for never missing an opportunity) while others may take you by surprise (really Maureen Dowd?) Here are the contenders:
1. Andrew McCarthy, National Review
2. Mark Jacobson, New York Magazine
3. Elizabeth Wurtzel, Personal Twitter Account
4. Maureen Dowd, New York Times
5. Rush Limbaugh, Of course.
