9 Writers Speak Up In Wake of Joyce Carol Oates’ Islamophobic Tweets

Writer Joyce Carol Oates ignited a Twitter controversy on Friday when she wrote a series of tweets linking Islam to the prevalence of sexual assaults in Egypt. Oates’ tweets compelled several prominent writers and novelists to respond to her rant and we’ve compiled the best tweets below. For more in-depth coverage of the discussion, be sure to read Anita Felicelli’s new post for The Aerogram and check out Sana Saeed’s essay for The Guardian.

Hey @JoyceCarolOates never a fan, 5th time tweeter:great to see your humanism sparked up over an unsourced stat on brown people. Keep it up.

— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) July 5, 2013

@JoyceCarolOates This makes me sad. Religion is a non sequitur here. You're being unfair, and presenting that unfairness as forthrightness.

— Teju Cole (@tejucole) July 5, 2013

https://twitter.com/AnitaFelicelli/status/353225732505341952

.@JoyceCarolOates I was raped twice by white American men. Should I assume 100% of white American men are rapists? And God made them do it?

— porochista khakpour پوروچیستا خاکپور (@PKhakpour) July 5, 2013

https://twitter.com/randajarrar/statuses/353217744939909120

https://twitter.com/dreamhampton/status/353240356000759808

This was uncalled for, @JoyceCarolOates. Rape culture isn't particular to Islam, or about which god you pray to. http://t.co/GXxWkndOEg

— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) July 5, 2013

.@JoyceCarolOates Oh my God. I've always wondered about high incidents of rape at #US college fraternities. Now I understand: Islam!

— The Provost / سيدة الفتنة (@MsEntropy) July 6, 2013

. @JoyceCarolOates @nytdavidbrooks you guys coordinating your coverage of Egypt?

— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) July 5, 2013

Does JOC not have a publicist or agent or anyone out there who can tell her to STFU?!

— porochista khakpour پوروچیستا خاکپور (@PKhakpour) July 5, 2013