But how does working for Apple and writing Modenizr qualify him to speak about sexism?
It doesn't - it sounds like an appeal to authority. My guess is that had the roles been reversed, with Faruk as a male arguing how he didn't see sexism, and Laura as a female arguing otherwise, that the whole "but Faruk worked for Apple and wrote Modenizr" line wouldn't give his viewpoints on sexism more credence with the parent poster.
It doesn't - it sounds like an appeal to authority. My guess is that had the roles been reversed, with Faruk as a male arguing how he didn't see sexism, and Laura as a female arguing otherwise, that the whole "but Faruk worked for Apple and wrote Modenizr" line wouldn't give his viewpoints on sexism more credence with the parent poster.