What is the same, what is not alike
I just listened to a Muslim woman who was wearing a hijab without a veil, inform the interviewer that Muslim women wearing veils and burqas are no different than Jews wearing skull caps or Jewish stars, and Christians wearing crosses.
This was in response to British politician Jack Straw's stated request that veiled constituents remove their veils when in his office speaking to him so that he could read their facial expressions, an important factor in his being able to effectively communicate with them, just as he does with all of his other constituents.
If Muslim women in the West want to wear the traditional scarves to cover their hair, fine. Ditto the hijab without the veil. If they feel so religious as to have to wear the full veil or a burqa, then they ought to get back home to where they or their family came from, so they can live the restrictive reclusive lives that originally mandated such coverings, first forced on women by sexually repressed men who are so tempted by seeing any part of the female form that they must violate the female, resulting in the females' male relatives being forced to kill them. The ultimate in blaming the victim.
It's wonderful that Muslim women in the West actually (most of them, at least) have a choice as to cover up or not. Women in Afghanistan are not so lucky. Despite burqas being made optional after the Taliban was more or less kicked out, men are still forcing their daughters, sisters, fiances and wives to wear them, else they cannot leave the house. Ditto for working out of the house, or even going to school. (For sad albeit enlightening and sometimes horrifying view of the male Muslim psyche, please see the documentaries Cut From A Different Cloth: Burqas and Beliefs, and Psychology of a Suicide Bomber).
So, if you feel you must cover everything but your eyes, or cover your eyes, too, then go back to whatever repressed country you or your parents originally came from. It is clear that Western freedoms and education have done you no good if you cannot tell the difference between the amount of body surface area covered by a full hijab or burqa, and a skull cap, Star of David pendant, or cross pendant. Anytime you want to compare and contrast your hijab or burqa with my Star of David pendant, bring it on, sistah!
My Magan David
A traditional hijab with veil:
This hijab photo is from the Nomads Land Film's page on their documentary, The Price of Honor, about the culture that breeds the "honor killing" of women.
This was in response to British politician Jack Straw's stated request that veiled constituents remove their veils when in his office speaking to him so that he could read their facial expressions, an important factor in his being able to effectively communicate with them, just as he does with all of his other constituents.
If Muslim women in the West want to wear the traditional scarves to cover their hair, fine. Ditto the hijab without the veil. If they feel so religious as to have to wear the full veil or a burqa, then they ought to get back home to where they or their family came from, so they can live the restrictive reclusive lives that originally mandated such coverings, first forced on women by sexually repressed men who are so tempted by seeing any part of the female form that they must violate the female, resulting in the females' male relatives being forced to kill them. The ultimate in blaming the victim.
It's wonderful that Muslim women in the West actually (most of them, at least) have a choice as to cover up or not. Women in Afghanistan are not so lucky. Despite burqas being made optional after the Taliban was more or less kicked out, men are still forcing their daughters, sisters, fiances and wives to wear them, else they cannot leave the house. Ditto for working out of the house, or even going to school. (For sad albeit enlightening and sometimes horrifying view of the male Muslim psyche, please see the documentaries Cut From A Different Cloth: Burqas and Beliefs, and Psychology of a Suicide Bomber).
So, if you feel you must cover everything but your eyes, or cover your eyes, too, then go back to whatever repressed country you or your parents originally came from. It is clear that Western freedoms and education have done you no good if you cannot tell the difference between the amount of body surface area covered by a full hijab or burqa, and a skull cap, Star of David pendant, or cross pendant. Anytime you want to compare and contrast your hijab or burqa with my Star of David pendant, bring it on, sistah!
My Magan David
A traditional hijab with veil:
This hijab photo is from the Nomads Land Film's page on their documentary, The Price of Honor, about the culture that breeds the "honor killing" of women.
posted by Melissa at 4:59 PM
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