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First comes the Burka Ban
As a Muslim woman living the US, I found the recent comments by President Nicolas Sarkozy to French Lawmakers highly disturbing. He stated, "The problem of the burka is not a religious problem. This is an issue of a woman's freedom and dignity. This is not a religious symbol. It is a sign of subservience; it is a sign of lowering. I want to say solemnly, the burka is not welcome in France".
Just like President Sarkozy, most people have the common misconception that the burka is degrading or a sign of repression. This vision that the media has painted is quite incorrect. Actually, this modern concept stemmed from the Taliban's mandatory enforcement of burka on women in Afghanistan. Just because the Taliban treat their women in a degrading manner does not mean that all Muslim men treat their women with disrespect (I can personally attest to that statement). The purpose of the burka is to maintain one's modesty and to prevent lustful glares from men. And just because most Muslim women do not welcome persistent sexual advances from men, does not mean they are repressed. In fact, most women that wear the burka by choice feel unrestricted because they may dress however they please without negative repercussions. Take for example two equally attractive and scantly clothed females. If one female was wearing a burka, while the other is not, chances are the female without the burka would get the attention of strange men. Although this is a slippery slope, it makes sense that the woman flaunting her beauty is more likely to be a victim of sexual harassment (maybe even more violent sex crimes), while the other woman gladly goes unnoticed. It is known that women are better at controlling sexual urges and men are not. It is understandable then, that women cover themselves instead of vice versa.
As Westerners, we have this tendency to feel uncomfortable with people who are dissimilar to us. Muslim women do not always want men to "check them out". Some women prefer to save their beauty for the eyes of their husbands and not bystanders. Is there something wrong with being pious in a secular society?
So, I urge anyone that reads this blog to read and learn about the spirit of the burka on your own. Decide for yourself the purpose of the burka. Is it a tool of repression that the Taliban has popularized to control Muslim women or is it an exaggeration the media has continuously inflated?
- Aiman Rauf's blog
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Beyond the burqa.
"Curbs against some types of womens' religious attire - such as the proposed burqa ban in France - often have little to do with commitments to the emancipation of women and much to do with using women’s bodies as a platform for varying political agendas." http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/3159/
I repect your perspective, but your rhetoric is troublesome
Normal 0
"If one female was wearing a burka, while the other is not, chances are the female without the burka would get the attention of strange men. Although this is a slippery slope, it makes sense that the woman flaunting her beauty is more likely to be a victim of sexual harassment (maybe even more violent sex crimes), while the other woman gladly goes unnoticed. It is known that women are better at controlling sexual urges and men are not."
I'm sorry, but I must point out that this paragraph reeks of victim blaming and actually contributes to a culture of rape that the author seems to be speaking out against, albeit in a way that I do not find constructive. The idea that women who wear certain types of clothes are "flaunting" their beauty and deserve the harassment that may ensue is often the very defense that rapists take while on trial. She asked for it. She shouldn't have been wearing such a short skirt, etc. It is never up to women to prevent their own sexual assaults and rapes. This also omits that fact that rape is primarily about power and that the actual "sex" is a secondary pursuit. We are not the gatekeepers of male sexuality. It is up to men to not rape or assault women, plain and simple. They aren't animals that can't control their sexual urges as you imply; this is offensive to the humanity of persons of the male sex. It is not that women are better at controlling ourselves, it is that women have not been conditioned to view men as objects that they deserve unfettered access to. One cannot assume that just because a woman is wearing a burka means that she is magically protected from unwanted sexual attention. Rape will cease when men take an active role in educating themselves and young boys about what is and what is not acceptable and consensual sexual behavior.
For a more nuanced opinion on the burka ban, I respectfully suggest the following:
http://community.feministing.com/2009/06/what-about-the-muslim-women-wh.html#more
I didn't find the excerpt
I didn't find the excerpt you cited in the article. Was it one of the comments?
Thanks,
Furqaan
Are you referring to the quote?
The excerpt at the beginning of my comment is in the original text of this YP4 Fellow's post. Everything else is my own response and a linked article on a feminist website that I frequent.
A very complicated situation
I believe the French Presiden respects all the religions. He says such things in the light of the events which lighten the immigrants from the worst side. Just see what is going on in French cities during demonstrations. You can find a lot of amateur videos at rapidshare SE http://rapidpedia.com . The thing is that the immigrants come to a foreign country and want to live in it but they do not want to assimilate. Remember the proverb "When in Rome do as the Romans do".
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It's a really nice post!!
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