I just want to re-state: I support women's rights. I am a feminist.
But as a feminist, I believe that women have the right to also take on any traditional or non-traditional roles they wish, including being housewives, executives, porn stars or burqa-wearers.
Let me repeat: If women want to wear burqas, who are we to tell them that they are being debased? That is a decision they must make for themselves.
Agreed. Choice is exactly that--the right to choose for ourselves what we want to do with our lives and our bodies. If a woman wants to wear a niqab, then she should be free to choose to do so. We can't know whether a woman is being forced to wear one, but to take away the choice to wear one is similarly oppressive.
I think Sarkozy had a complete foot-in-mouth moment here. It did seem quite ignorant and not at all thought out. It's been about a year and a half since I did this stuff in French but if I remember correctly, the French government are very strict on the separation on state and religion. I can understand that to a point but this doesn't effect the governmenty in any way I can see.
I don't know, France is pretty secular right? So maybe they see Islam and Muslims who may or may not carry their religion with them (it depends on the person I guess) with them in public (like the burqa or veil) as a threat to this secularism?
I don't know, don't they have a similar policy with crosses and things?
I don't believe seperation of church and state means the elimination of church for the betterment of the state...
I'd agree with that. All he's going to do is stir up resentment within the Muslim community. It's so short-sighted of him that he can't see that.
Sure there are rules in Islamic countries where western women must cover themselves, but surely the west is more enlightened than to say "you have to look like the rest of us and dress like the rest of us". Just ridiculous.
Enh, asking someone to cover their head in a Muslim country is sort of like when they ask you to cover bare shoulders when you enter an Orthodox area in Israel or something.
I mean, they don't generally ask western women to wear burqa, do they?
When women, any women, enter a mosque, I'm pretty sure they have to wear some sort of scarf on their head-just to cover their hair, really. Nothing big.
Comments 115
I support women's rights. I am a feminist.
But as a feminist, I believe that women have the right to also take on any traditional or non-traditional roles they wish, including being housewives, executives, porn stars or burqa-wearers.
Let me repeat: If women want to wear burqas, who are we to tell them that they are being debased? That is a decision they must make for themselves.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
I don't know, France is pretty secular right? So maybe they see Islam and Muslims who may or may not carry their religion with them (it depends on the person I guess) with them in public (like the burqa or veil) as a threat to this secularism?
I don't know, don't they have a similar policy with crosses and things?
I don't believe seperation of church and state means the elimination of church for the betterment of the state...
Reply
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Sure there are rules in Islamic countries where western women must cover themselves, but surely the west is more enlightened than to say "you have to look like the rest of us and dress like the rest of us". Just ridiculous.
Reply
I mean, they don't generally ask western women to wear burqa, do they?
Reply
Oh right, I mean Western women have to do this.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment