Muslim girl, labels, etc.

Submitted by Anne-Marie (Germany), Mar 14, 2009 at 02:38

Reading this blog, I've often wondered why some posters are so concerned about being "respected" by the men in Muslim cultures. Why should it make the slightest difference if they "respect' us or not? Their main standard is women's "purity" (an idea Muslim girl seems to have bought into) - closely related to the idea of "honour" which must be upheld even if someone gets killed (usually the woman, by the way).

I once had a Libyan boyfriend who told me people would "respect" me more if I wore a hijab. Why on earth should I care if those ignorant, illiterate women who insist on a virgin for their sons and the men who have never been able to widen their horizons "respect" me?

I have a completely different set of standards whicih have nothing to do with anyone's sexual behaiour or orientation, and everything to do with education, enlightenment and fair dealings with other people. If uneducated Muslims prefer to judge women by such medieval standards, it's their loss, not mine. It's time for them to move into the 21st century. I really couldn't care less about their opinions.

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