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hijab is not a political statement

Reader comment on item: An Unveiling: Separate, but Acceptable?
in response to reader comment: the difference....

Submitted by zzazzeefrazzee (United States), Dec 12, 2006 at 15:00

Donvan, I must have hit a nerve, but in doing so, I think you inadvertantly revealed just where your own sympathies lie. I was not attempting to equate nuns with Muslim women, but to simply state that if you argue that the hijab "covers up too much" then we should consider why we do not hold the same attitudes towards a nun. Basically, in the end, what it all comes down to is a justification of your prejudice. Muslims are "eviL" and need to be "controlled" while Christians are superior. Sounds like Christian supremacy to me!

As far as the penchant for muslims to be able to forgive, read the Qur'an. Seems to me it states pretty clearly over and over again that it stipulates that forgiveness is better than exacting punishment. Mot every muslim woman is a "Umm Nidal"! far from it!

By the way, there are in fact nuns who are not Catholic! My mother attended an Episcopal convent school, and certain orders such as the Benedictines are not solely Catholic. Shoudl you encounter an orthodox or a Coptic nun, I rather wonder if most of my fellow Americans would recognize their attire as a form of habit- much less recognize them as CHRISTIAN!

one example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Nuns001.jpg

Buddhist nuns cover their hair. Hindu women often wear a variation of a sari that is thrown over their head as a shawl. Mother Theresa's habit is not very different from what is worn by Mulims and Hindus in India.

Hence, the Hijab is not just one article of attire. Sure, Salafists, Islamists, and other right wing fundamentalist Muslims, ESPECIALLY men are very outspoken on what they think is proper. Yet when it comes to observing what is practiced- not only here in the US, but in the mideast as well, i can tell you that there is an enormous variety. Ask the women who wear them if they think what they wear s sufficient, no doubt that they would answer in the affirmative.

For example, for several decades no, many of the wealthy elite choose to sport something of a pre-fab "turban" that was commonly worn in the 50's and 60's by hollywood actresses. They actually look something more like a turban worn by a sikh man. Capucine wore one in the "Pink Panther", as did Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren. Many an Egyptian grandmother that I have met wear the exact same thing. I openly wonder if you could distinguish it if you saw it.

This photo essay depicts a variety of headcoverings worn by men and women in the region:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4180000/newsid_4185600/4185659.stm

some look like a sari, where the end of the shawl is thrown over the head.

In image #2 - the neck is exposed. I know some Ifundamentalists would moan and groan about it, but many are in fact open to the idea.

Image #3- is pretty typical of afghanistan and Pakistan.

here is a Morrocan variation:

http://www.minotaurz.com/minotaur/mirrors/mir6.jpg

In Turkey, where wearing even a headscarf in public institutions has been forcibly banned for decades, many young women are voicing their opposition to the ban, saying it should be the woman's right to choose. Inadvertantly, the wearing of a hooded sweatshirt has become something accepted by many young moderates as a form of hijab. Again, many fundamentalists would scream about it, but that does not stop women from doing it.

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/06/29/turkey8965.htm

I the end, you really don't have a good argument, and make contradictory statements. You state in one post you are OK if a woman chooses to wear a hijab, but then here, you basically saunter into the usual stuf about how all Muslims only know violence (as if we aren't fighting a war ourselves- are you "pro life" or just "pro-fetus"? ), enslavement (just how did the majority of africans get to this continent?) hate, kill, terror (as if the KKK didn't consider themselves Christians engaged in a crusade to terrorize anyone who disagreed witht them - particularly black families, just a short while ago). Many muslims disavow terrorism, suicide bombing, torture, etc just as many Americans Christians disavowed the KKK. Care to listen in?

http://www.saudidebate.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=447&Itemid=122

Still think Muslims aren't challeneging the status quo? Women are often at the forefront these days!

http://www.altmuslim.com/gender.php

In the end all that I can discern is that you buy into the usual collective generalizations espounsed by most fundamentalist christian and far-right-wing blogs. I dare say I think that Daniel doesn't go this far. I know our president doesn't (thank God! whether you deem it "PC" or not). My mother is a priest, but unlike some of my of my fellow Americans, she deigns to engage in ecumenical dialogs, rather than eschew them due to harboring sanctimonious sectarian prejudice notions of her own moral superiority. She's also a Republican, and rather horrified by the manner in which many of our President's constituents will support a war, but at the same time fail to grasp the need to encourage such dialogs- and provide moderates with a voice.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (41) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
oddly powerful anonymity [73 words]nicoletteDec 26, 2006 10:1370590
1Well done - Dutch [16 words]VijayNov 18, 2006 11:2366500
Modesty or nudity [47 words]TruthJul 11, 2008 05:0666500
1Awful truth [92 words]BronsonMay 15, 2009 03:2266500
More Muslim Women against the Burqa [167 words]zzazzeefrazzeeNov 16, 2006 00:1666279
1truth is... [231 words]donvanNov 22, 2006 08:1566279
Donovan- I think we're on the same page here. [456 words]zzazzeefrazzeeNov 24, 2006 22:1266279
1POINT OF CONTENTION.. [108 words]DONVANNov 27, 2006 09:0866279
Shall we ban nuns from wearing habits then? [89 words]zzazzeefrazzeeNov 28, 2006 19:1066279
1the difference.... [176 words]DONVANNov 30, 2006 15:4466279
hijab is not a political statement [835 words]zzazzeefrazzeeDec 12, 2006 15:0066279
VERY GOOD POST... [147 words]DONVANDec 12, 2006 16:4666279
Dear Donvan part two! [173 words]SpotterDec 23, 2006 04:5666279
Hijab [88 words]donvanDec 25, 2006 07:0766279
1Nawal El Saadawi [79 words]Krista K.Dec 31, 2006 23:0266279
Should the nikab be banned? [87 words]Krista KDec 31, 2006 23:3266279
1YES, IT IS .. [161 words]DONVANAug 3, 2007 16:4166279
1Thank you.. [71 words]donvanAug 3, 2007 16:5366279
2Show us your face, please! [114 words]Octavio JohansonNov 15, 2006 11:0066192
1burqua wars... [67 words]donvanNov 14, 2006 14:0966089
Muslim Women against the Niqab and Burqa [171 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
zzazzeefrazzeeNov 15, 2006 23:5466089
1About time [78 words]sur kaiNov 24, 2006 20:5366089
the habit & the hijab [162 words]donvanNov 28, 2006 09:5366089
Dear Donvan [186 words]SpotterDec 23, 2006 04:3366089
1regarding the "Hijab" [95 words]donvanDec 25, 2006 06:5266089
Reply to Donvan [385 words]SpotterDec 26, 2006 01:3966089
1a little tolerance... [201 words]donvanDec 27, 2006 08:3366089
what? [146 words]eh..Feb 1, 2007 21:3766089
1I love Muslims..... [181 words]donvanFeb 5, 2007 09:5166089
Right... [154 words]ehFeb 17, 2007 20:4866089
2nice try... [147 words]donvanFeb 26, 2007 10:1266089
Are u kidding? [139 words]ehMar 26, 2007 17:0966089
1what more evidence do we need.. [265 words]donvanMar 28, 2007 09:4466089
what? [129 words]ehMar 29, 2007 17:1666089
1what is your point... [91 words]donvanApr 2, 2007 11:3866089
Donvan is confused... [78 words]eh...Apr 8, 2007 14:5966089
1Thanks for the response [161 words]donvanApr 9, 2007 10:3766089
1eh,huh and wah? [130 words]joe kaffirApr 9, 2007 11:5066089
1eh.... you are in denial! [101 words]JaladhiApr 9, 2007 16:2166089
2Our dear eh and Islam is the religion of peace? You must be kidding! [72 words]dhimmi no moreApr 10, 2007 07:0366089
2For our dear eh and and speaking of disrespect [425 words]dhimmi no moreApr 10, 2007 07:2866089

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