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News

Female German minister visits Saudi Arabia and refuses to wear headscarf - what do we think?

39 replies

MirandaGoshawk · 15/12/2016 12:37

here www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/german-minister-refuses-to-wear-headscarf-in-saudi-arabia-days-after-merkel-calls-for-burka-ban-in-germany/ar-AAlzxuW?li=AAaeUIW&ocid=spartanntp

I'm torn on this one. I am very much in the 'respect others' school, and it's not as if they're asking her to cover her face. If it was me I'd wear the headscarf, to avoid conflict. But OTOH I hate that women are required to do various things and men aren't. They're not allowed to drive, etc. So I do have a kind of respect for this minister for not agreeing to it. She is also wearing a dark trouser suit rather than the 'required' abaya, apparently. Michelle Obama didn't cover her hair either. Views?

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Lottapianos · 15/12/2016 12:42

I couldn't open your link unfortunately and hadn't heard this story, but I think 'bloody good for her'. I assume she's not a Muslim woman so she's under no obligation to cover her head or face. Saudi Arabia is a ghastly place for women - having to cover their faces and bodies is just a part of it - and well done to her for not going along with it. Ditto Michelle Obama

nancy75 · 15/12/2016 12:47

I think she did the right thing, she comes from a country that allows people to freely express their religious beliefs - she should have the same right when she goes elsewhere

Garyfetacheese · 15/12/2016 12:51

I couldn't get the link to work either but my initial reaction is "good for her" too. It's about time some senior politicians stopped pandering to these kind of expectations. The way the West generally sucks up to Saudia Arabia is disgusting.

BillSykesDog · 16/12/2016 07:55

I think there is an election due in Germany which is precipitating a lot of insincere gestures. I'm guessing the Saudi's will tolerate this in order to keep a friendly ally in power in Germany.

museumum · 16/12/2016 08:01

I think good on her. It's perfectly ok for a religion to ask their followers to to or not do something but not fine to ask non followers to do / not do the same.

museumum · 16/12/2016 08:02

On the other hand, I don't think any country should be banning others from following religious customs that harm nobody (clothes, hair, food etc)

BratFarrarsPony · 16/12/2016 08:03

I think it is really rude tbh.

" when in Rome " and all that.

Gileswithachainsaw · 16/12/2016 08:05

Link won't work. If she's not Muslim or any religion that requires the covering of the face or hair then she shouldn't have to wear a head scarf.

If people can't cope with that that's their problem not hers.

mudandmayhem01 · 16/12/2016 08:07

Isn't there talk of banning the burka in the current German election debate? I fully support this ministers right not to cover up, but I think there are some double standards here.

TheMortificadosDragon · 16/12/2016 08:09

Here's a link which hopefully works:
metro.co.uk/2016/12/15/german-minister-refuses-to-wear-hijab-during-saudi-arabia-visit-6323912/

when googling, this 'story' was covered by sun, mail, express, RT ...not serious newspapers or bbc as far as I could see. it

If her clothing had been in any way provocative, that would have been wrong - but it was sober suits. Her hosts look perfectly happy.

What's rude is men telling women how to dress.

BillSykesDog · 16/12/2016 08:12

It's an electioneering publicity stunt.

Olympiathequeen · 16/12/2016 08:33

if it was a church or mosque I would do this, but not otherwise. It's not a religious ruling it's a custom devised by men to oppress women.

Respect is a two way street and they should respect her right to dress like a women from a liberal country.

TheMortificadosDragon · 16/12/2016 13:00

they should respect her right to dress like a women from a liberal country.

Which is, as far as I can see, what happened. Whether an ordinary western woman would be afforded the same respect I don't know.

VeryPunny · 16/12/2016 13:03

Good for her. How come South Africa was a pariah state for its treatment of black people but when Saudi Arabia treats women much worse it's somehow okay? I've be actively wishing for the collapse of those middle eastern hellholes if I felt they would be replaced by something better.

JenLindleyShitMom · 16/12/2016 13:07

She did the right thing. The call for a burka ban in Germany is the wrong thing. Does this minister support a burka ban? If so then she should have covered up in SA.

Lottapianos · 16/12/2016 13:11

'How come South Africa was a pariah state for its treatment of black people but when Saudi Arabia treats women much worse it's somehow okay?'
Completely agree

TheMortificadosDragon · 16/12/2016 13:28

How come South Africa was a pariah state for its treatment of black people but when Saudi Arabia treats women much worse it's somehow okay?

I think maybe part of that was that the West - in particular, obviously, the UK, felt responsibility for that post-colonial situation. We had the right and the duty to be involved.

VeryPunny · 16/12/2016 13:31

Mortificado By that metric, the UK had similar involvement in the Middle East but has happily abandoned Yemen, the Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi...

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 16/12/2016 16:36

What Bill said

We will see the German government make quite a few moves that would have not been considered a year ago

While I might agree with some of them (the partial banning of the niqab) to do so to appease right wing supporters makes me feel uncomfortable but it's necessary at the moment

Blueberry1 · 16/12/2016 16:38

Someone posted this story in a facebook group I'm in and another person said the news website it came from wasn't reliable, so the story might be fake news.

Blueberry1 · 16/12/2016 16:39

I should add, the link I saw was NOT the metro.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 16/12/2016 16:41

I'm sure it was on the BBC news last night also in The Independent

Laughingcamel · 20/12/2016 18:44

It's not a requirement within Saudi Arabia for non-Muslim women to cover their heads.
I only did if I wanted to blend in and not stand out as a non-Muslim westerner. I was asked by religious police a few times to cover my head, which I respectfully did.
I was however surprised that The German minister did not wear an abaya, as that is a requirement there.

PostTruthBreakdown · 21/12/2016 22:08

I think 'good on her'. I don't see why westerners should be required to respect others' beliefs here in our own country and respect their beliefs in their own country too. When are they going to start respecting our beliefs? Which start with the fairly simple statement that women are human, not sub-human.

Let's not forget that the current trend towards extreme clothing is just that, a recent trend, dictated by a move towards fundamentalism that shoukd not be pandered to. Bring back the real enlightenment is my new motto.

PostTruthBreakdown · 21/12/2016 22:15

I should add that if a representative of a western state visits theirs on business they, whether male, female or blue furry alpha centaurians, should be treated as such, not as an inferior female (or blue furry...) specimen. You lose bargaining power, and in their culture are probably admitting defeat before you start, otherwise. Our erstwhile leaders would do well to remember that.

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