aibu to feel slightly on edge when I come across women in the full black burka?

[caroleharolde]

I just always feel slightly threatened, I know the vast majority of Muslims are lovely nonviolent people but.just this sight always unnerve me. Be honest, who hadn't felt a bit uncomfortable when passing by a huddle of the burqa wearers? Not trying to be racist, I'd feel the same if it were Christians or Jews or any other religion wearing it.

@ HettiePetal - I think you've summed it up really well.

Sad to see the same old bunch and their cronies with their tired cries of "racism" with absolutely nothing to support it....

Because that much fabric in such a twee design looks a fright?
I give you Kim K at the most recent Met Gala:

goo.gl/HN600r

in north africa the traditional covering that women wear (big scarf wrapped around them) is cream or sometimes light blue

what does Muslim entitlement mean? are Muslims not entitled to be treated with respect

Cath Kidstony.

A Cath Kidston burqa would cost about 100 quid for something resembling a pair of curtains your granny ditched thirty years ago.

This is fascinating and I don't understand why some posters think we should not be able to discuss such things. They value freedom of choice over freedom of speech? It's not as if the OP suggested they were terrorists. As many posters have pointed out it may well be a subconscious reaction because as humans we are not used to seeing people all covered up. That does not make it the correct reaction necessarily, but exploring our subconscious reactions to things is the first step in consciously trying to alter those reactions through education and understanding. All those who think she and others who feel uncomfortable are bad people must presumably never form subconscious judgement regarding those for instance: wearing tight white leggings and low cut tops in the street, or walking past a group of football top clad, tattooed men or a gang of young teenage boys with their trousers down below their bums smoking or a bunch of American tourists talking loudly about how cute England is - all in fact people I saw on my way through London today. None of these groups is necessarily threatening, yet they do conform to certain stereotypes as witnessed by their satirisation in comedy sketches. Everyone has some form of innate reaction to some types of people depending on upbringing, socio-economic environment, location etc. Abusing someone for thinking a certain way is unlikely to change that person's mind in the same way that trying to explore and gently challenge such views will.

On a separate but related note, I don't like the disparity in the concept of modesty between Muslim men and Muslim women, something which I and my Muslim SIL discuss frequently!

"well i have read the OP very closely and from that close reading and analysis of the syntax and grammar would surmise that the OP might well come from a monocultural country and that her reaction is simply 'fear of the unknown' but not 'racism'"

Fear of the unknown? Fear of another person just going about their business based on their religion and choice of attire? What utter rot! Yes, I might well fear someone if they approach me aggressively. But I wouldn't fear someone else without a damn good reason.

That is what makes some people's views sound so bigoted.

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your reports about this thread - can we please remind you of our talk guidelines?

Try smiling at them. Like this

Veiled women, even if they believe wearing the full burka is their own free choice, send out a message to all women. That message is fear. Of men.

The burka represents pure female oppression. It is the visible sign that says women must be invisible to men, for their own safety and to protect men from lustful thoughts. In a free society, which thankfully the UK still is, the burka is an affront.

I know some women won't agree with me and I totally respect their choices. But alas, it isn't always their choice.

Pupils at the Madani Girls School in East London, some as young as 11, are all required to wear the burka or a full-face veil and long black coat at all times outside the premises. No choice at all. What lessons are these girls learning? That they are different from the rest of us and quite separate. Burkas are intimidating to others - they prevent friendliness, sociability, pleasant chit-chat.

Wrong. They only prevent friendliness, sociability and pleasant chit chat if you are not friendly or sociable.

GoshAnne

Exactly.

This feminist does not want to tell Muslim Women what they should and should not wear. What pisses me off about France is that it's essentially men (in the French government) telling women what they shouldn't wear because they don't think Muslim women should be told by other Muslim men what to wear!

If you're "concerned" about Muslim women start petitioning newspaper owners and media outlets to give Muslim women jobs so they can write and communicate their beliefs and opinions. That way you won't have to speak for them or fill in the gaps using assumptions and ignorance .

If you're on twitter read the hash tag and attachments #solidarityisforwhitewomen. And check your privilege!

I do not feel threatened by someone wearing a burqa....but I do feel it creates a barrier to get to know someone and have general social interactions which I think is a shame.

Any reservations I may have towards the burqa come from a feminist standpoint rather than a religious/racial one.

what utter tosh

it does not give me that message and i am a woman

if you go along with that then do you think those that kill in the name of god (which ever religion they are) represent the whole of the religion they are claiming to be acting for

Muslim woman are as individual as you or I and everyone posting on here, some will be making a choice, some may not be and some may be conditioned to feeling that is right for them

I do think the niqab does look a bit sinister. Culturally we have always used that kind of covering up, black, cloak like masks or veils etc to show something sinister, mysterious and dark - like Darth Vadar as someone mentioned, my kids they look like ninjas. So I can understand why folk find it unnerving, anyone showing surprise at this reaction is being a bit ingenious. I've almost trained myself to think of the normal women under the cover rather than respond with the gut instinct.

Youthecat- do you think it's right that girls as young as 11 are forced to wear burqas?

yes but 'youthecat' I was just saying that 'bigoted' views might be more understandable if they are coming from someone brought up in a monotone, monolingual culture, as I suspect the OP may have been. there is no need to get all het up about it.

Jimmy do you have evidence of that?

The feminist support of the niqab is something I cannot get my head around.

A garment designed to say: you are invisible, you don't matter, you are my property, I am worthless....is something to be encouraged or even tolerated?

The claim that covering yourself up in public is an empowering choice insults the intelligence and dignity of women everywhere, just as the theological claim that the burqa is a necessary defence against predatory male sexuality insults Muslim men insofar as it treats them as fundamentally incapable of responsibility for their sexual behaviour.

I don't feel threatened when ladies wear them.

don't like them because ...

I hate all religion. It's man made and subjective to who is manipulating it.

I hate the fact men have dictated that this is how women must dress. That they should totally hidden from society, that in this day and age women are still bring repressed. It's very sad

Sauce- ring the Madini school if you want evidence. They will tell you that the girls have to wear burqas

So YouTheCat - you wouldn't feel in the slightest bit uneasy about being alone in a carriage with 3 people wearing balaclavas?

I think you're being very disingenuous if you say you have absolutely no inkling why someone may feel like that TBH...

Jimmy, that isn't the point and wasn't what was asked in the OP.

Ok, Nigella, so do you come from this monocultural place too then?

And I think conversations like this are good and can be very educational. Some folk have never had the chance to speak at all never mind candidly with other Muslim women and some who might dress like this - surely this is a great space for these women to all have a talk and ask and answer any questions.

Oh and at the Madini school (East London ) girls are banned from wearing make up and jewellery but still have to wear burqas.