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.

It's what the total shrouding of the body,hands and face stand for - female repression and belittlement. Those who choose to wear it outwardly agree this is acceptable in any society - and it isn't . The can be no real freedom or liberation wearing this. Any one convinced they can are damaging future generations of young ladies.

It's not about race or religion.

peaceful excessively long post but I still haven't seen any explanation on why men's faces are not covered too.

Children don't have a choice.

Somebody shrouded wouldn't be able to do my job.

jimmy your posts have been fantastic, calm and engaging.

and if 'the covered lady' expressed the opinion regarding bits hanging out, i'm sure many would be in agreement. but because this thread involves a different culture, it's prejudiced to disagree

oh good - so if they choose to wear it why is it the states place to deny them that choice?

Maybe start by asking your Muslim friends - or even the Muslim women posting here - dialogue is great at promoting understanding

Priests don't cover their heads but Nuns do - OMG quick save all the oppressed nuns

again, find me a quote where i've argued that it should be banned? if you're so sure that all muslim women who choose to follow this particular tradition are doing so because they really want to then why can't you tell me why it is that they're so keen?

defuse who on earth do you think you are? how bloody rude. do you assume that people write things here that are totally untrue or that they are too 'scared' to day in real life. is that you??

cresent I don't think anyone is advocating bombing anyone either? I certainly don't support that although I am glad we tried and in my mind failed to remove the unspeakably voice Taliban regime.

it is quite acceptable for any if us to say here or in RL that we see the covering up of a woman's face and body as wrong, sexist and mysoginistic.

that's not 'colonial feminism' whatever that means it's valid opinion and when I last looked at out laws we could still as women voice them.

it's a bloody pity women around the world don't have the same right.

it's an easy way to shut someone up when you don't like what they're saying - compare them to a bomber .

freethoughtblogs.com/taslima/2013/08/22/a-cleric-cut-his-wife-into-pieces-on-for-refusing-to-wear-a-veil/

An insightful blog.

freethoughtblogs.com/taslima/2013/08/22/a-cleric-cut-his-wife-into-pieces-on-for-refusing-to-wear-a-veil/

just as i can't (and haven't) said that ALL Muslim women are forced to cover up, you can't say that NONE of them are.

Body do you see a woman choosing to cover her body and face as wrong then? So it's oppressive to force her (I agree) but not oppressive to take away her choice?

vampy and mishmash totally agree.

the bile from so called peaceful and liberal posters on here is shocking.

vampire I agree, also a book that keeps women where certain men believe they should be.

Religion was made by man to control people. Just look at the atrocities this world has lived through in the name of 'god'

Nowhere in the Koran does it say that women should cover their face or wear black.
This is a tribal dress not religious the same as a Nun.

Vampyre you are going round in circles - no one has said they aren't - lots of women are forced to dress and behave in ways they don't want to ALL of which is bad

"Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons: that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested." - what do you make of this gordy? just out of interest.

Oh by the way Switzerland and Portugal only gave women the right to vote in the 1970s. Guess they didn't get the memo to give women the right to vote when the UK did either. Thank god muslim countries didn't follow the uk with regards to when to give women the right to own their own property, inherit or be in control of their own wealth otherwise we would have been waiting until the 1800-1900s instead of having them for 14 hundred years.

I am liberal and haven't spouted any bile - there seems to be a trend for lumping people together today

you're fighting the corner of women who are happy to wear one but what do you suggest for the women who are forced to?

erm much the same as what I make from many religious passages - outdated and probably open to interpretation depending on your religious bent

peaceful say goodbye to the moral high ground if you're going to start being competitive about different countries.

vampy I gave you a response as to why a women may choose to wear a niqab, that is from women I know

a link to violence perpetrated by a man who makes an excuse as to why he did what he did

There is always an excuse from being nagged at to not following religion will be used to control people as it is about the need to control

well, how would you interpret it?

I would fight with them to gain the right to wear what they chose of course - as I have done through the many years of active feminist campaigning and work

Same as I would for any human being

Do you know any Muslim women Vampyre only i find your view of them slightly stereotyped

yes i do - which part do you find stereotyped?