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.

these threads go on and on and on. Who really cares? Reminds me of my son's so called 'multicultural 'ha ha' school.

you don't know unless you try BackOnlyBriefly

gordy I would ban anything that makes a human being faceless and unseeable.

I'm confused - I'm not sure where I'm wrong - I may well be but I don't understand your post

How would you know the 5 didn't like it if you had no access to them

even if that human being WANTED to wear it is that not oppressive?

It's really not about the ones who choose, it's about the ones who have NO choice.

And you should understand that more than most.

Mishmash I have said lots of time that I totally oppose people not having a choice - totally

Making women who do cover up feel un welcome and not included is hardly going to encourage anyone to come forward and say 'actually I don't want to wear this but i need support to say so' is it

You wont reach the ones who don't have a choice without meeting and including the ones who do

I think you are arguing that it's better to take away the choice to wear it from those who want to in order to protect the ones who don't - am I right

Because I do understand that view but I can't support it because it's just as oppressive in my view

We live in a patriarchal society - women as a whole are fairly marginalised - it's mad to think the law makers truly have womens interests at heart in banning face covering

The way to support women is to continue to support the groups they create to help themselves

NB I am not saying anyone here supports a ban before that gets jumped on again - more considering wider calls for bans and bans in France etc

I don't think anyone is arguing that the choice should be taken away. Just that it's ok to have a view on it which isn't just 'let's not tell women what to wear..'

The covering of the face and particularly that its only women makes me exceedingly uncomfortable.

Talking to someone in a balaclava or in a hoodie with a scarf would also make me uncomfortable.

I don't think YABU at all OP.

Why not strike up a conversation next time you meet a lady in a burqa? I am certain you will find a non threatening woman who has made a choice about what she wears.

i think it stops being a 'choice' when you recognise that you are doing something because a dictator wants you to. just to clarify, i feel that the bible's depiction of god is one of a dictator too.

just out of curiosity double what would you say if i did just that and was told that she felt forced into wearing it...?

yes Vampyre but that's a whole other thread

AIBU to think God is a big dictator and no yanbu by the way

But then I don't believe in him/her

I'm not sure if this has already been said but here is what the Qu'rn says on women's clothing. For those who are interested in the reasons etc

^"And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms (jaybs), and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful"^

â?? Qur'an, Surah 24 (An-Nur), Verse 31

that, to me, shows a very clear inequality between men and women as far as the Qur'an (therefore the basis of Islam?) is concerned.

I can only speak from experience, the veiled women I know have chosen this form of dress. If she was forced I would try to help and advise, of course. Wouldn't you try and help a woman who was forced to wear anything against her will? I was in a friends house one day and she got veiled when someone knocked on the door. I asked if she had to do that and she asked me if I would open the door in my knickers! I guess different women have different ideas about what being fully dressed means.

to be fair you'd have to read the whole thing to get a true picture - in many ways it's way more pro-women than the bible - which isn't hard

Forgive my ignorance but are there different versions of the Qur'an in the same way there are different versions of the bible? Or is it just one absolute version?

Doublemuvver, our neighbours once opened their front door as we passed it , unveiled, giggling wildly, and would shout 'hello neighbours!' which seemed to be the height of misbehaviour

This thread has been really interesting. My brothers ex was originally from Afghanistan: Pakistan the border keeps changing She never wore veils, niqab, burka and had short hair. She went back to visit family first she got hair extensions as she said her family would never approve of a woman with short hair and she covered while over there. She is totally opposed to covering but did so because it was culturally expected there. She has a phd, is an educated devout Muslim but is opposed to the oppression of women she saw at home and is particularly opposed to women having to cover themselves. This other side of the argument exist for every Indigo who is happy to cover there is other women being oppressed by the same thing. Women everywhere as citizens of humanity have a right to take a view and not all views will be the same.

WOW what a very telling post cresent very scary.......