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.

I don't feel threatened by people wearing a burkha. I do feel impatient though. One, because surely it's possible to dress modestly without covering yourself head to toe in black with one hole to see from and one to breathe from. An two, because it is an oppressive garment in itself and in its social and cultural context that pressures muslim women into thinking it betokens some kind of spiritual commitment.

Really pisses me off that if you think burkhas are positively medieval you are accused of being racist. I hate all forms of prejudice - including oppressive apparel and a sexist, bigoted interpretation of religions.

For those who say they choose to wear it, can they explain why? And isn't the fact that women do choose to cover up their faces a damning indictment of society in itself? I think those women are kidding themselves that choosing to cover their faces in public are the actions of an emancipated gender.

Cba to RTFT. Hahaha, yes YABU. Are you Beth's mate?

I would never dream of putting pressure on my wife to wear what I thought was suitable and if I did she wouldn't take a blind bit of notice of me...which is the way it should be.

The thought process of a culture that asks ladies to be modest whilst the males of that culture dress only in western clothes surely needs to be questioned and should not only be a feminist issue but an issue society has to tackle.

Thought I'd lighten the mood. .... I have spent many years in countries where burkas are common place. My dh is Muslim. I always wondered how the children knew which one was their mum at the school gate. Not rude or racist, a genuine wonder, it was years until I plucked up the courage to ask

still, no one has told me which part of the op was racist.

rosie what was the answer?

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.

By saying im trying not to be racist does not excuse what is a very racist/prejudice statement on a public forum!
I am assuming you are white im sorry if im wrong but how would you react if I said I felt nervous around large groups of white people? But not in a racist way most white people are perfectly nice but there are so many of those UKIP EDL BNP SUPPORTERS! Those awful close minded horrible people!

You can not pigeon hole people for their religion it seems like it acceptable to have anti Muslim views! You either need a real think about the person you are or move out of the tiny midsummer murder type village you live in and move to tower hamlets and meet some Muslims!

Muslim women who completely cover up are fairly obviously not inviting conversational approaches from those around them. I think one message is - keep away from me. That is unnerving. As is the suspicion that the woman may have been pressurised into covering up. From what I have read they are extremely hot, uncomfortable and impractical garments. Perhaps part of their role is also to discourage women from going out, by making it more of an effort.

I don't feel threatened by women wearing the burqa but it is a little disconcerting and difficult to have a conversation with someone when you can't see their eyes or facial expressions. I think it is sad if they feel pressured to wear it.

Erm, Dollybird, the OP didn't say she felt nervous around groups of brown skinned people.

Does it help if I say I'd feel similarly on edge if I was talking to a group of people wearing sun glasses, or motorbike helmets?

In British culture, it's normal to have your face and body on display when talking to someone, so if your face and body are covered, of course it has an effect - and there's nothing wrong with that - as long as you realise what's going on, and don't let it prejudice you.

I know from speaking to people when living abroad that various things about British people unnerved them - no problem, we're all different.

Hell, I'd find it pretty difficult to speak to people if they were entirely naked too...

As someone with a hearing problem, I need to see someones' face to understand what is being said..

Dollybird A woman in a burka might be a white British convert. Does happen. I heard a Radio 4 programme with interviews with converted British white woman.

i feel the same op ,i dont like walking past people wearing burkas or crash helmets , its not racist to feel uncomfortable .

a huddle of the burqa wearers

Marvellous collective noun there

except you are quite probably referring to a niqab

Yabu.

I see a woman wearing a full [unsure how to spell it correctly, sorry] most days on the way to school, and I just smile. She's hardly going to be a threat. She's just a normal person.

If she was wielding a rifle at me I might move aside a bit but mostly she doesn't do that

Curious to know where you've seen all these seething crowds of burqa-clad women. I live in east London, and whilst I see many ladies wearing the hijab or niqab every day, burqas are a very rare sight.

I don't like faces obscured for any reason, whether that's a black veil (catholic or muslim), a visor helmet or a balaclava.

It's unnerving to not be able to look someone in the eye.

People who choose to obscure their faces know this, but do it anyway. It's discourteous and shows contempt for others.

You can ask someone to remove a helmet or balaclava but asking them to remove a veil has you called out as a racist. So the person feeling vulnerable is made out to be the aggressor.

I feel as threatened by them as I do by someone in a balaclava or with a hoody pulled up so tight I can see no facial features.

Make of that what you will....

When wearing sunglasses I was brought up to always remove or raise them when speaking to someone. They don't even obscure the face; it's just bad manners.

I agree that in countries where face veils etc are commonplace, people are used to reading body language differently. But you're not in a foreign country when walking down Uxbridge Road.

Same as Boaty.. as a deaf person I need to see mouths to lip read and eyes to work out how the person is saying stuff (jokey, angry etc..).. I struggle talking to anyone who covers any part of their face - men with big fluffy moustaches or beards, people with sunglasses, doctors or dentists with a mask (most are usually quite good at pulling mask down when they speak), opticians who like to talk during an eye test when there's no light on(!), I hate talking on the telephone for this very reason... I'll be honest and say I do avoid talking to people that I know I won't understand if I'm able to and I feel bad about that but equally I feel embarrassed when trying to talk to someone who's face is obscured in some way and I can't understand them.

I don't object however to the choice of these people to wear burka, have a beard etc.. It's is their choice and I respect that.

See, I don't mind hoodies because there's nothing to be afraid of unless they're deliberately lifting them up to cover their face. It's such an unnatural and uncomfortable thing to do, you know something's up immediately. (I've lived in London too long).

It's a sinister looking outfit, and represents an ideology that I find offensive.
Nothing to do with race.