saw a woman in a burkha the other day

[onlygirlinthehouse]

can someone please explain to me how it can be ok, in 2008, for a woman to be walking down the street in an ordinary northern town in a full burkha. I personally find the wearing of burkha quite shocking but to see it in my home town was even more so.

I have no problem with the wearing of headscarves, it doesnt interfere with normal everyday social interactions, but we are now seeing more and more full face veils and as I have said, even burkhas, surely this is cutting yourself off from normal society.

Is this progress? Is this freedom of speech and expression? Someone please justify this for me.

a deaf person has NOT chosen to be deaf, of course (well in most cases anyway)

Precisely because it is 2008 and your normal town is part of a democratic country!

your ability to communicate with others is compromised if your face is hidden.

Your ability to communicate, get an education, get a job, go to mother and toddler-groups.....It has a very isolating effect on women. They might as well stay inside their house all the time, same effect I think. and why do they feel the need to cover their faces so noone can see who they are?

So strict muslim dress confines you to the position of a deaf person Riven. Wonderful. I find burkas offensive to my cultural beliefs about women and feminism. Why do we have to respect people's beliefs just because we call their set of ideas a religion? I abhor communism and fascism and it's ok to say that, but somehow not OK to say you abhor ideas that are couched in a religious context. The idea that women are inherently sexual if not covered up, that they should in any way feel the need to be "modest"....I find that ignorant and sad.

There has definately been an increase of covering up at least where I live and I wonder why this is? Is it a confrontational thing, are women simply trying to make a point about freedom of behavour especially after Jack Straws comments, or is there increased pressure within the community to cover?

I think as liberated women we have a right to question women covering up.
According to many moderate muslims, it is not a requirement to wear the full burka.

I think anyone who is uncomfortable with it should be able to start a debate without being accussed of being intolerant.

I have also seen quite young girls covered, what is that saying, that even young girls are seen as sexual and have to cover their sexuality to protect themselves. Thats really not right when you think about it is it?!

I have noticed an increase in this too, and I interpret as a rejection of western values rather than religious expression.

you can personally dislike- and even abhor- something whilst still respecting the person and their right to choose their own path in life, especially something non-harming such as standard Islam

what's wrong with choosing to be modest? it's a choice i make myself as a non-Muslim, and actually I think there's a welcome empowering aspect to not wanting to fit culturally desirable standards of size 4 with tits out, blonde hair and big boobs

feminism should be about giving women the freedom to live and express themselves as they wish. forcing people into ione system is as odious as forcing all women to work, or not work- we're all different and thank goodness

thank you mrsruffallo thats all I wanted to do, start a debate. It does really bother me that as soon as you start to question something like this you are accused of intolerance.

agree with mrsruffalo and bedbug's excellent post!they become women without a voice and without a face.How is that freedom?

I have no issue if it is done out of free will, but some Muslim women are told that it is obligatory, and that worries me a bit.

what's next? a crusade to get all women to show their muffin tops? Let people show as much or as little as they want to, fgs.

good post PeachyHas...

Sorry, peachy there is far more of an issue than just modesty.
Of course women ohave the right to wear the burka if they choose, I don't think that anyone on here has suggested otherwise.

why is the only alternative to being covered up to have " blond hair and tits out". I dress modestly but in a western way, I dont wear short skirts or have my boobs hanging out, but that is because I dont want to look like that, Im a mum and thats what I look like.

I personally find it a bit insulting that the insinuation is made that anyone who is not covering up is automatically dressing like a slut and doing to inflame mens desires. I dont want to inflame anyone thank you!!!

MB - define free will if you please