from Margaret Wente's column in today's Globe.
“I find the veil [my note: the column refres to the veil that covers the face, not simply a headscraf] offensive,” wrote Yasmin Alibahai-Brown, who said it is invariably connected to the most repressive forms of Islam. A woman in a niqab, she says, is just as much the victim of sexual objectification as a half-naked woman in a tube top. “The niqab expunges the female Muslim presence from the landscape and hands the world over to men.”
Okay - I agree. But how can I think society should allow one form of sexual objectification (a mini skirt and a tube top) and not think society should allow the niqab.
I don't think society should NOT allow the niqab, but I think that it should actively promote a competing beliefs system and encourage people to adopt a view of their culture/religion that does not include wearing a niqab. I also think that society should encourage all women to love and resepct their bodies, but does that mean actively promoting t-shirts and bermuda shorts?
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2 comments:
I'll be the first one to say yes, t-shirts and bermuda shorts should be promoted, along with the tube top and mini skirt. That is, as long as the woman wearing the clothing has the right body for it. No one wants to see a tube top and miniskirt combo on the wrong body type, YIKES! Nathan I'll take your shirt right about now.
a. oh devin. :)
b. i think the real problem is where to draw the line, and who draws that line. and also that we make sure that when "we" (being western society) find some objectifying to women, that those that wear certain religious/cultural outfits (?) feel the same way. clearly in that article, that woman finds it repressive. but is an orthodox jewish girl that always wears knee length skirts ok? or do we demand that she wears pants?
to me, i'll always find it strange that dress can be associated with religion, it doesnt seem to connect (or my new favorite nerdy word, it doesnt compute)
ANyway - HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13th!!!
Alex
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