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Wearing of burqas: does it imprison women or are they worn freely as religious garb?
Both the immigration minister and the president of France oppose women wearing burqas in France. They say it is counter to the concept of equality and it imprisons women. What do you think? Should this type of debate even be in the realm of government?
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October 27, 2009 03:11 AM
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I think people need to look at the tradition of wearing burqas from the wearer's point of view and not only from western impressions. To us they seem restraining and impersonal, degrading to women but to many of them they are tradition, respect for the beauty of womanhood and respect for religious teachings.
Many strict western churches require specific attire for women when they attend church too. In Italy at a few churches we were not permitted to show our shoulders or have anything low cut on, plus they asked that we put a scarf over our heads. That may have been the tradition for those particular churches and in no way did we feel demoralized or degraded as women. It was tradition and respect.
It is just as imprisoning to force a western preference down the throats of women who are perfectly happy wearing traditional garb as it is to force someone to wear a burqa who would prefer not to.
If particular individuals are being forced to wear a burqa and would rather not, that is a different story altogether. However, to assume that all burqa wearing woman are degraded when they wear a burqa is insulting. Some people take great pride in that particular tradition are happy with it, whether we as westerners can wrap our minds around that concept or not.
I don't feel one country should completely mandate and deny a cultural tradition based on their own belief system.That smacks of the same thinking that tried to destroy and did destroy much of native American language and tradition because it didn't fit the popular image at the time. I do feel however, that the women should be given the full choice one way or the other, based on what they believe or want themselves.
I think if the government feels they have to have a say in the matter, they should be willing to look at all sides of the story and not get in a huff without knowing each individual woman's feelings on the matter or allowing them their own freedom of choice.That makes them no different than the people who force burqas on women who do not want to wear them.
If they want respect for women then it had better be full circle, an individual choice either way.
Many strict western churches require specific attire for women when they attend church too. In Italy at a few churches we were not permitted to show our shoulders or have anything low cut on, plus they asked that we put a scarf over our heads. That may have been the tradition for those particular churches and in no way did we feel demoralized or degraded as women. It was tradition and respect.
It is just as imprisoning to force a western preference down the throats of women who are perfectly happy wearing traditional garb as it is to force someone to wear a burqa who would prefer not to.
If particular individuals are being forced to wear a burqa and would rather not, that is a different story altogether. However, to assume that all burqa wearing woman are degraded when they wear a burqa is insulting. Some people take great pride in that particular tradition are happy with it, whether we as westerners can wrap our minds around that concept or not.
I don't feel one country should completely mandate and deny a cultural tradition based on their own belief system.That smacks of the same thinking that tried to destroy and did destroy much of native American language and tradition because it didn't fit the popular image at the time. I do feel however, that the women should be given the full choice one way or the other, based on what they believe or want themselves.
I think if the government feels they have to have a say in the matter, they should be willing to look at all sides of the story and not get in a huff without knowing each individual woman's feelings on the matter or allowing them their own freedom of choice.That makes them no different than the people who force burqas on women who do not want to wear them.
If they want respect for women then it had better be full circle, an individual choice either way.
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October 26, 2009 12:38 PM
Question is: do they WANT to wear them, or are they forced to wear them by their husbands? If it were a purely voluntarily choice, that's fine. Problem is, these women don't get much choice. (Wear a burqa or face death or social exclusion.
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October 26, 2009 02:15 PM
I'm just saying that for *whatever reason* a woman decides to wear anything it should be left up to her. The government wants to make a law?? I would want to move to another planet or shoot myself in the face with a shotgun. The government doesn't belong anywhere near this decision.
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October 26, 2009 01:44 PM
http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=Col+2+8
http://www.techsupportforum.com/relaxation-room/political-scene/128711-kora... Helpful Answer? (0)
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Being from a rigid religious background, I find this a little complicated. If you tell me that the only way to please God is to where a burqa, then I will happily wear one. However, if the information was false and made up to confine me, then I am unfairly being victimized. However, if an outsider comes in and tries to remove my burqa forcibly, I am going to be devastated.
As for France's laws, they are very concerned with keeping their French culture. Unfortunately, that mindset could drive out people with particular beliefs, and they may go elsewhere for religious freedom. Now if France is taking the argument that after careful study of the Koran, burqas are not truly a religious requirement as this web page claims (http://www.techsupportforum.com/relaxation-room/political-scene/128711-koran-actually-advises-against-wearing-burkas.html), then I think banning them is okay.
I get frustrated in America with Christians who think they have to wear 18th century clothes to be right with God. It is not based on the Bible, but on people's traditions, which the Bible warns against (http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=Col+2+8). If you just want to, great, but don't claim that God says to because a person told you to.
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As for France's laws, they are very concerned with keeping their French culture. Unfortunately, that mindset could drive out people with particular beliefs, and they may go elsewhere for religious freedom. Now if France is taking the argument that after careful study of the Koran, burqas are not truly a religious requirement as this web page claims (http://www.techsupportforum.com/relaxation-room/political-scene/128711-koran-actually-advises-against-wearing-burkas.html), then I think banning them is okay.
I get frustrated in America with Christians who think they have to wear 18th century clothes to be right with God. It is not based on the Bible, but on people's traditions, which the Bible warns against (http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=Col+2+8). If you just want to, great, but don't claim that God says to because a person told you to.
http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=Col+2+8
http://www.techsupportforum.com/relaxation-room/political-scene/128711-kora... Helpful Answer?
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October 26, 2009 04:40 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights
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I personally think that religious freedom means it's the right of an individual person to choose whether or not something imprisons them in their faith or if it's willing and devout of their faith.
Women have often been, in history, treated as 'less than' men, based on religious teachings of the time. Women's movements, liberation and equality aside: it's still a woman's right to choose, between her and her God, what she feels her faith requires of her.
So the United States sorts got it right when they said, "government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
Which basically means, in a nutshell, that we can wear burqas or not wear them, wear yamulkes or not wear them, partake of Lord's feast or not partake, go to church or not go to church, so on and so forth.
The choice is ours... I feel that's how it should be anywhere. Choice is the real freedom. We can say we're free all we want, but without real choice, there is no freedom.
The choice to wear one or not should lie only with the woman and be between her and her God, imo.
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Women have often been, in history, treated as 'less than' men, based on religious teachings of the time. Women's movements, liberation and equality aside: it's still a woman's right to choose, between her and her God, what she feels her faith requires of her.
So the United States sorts got it right when they said, "government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
Which basically means, in a nutshell, that we can wear burqas or not wear them, wear yamulkes or not wear them, partake of Lord's feast or not partake, go to church or not go to church, so on and so forth.
The choice is ours... I feel that's how it should be anywhere. Choice is the real freedom. We can say we're free all we want, but without real choice, there is no freedom.
The choice to wear one or not should lie only with the woman and be between her and her God, imo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitut... Helpful Answer?
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October 26, 2009 08:54 PM
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A lot of women wear burqas because they want to and choose to. For anyone in government to say that someone cannot wear something, in my opinion is wrong. Why not, instead, be against women being forced to wear a burqa as that would be the real issue and responsibility of the government. Protect the women that are punished for not wearing one; don't take the rights of the ones that want to.
The problem is, that people think the burqa is weird. Makes you wonder what's behind the eyes, what they look like, etc. etc. A lot of people are just uncomfortable by it and so would rather just ban the burqa and make everyone wear whatever everyone else is wearing.
Why not ban biker shorts and skinny jeans instead? Anyone that's worn either one can tell you they're not the most liberating pieces of clothing...
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The problem is, that people think the burqa is weird. Makes you wonder what's behind the eyes, what they look like, etc. etc. A lot of people are just uncomfortable by it and so would rather just ban the burqa and make everyone wear whatever everyone else is wearing.
Why not ban biker shorts and skinny jeans instead? Anyone that's worn either one can tell you they're not the most liberating pieces of clothing...
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