Beakersful

I have the opposite opinion there actually. I've seen fathers dragging round emaciated, toothy camel-looking daughters with their faces uncovered, acting demurely, which I put down to perhaps a plot to marry her off to the first hurry Saudi who had an accident in his thobe upon laying his eyes on her forbidden face.

gottheTshirt

They are Camels - they carry them in the back of Toyota pick ups with a winch to get them out. The daughters they carry in the back of Suburban SUVs with a winch to get them out.

Boomhauer

Finally a teeny tiny small positive development from European leaders in defense of a progressive secular free society against the attacks from Islam.

Boomhauer

This is what I have gleaned from reading news & culture ; the Burqa is more of a Pathan cultural thing, practice of which is more common amongst the Pathan areas of Pakistan, especially rural areas .

gottheTshirt

I have spent time in Baluchistan living in Quetta and travelling in rural areas and I did not find the Burka to be common. As I said rarely seen in Pakistan so why do Pakistanis feel a need/human right to wear a burka in London ?

Meow

I read a recent article in one of the UK broadsheets that claimed that something like 40% of UK Muslims are Salafis, which is the same as Wahhabis. Pretty hard core, but it does make you wonder why so many choose to live in the UK if the country doesn't chime with their views.

Bahtatboy

But what you're suggesting we do is discriminate, i.e. make a conscious, rational and informed decision about who is good for our society and who isn't, and then apply that decision in order to protect our society. Pretty much as every country in the world does.

That would never do.

pomomp

Its true that the burqa is pre-islamic. its actually a part of arab culture (or saudi culture at least) as when back in the day, even before islam, women would get caught in sandstorms and the likes, and the best way to protect their faces was a full veil.

The quraan states that men and women should dress modestly, covering the hair at the most - a lot of beauty can be from hair alone. Its a shame that the muslims who protest the ban can't differentiate between culture and religion

Meow

Take a look at this. Blame makeup: Molestations in public are 'women’s own fault', Saudi poll shows — RT News

"People pointing to female indecency to explain sexual assaults on them may have a lot in common with men in Saudi Arabia. In a country where women must cover most of their body in public, the majority of males say women provoke molestation with makeup.

This opinion seems to dominate society in the ultraconservative kingdom. A new opinion poll showed that 86.5 percent of men blame mascara and eye liner for the rise in molestation cases in public places, reports the Emirates 24/7 news website.

The poll was conducted among 992 men and women over 19 by the Riyadh-based King Abdul Aziz Centre for National Dialogue, a Saudi NGO promoting communication between citizens and the many branches of its royal government."

Seems to me that men are the ones with a weird attitude towards women and need to learn some control and real respect. What they call respect is nothing of the sort. If you really respect a woman you don't see her as nothing but a sex object. It is due to these neanderthal attitudes that women have to cover themselves, as much for their protection from these appalling men as for the supposed 'respect' required.

scrubbedexpat141

Public Karma. Agreed completely.

I found the adverts during the world cup hilarious - particularly the repetitive nature of the one from Saudi.

Blasting on about having the first female editor or something...failing to point out that she can't drive herself to work and all the other shite she has to deal with.

As disingenuous as it sounds, the sooner the oil runs out in the likes of Saudi, the better.

the_red_sheep

The attitude comes from the prevailing religious and cultural climate there (and in the region as a whole) where people can absolve themselves of responsibility for their actions so easily, or indeed allow their actions to be dictated to them without any thought or consideration. You get into debt – you get bailed out. You get speeding fines – they disappear. You kill someone – you pay off the family.

Making women covering to avoid sexual assault or harassment is basically an admission that the men there aren’t civilized enough to treat them as anything other than objects, and therefore any glimmer of temptation must be removed otherwise they’ll act upon it.

Much like the closure of most restaurants during Ramadan could be seen as an indication that temptation must be removed otherwise it will too much to resist, whereas the will power and belief to resist is really what is being tested.

Bipat

Saw this thread subject in the index. It reminded me of an incident many, many years ago.

A middle-east stop over on a flight to UK from India, a woman in Niqab with face covered, husband and baby got on the flight, there were few seats left so an Indian man immediately leapt up to give his seat, so that the woman could sit next to her husband. The plane took off!!

We were transfixed. Off came the niqab, a stunningly beautiful woman in an expensive designer suit appeared from underneath. Out came the hair pins, long lustrous beautiful hair she brushed into shape.
She looked round and grinned to all of us staring. We also had a tiny baby so there was sympathetic rapport.

I have wondered since where is she now??

Meow

Was this real or a fantasy of yours?

Bipat

It was real. I am female!!
I just remember her beauty and confidence (probably very wealthy), in contrast to my own dishevelled self coping with 2 children and a baby on a long flight (along with OH of course).

scrubbedexpat141

I'm sure there are billions in the world who would look at you in the same way.