the veil?

[paul]

can i ask why muslim women and maybe of other religions wear the veil?

Jack straw in my opinion seems to have made an unacceptable request.

although i don't understand the veil, i would like to, and think people should have the right to observe this if they choose and beleive in it.

i watched a film only yesterday, where a german soldier forcefully removed a nuns head cover.
i can see the disgrace in this, what is Jack straw suggesting, either people are allowed to observe this, or they be forced to do something against their will and beleifs, a woman may feel disgraced, maybe naked to not have her face covered, has anyone the right to force her against her will to remove it, this would make them the oppressor.

i know women use to wear a veil in traditional christian weddings, i don't quite undertstand why at the moment, does anyone know?

if there is some law introduced where women would be forced to remove their veils, and i know some are making the claim that the women who wear the veil do so against their will, or are somehow oppressed.
but if such a law was introduced or women forced against their will to remove it, then the opressor would be clearly seen.

anyone have more info or opinions on this?

 

[sara[h]ng]

I saw a Muslim woman on a talk show once and she talked about what the burqa meant, why it was there and her personal feelings on it. She said that the burqa prevents men to whom she is not married from seeing her as a sexual object. This means that she can go wherever and do what she pleases and be seen as a human being, not as a pair of breasts and associated other bits of anatomy. As for her husband, being the only man that sees her without it, of course, she's not just a sexual object to him, but he is the only one that she wants looking at her with those kind of thoughts. So, it is a kind of liberation.

Being young and female myself, I understand that and can see how it would be beneficial if life wasn't a fashion/popularity/sex contest. If people really did look at all other people as just that and not judging them by what they are wearing or how their bodies look or whatever. It's like the reason behind school uniforms.

HOWEVER! This is just a physical way to force people to be moral. I think that people should do it (be moral) on their own accord in the face of temptation. AND in addition that, despite this one woman's very healthy view, in many areas of the world, the burqa is not a liberation. It is an indication of inferiority, a removal of basic human rights and a kick in the face of equality.

 

[Abubakar]

can i ask why muslim women and maybe of other religions wear the veil?

Jack straw in my opinion seems to have made an unacceptable request.

although i don't understand the veil, i would like to, and think people should have the right to observe this if they choose and beleive in it.

i watched a film only yesterday, where a german soldier forcefully removed a nuns head cover.
i can see the disgrace in this, what is Jack straw suggesting, either people are allowed to observe this, or they be forced to do something against their will and beleifs, a woman may feel disgraced, maybe naked to not have her face covered, has anyone the right to force her against her will to remove it, this would make them the oppressor.

i know women use to wear a veil in traditional christian weddings, i don't quite undertstand why at the moment, does anyone know?

if there is some law introduced where women would be forced to remove their veils, and i know some are making the claim that the women who wear the veil do so against their will, or are somehow oppressed.
but if such a law was introduced or women forced against their will to remove it, then the opressor would be clearly seen.

anyone have more info or opinions on this?

Sallam Aleykum

The veil (niquab) is only worn by a very small proportion of Muslim Women, some estimates are as high as 5% but most are less than 1%, some claim around 1 in 10,000. This is just to put this in proportion.

I cannot say for every Muslim woman but the image of women being forced to wear the veil strikes me as part of the current Muslim women are oppressed line being floated by those with an anti-Muslim agenda.

The only three incidence where I know a woman who wears a veil or know her husband, two of them the husband objected but was overidden by the wife and the other one I have no idea about but would be very suprised knowing the husband if he applied any pressure on her et all.

Jack Straw is a typical western male and has failed to mention certain aspects of his pathetic pronouncement. Firstly he suffers from tinitous [spelling?] and this may affect his ability to hear what people say. secondly as an MP for a town which has a lot of Muslims, he has NO idea why the woman are wearing it and is abusing his position by asking women to remove it.

If we are not careful we will end up with the veil as a political symbol and create another division between Muslims and the wider community.

The woman who wear it do so as they believe it is a religious obligation or a choice. It confirms them as private individuals and not as sexual objects for the wider male population.

A woman will not wear a veil in the sole company of women and pre-teenage children, nor her family, brothers, father, sons etc

The veil is a challenge to western society where the liberation of women OFTEN has more to do with being sexually available (and financially self supporting) to men rather than any freeing of the woman. survey after survey indicates that women do the vast majority of the housework, childcare and provide a sizable proportion of the family income in the UK. This is one of the reasons I believe that we have had a large number of male voices blustering their opposition to this small square of fabric.

I would add that neither my wife nor any of my daughters wear the veil or have expressed any inclination to. I personally do not see it as a Religious obligation, in fact as we live in a non-Muslim land, rather the opposite (in that we are obligated not to make our neighbours fearful, even if the fear is a dumb one). That said, I am thoroughly sick of large men pretending that they have something to fear from 5' tall women because these women cover their face in public. I support a woman who chooses to wear the veil as she believes it is a Religious Obligation but would not neccessarily agree that she is correct.

ps. I notice that the story of a criminal suspect of murderering a Policewoman escaping the country dressed as a veiled woman using his sisters passport, is doing the rounds again. There is no proof of this whatsoever and is pure speculation of a journalistic headline kind.

 

[BuzzLY]

One could look at the veil or burqa as akin to other sorts of humiliation like wearing a leather bondage mask and/or being led around on a dog leash. I've actually already witnessed that sort of stuff being praticed in public and to tell you the truth I think that its demeaning to everyone; the slave, the master/mistress and everyone else who has to witness it.

I know that veils aren't quite that extreme but maybe the same principles apply.

 

[Francis king]

well, as far as christian veils go.... in the olden days, a man and a woman didnt get it together cos they loved each other- they got it together cos they were told to, usually by their families, either for money or sometimes for the sake of allegiances... women had no rights and men kept women as chattel- goods, no more valuable than cows, things to be bought and sold, and they would sell off their daughters and sisters to the highest bidder... regardless, a women would be veiled when she was brought to the man to be given to him, in marriage, so he couldnt see what he was getting as it walked up the aisle- if she was a minger he might go back on the deal, and the dad or brother would lose his dowry... so, thats why brides wear veils...lol... and thats why dads give their daughters away, the whole formal bit....

but back to the present day- women can vote now, for themselves, they can have jobs and careers and be successful, they can excel, in politics, science, medicine, law enforcement, the works...

for any woman in the 21st century to consciously willfully choose to wear a veil puts feminism back 200 years and they should be ashamed of themselves... it is not liberating, it is not what god wants, it is deliberate oppression... if u cannot see this for urself, then u are a fool... if wearing a veil is the only way u can protect urself from lusty men wanting to rape u then the men should either be in jail or a mental asylum... if men cannot stop themselves pouncing when they see some freshly washed hair or a well turned ankle then they need castration...

for a woman to fall into line in this way and really want to wear a veil tells me she needs her head examined... yes, lets go back to the good old days, when women had no rights and were too scared to open their mouths or show a bit of leg in case she was beaten, yes, lets go back to the days when women had no jobs, no votes, no literature, no role except that of brood mare for men...

buzzly- I think u've got it spot on, myself- very master/slave

... if I go to some arabic speaking countries, I have to adapt my style of summer dressing, don't I? I cannot wear shorts and expose a bit of thigh, I cannot expose my shoulders, I cannot walk about unaccompanied in case I get hassled from men- but I don't want to live like that, thanks... where I live, if a man hassled me because I exposed an inch of flesh above my knees I'd phone the police and have him arrested... if a man touches u, without being invited, its sexual harrasment... if he's calling u names in the street, he's committing an offence... aint it great when we have rules!