Let us recap what a burka is: it’s a garment that covers a woman from head to foot, leaving only her eyes uncovered so she can see where she’s going. It is customarily worn by some Arab women when they go out in public so that no other man but her husband may look upon her. Only her husband may look upon her. She is his property. This is the ideal represented by a burka. That women are property. So it offends me to see a woman wearing it in public. Even more so in a mundane a place such as the supermarket. Because that requires that I accept this ideal—that women are property—as an everyday thing. That something like that is equally unremarkable as potato chips or canned tuna. “Just another Saturday afternoon shopping for this week’s groceries and oh look there’s a-woman-whose-life-is-completely-owned-by-her-husband can I have a half kilo of chicken please thanks.” I can’t wrap my mind around it. It just feels wrong.Yeah, but see, it doesn’t fucking matter if you “don’t like looking at it”, because she’s choosing to wear it.
It’s not only cultural, but religious. If you don’t understand the culture, that’s your fault. Why should an Arab woman change the way she was brought up simply because it makes you uncomfortable?
There are women that come from that part of the world who completely eschew that way of life and thinking. This woman obviously didn’t, because she simply doesn’t mind it. So fucking what? If she’s happy, let her be happy.
Frankly, I find it offensive that you’re insinuating that this woman somehow isn’t in control of her own life. It’s bullshit like this that pisses me off. “Oh, she doesn’t even realize she’s oppressed, the patriarchy has brainwashed her, how sad!” Give her some credit and let her live her life the way she wants to.
Hi there! Sorry for the late response to this. I just figured out that I can actually read the text you reblogged and then reply like this.
First of all, never in my post did I evangelize and demand that this woman, or any arab women, change their ways. Nor did I demand that burkas be banned in supermarkets. I was merely stating my opinion and what I felt. Surely if this woman has the freedom to have her beliefs then I have the freedom to mine as well?
Secondly, just because something is “cultural” or “religious” doesn’t make it morally correct. It’s not that I don’t understand or see where they’re coming from. I do. Just like I understand where these Congo soldiers are coming from when they explain why they rape women. That’s their culture. Still, I can’t accept it as morally right. But again, that’s just me, and I’m not imposing my morals on anyone.
Lastly, why do you find it offensive that I’m insinuating that she’s not in control of her life? I crunched everything I know about burkas and Islam culture and made an assumption. You assumption is that she’s not oppressed or burdened by fear or tradition; she freely chose to wear a burka. That’s possible too. But your assumption is more likely than mine because… ?
If you have facts and statistics that most women who wear burkas understand and enjoy the same freedom as Western women such as yourself, then please share them with me. All I know about burkas I learned from western media so yeah, I may be completely wrong and I’m open to having my worldview corrected.
Cheers!
Source: mikonawa