Personally, I really don't understand why people get upset about Islamic women *choosing* to wear hijabs, or niqabs, under the pretense of feminism. Part of what feminism fights for is the right to choose. This is the unintended consequence.
I get the practical arguments (ie, "I don't know who this person is" etc.) is, though, and I think any girl or women who has their wardrobe dictated by another person is being abused, unless there's a non-abusive reason behind it; I doubt that anyone wearing a work or school uniform would qualify as being abused.
From, Emily
On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 8:21 AM, Arnaud HERVE arnaudherve@x-mail.netwrote:
I am not sure this is strictly on-topic, but I thought it might be interesting concerning female appearance issues.
We are starting presidential campaigns in France now, and there is a candidate for the right of women to wear the niqab (full clothing except for the eyes)
Here is an article, you probably won't understand it but you will see the video, which I think is telling :
http://www.lepoint.fr/societe/2012-la-candidate-du-niqab-22-09-2011-1376118_...
In this interview, basically she claims it is her individual right as a woman, to wear the niqab as she would wear a mini-skirt. Feminists on the contrary argue that it is not a mere piece of clothe, but a submission to Islamic law, which implies a loss of civic rights for women.
So that's what I said earlier, there is now a contradiction between multiculturalism and women's rights. Both of which used to belong together in the side of progress, traditionally.
On a more practical level, you can understand that she won't be able to run the full campaign, because it will not be possible to identify her. It could be her sister or her mom any time. Women wearing the niqab are already refused in many jobs, because precisely it is impossible to know who is the employee. In the case of a kindergarten for example it could even be a man impersonating his sister.
But here it will make some noise, because it is her intention to get banned for the presidential campaign, and it is precisely that sort of publicity she is looking for.
Arnaud
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