Veiling, Burqas and Western Feminism

[betenoire]

I think you misunderstood me, honestly. I wasn't saying that the bottom line is that if it's someone's culture we should stfu and mind our own business. I was saying that part of the reason that some people are so freaked out by women who cover their heads/faces is because they are freaked out IN GENERAL by that other culture. Just like people lose their shit over someone carrying a kirpan. You can't deny the truth in that.

Originally Posted by dreadgeek

I think that the core issue is whether or not a woman has a *choice* in the matter. If any given woman wants to wear a burqa and it is her choice--and it is freely made, not coerced in any way--then I see no problem. It's what she wants to do.

Which is exactly what I was driving at in my first post.

Either human beings are entitled to be treated with dignity because of some inherent humanness or we aren't. If we aren't, if our right to self-determination is based upon the culture we are born into then NO group has a leg to stand on when arguing that they are oppressed. After all, isn't it their *culture* that says that they should be oppressed?

No denying that some women who cover up are forced into that position - but that does not mean that de facto every single woman who covers up has done so against her will.

As for your questions, my only answer is that there is a pretty huge difference between systematic or legal bullshit - and an individual choice.

Equating my assertion (that one cannot presume that each time a woman covers up it's because she is oppressed) with your examples feels pretty far reaching to me.