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The West likes to hand-pick things that are exotic and criticize them separately or out of context with the larger culture. I had an Iranian anthropology professor. She's lived in the States since the mid-90s, has an American husband, and a decidedly Western lifestyle. We had an exchange about the context of the situation.
Me: Do you think hijab constrains a woman's identity?
Professor: Yes, but so does not being allowed to take your top off at an American beach. Why shouldn't a woman be allowed to bare her breasts?
Me: But we're talking about Iran.
Professor: Are we? Or, when Westerners discuss wearing hijab, are we discussing one exotic facet of a much larger problem? "Off with Hijab?" How about, "down with the execution of minors?"
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