Walk a Mile in Her Hijab Day

Parent Cafe
41

Yeah, like bad hair days. That’s the most likely reason those women were wearing head scarves. Or to cover up rollers. My grandmother used to go out shopping during the day with her hair set in rollers, and a big scarf wrapped over that.

I was like, you see more people in your scarf and rollers than you do when you’re hair’s perfect, what are you doing?

Nowadays when the girls have bad hair days they’ll wear a beanie or a trucker hat (both of which I hate but it’s the style so I don’t say anything).

Sometimes a scarf is just a scarf…

42

A well meaning high school activity might inspire college students. Wait until one of the frats at Duke or elsewhere decides to throw a burqa or niqabi party! What is the difference with a sombrero or gangsta themed party?

43

So should a different group ask the Muslim women to participate in a "See what it’s like to be free of the hijab day?’

44

A burqa party strikes me as the very least likely type of party a fraternity might throw.

45

Isn’t that simply trivially true of many people anywhere in any sort of sphere, especially since this was referring to women who aren’t yet completely on their own?

I’ve known kids who had to go to church despite not wanting to, because their parents said so. I’ve also known (fewer, but still multiple) who weren’t allowed to go to church because their parents were against it. And how many times do we see posts on CC from kids who do or don’t want to go to a certain type of college or major in a certain field, but their parents are paying the bills and so they have to do as they’re commanded?

And then, of course, there’s the classic—and topical for this thread—“You’re not dressing like that as long as you live under my roof!”

46

Head scarves and babushkas WERE mandated at times and in certain places. I believe it was my Great-grandmother who emigrated from Croatia when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire who was upset with a granddaughter who voluntarily wore a head scarf. She had been required to wear a babushka in the old country. It really wasn’t that long ago!

When I was a child, we went to church once while visiting relatives in PA only to find a priest who obviously hadn’t heard of Vatican II because he railed against women not covering their heads during church services (while glaring at all of us) and promised that if they then wanted to get married in his church he wouldn’t let them wear a veil. It was about 1972 when this happened!

This would fall under wearing a head covering “for God”, by the way. “For God” really equals whoever is interpreting our religious behavior and I doubt it is really the Almighty (but I’m not a big churchgoer as you can probably guess).

47

How about “Wear a Crucifix Day?” Ummm, no, because it would be inappropriate if the wearer is not Catholic. As Zeldie referenced, two Bowdoin students are in the hot seat for throwing a party where attendees wore sombreros. And, a sombrero isn’t even religious attire. I hope they give awards for “who wore it best”.

48

It seems to me that if people were persecuted for wearing crucifixes (and I mean real persecution, not the “People disagree with me!” that sometimes passes for claims of persecution these days), well, then you might well get a “Walk a Mile in Their Crucifix Day” put on by a group aiming for better interfaith understanding, you know?

49

@dfbdfb At first I thought you were joking. There’s no “if” in people being persecuted for wearing crucifixes. HItler killed thousands of Catholics and christians are being slaughtered every day by radical muslims.

50

@dfbdfb “Well, except that there are Muslim women who view the headscarf as empowering, contra those in the Post article.”

I think that is because it is the only way they can leave the house. Sorta like slaves might find chains empowering if the chains get them out of the cotton field.

Thinking this is good for Muslim women strikes me as a lot like the view that AA’s liked being slaves. I do not believe it at all.

51

@dfbdfb
From the Sec’y of State:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/03/17/kerry-determines-isis-committing-genocide-in-iraq-syria.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/04/07/has-the-world-looked-the-other-way-while-christians-are-killed/

52

@dfbdfb "Isn’t that simply trivially true of many people anywhere in any sort of sphere, especially since this was referring to women who aren’t yet completely on their own?

I’ve known kids who had to go to church despite not wanting to, because their parents said so. I’ve also known (fewer, but still multiple) who weren’t allowed to go to church because their parents were against it. And how many times do we see posts on CC from kids who do or don’t want to go to a certain type of college or major in a certain field, but their parents are paying the bills and so they have to do as they’re commanded?

And then, of course, there’s the classic—and topical for this thread—“You’re not dressing like that as long as you live under my roof!”

Treating people like property is not trivial. It wasn’t funny during slavery, and it still isn’t funny under Islam.

53

First of all, Hitler killing Catholics was certainly persecution, but it isn’t persecution now. Catholics were certainly persecuted in the United States around the same time, too—but now? Not so much.

Daesh killing Christians is (a) generalized across Christians and not specific to those who wear crucifixes, and more to the point for the current discussion, (b) on the other side of the world.

The event described in the article the OP linked to was designed to raise the issue of the treatment of Muslims in the local community. The treatment of any group, Muslim or Catholic or otherwise, in other contexts does not enter into actual topic under discussion.

In fact, I would argue that rushing to talk about other parts of the world is an utter and complete red herring designed to deflect attention away from the uncomfortable local facts that really should be under discussion here. Saying “Oh, the same thing happened to other groups in the past, and still happens in other parts of the world” is simply an attempt to minimize local issues via (given the context) false equivalency.

54

@Much2learn, you are aware that something being “trivially true” does not mean that it is trivial, yes?

55

My sisters - and many, * many* others who wear the hijab - are free to leave the house whenever they want to. The slave analogy is actually very offensive, because what you’re basically saying is : if their view doesn’t match mine, then it’s stupid.

This attitude of believing some different cultures are “backwards” and “dehumanizing” because it doesn’t fit * your * personal view of things strikes me as very arrogant.
Are Jews ■■■■■■■■ or “backwards” because they don’t deal with electronics during Shabbat? Are Christians “barbaric” because they Christen babies(i.e drown them in water)?

You don’t have to wear the hijab. No one is forcing you to. Muslim girls who ** choose ** to wear it aren’t complaining, and I doubt they’ll appreciate being likened to slaves.

56

“You don’t have to wear the hijab. No one is forcing you to. Muslim girls who choose to wear it aren’t complaining, and I doubt they’ll appreciate being likened to slaves”

Seems like quite a generalization. Are you speaking for billions of Muslim women, in very diverse cultures? Or just your sisters?

57

When a person CHOOSES to wear something, they rarely, if ever, complain about it. I frankly don’t understand your post.

58

“My sisters - and many, many others who wear the hijab - are free to leave the house whenever they want to.”

I have no doubt that many women who wear the hijab are free to leave the house without it, but many are not. You know that.

“The slave analogy is actually very offensive, because what you’re basically saying is : if their view doesn’t match mine, then it’s stupid.”

My issue is with the forcing/control of women and girls and pretending that they are all happy. I think the slave analogy is accurate. You are saying that Muslim women and girls want to wear a hijab or burqa. During slavery, many whites claimed that black people were happy being slaves. The person with power claims that the person who does not have power likes being told what they have to do, and prefers not making their own decisions. How is that different? If women and girls really want to wear these clothes, then I think it is fine, but I have an issue when there is any degree of coercion at all.

To me, the situation with Jews that you pointed out is totally different because the whole family is doing it, and it is for a limited time. I have no problem with that. Those are just traditions. That is a lot different than imposing something on women and girls year-around. Also, to be clear, you are the one name calling Jewish people. I did not say that.

Regarding the situation you mentioned, with Christening, I have never seen a Christening that remotely resembled drowning a child as you assert. Have you? If one did resemble drowning or harming a child in any way, I would feel the same way about that. To me, harming a child in the name of any religion should not be allowed. Refusing a life saving blood transfusion in the name of any religion should also not be allowed. This view is not specifically targeted at your religion. It is targeted at attempts to use any religion to control women and girls or treat them like property.

“This attitude of believing some different cultures are “backwards” and “dehumanizing” because it doesn’t fit your personal view of things strikes me as very arrogant.”

First, I did not say any of this, or use either word you put in quotes. Second, I am actually quite accepting of different cultures, but I don’t control how my perspective “strikes” you. Third, the fact that something is from a different culture does not mean it is dehumanizing, but it also does not mean that it isn’t. Women and girls from all cultures should know that in this country they do have rights and freedoms.

The point of this is that I believe that people should be free to worship as they wish. However, when men use religion as a tool to control women and girls, I have a problem with it. I understand that you may find this view of giving women the same rights as men to be offensive, and you have the right to think that.

I do think it is fine to allow a “wear a hijab” day at school because I think those girls should be treated with respect by everyone. However, I would not think it is fine if it is expected that we pretend that all women and girls wear it because they want to.

59

@Much2learn Most of what you just posted in #57 agrees with what I posted on #39:

[quote]
InfinityMan said: Now, I will agree that some Muslim majority countries push the same narrative you describe above. This has nothing to do with Islam and everything to do with ** men trying to subjugate women**. I doubt that this is news to anybody on this forum. Some men would seize any excuse to keep women “under control”. Case in hand : it was only in 2015 that KSA allowed women into Parliament, despite there being no religious barrier to the appointments. Sadly, some women are complicit in this too (and you see this EVERYWHERE). If a girl ** wants** to wear a hijab let her. /quote.

So what do we disagree on? :-/

60

@dfbdfb Why make the conversation in the high school exclusive to the students in that building and not prompt a conversation about religious tolerance and persecution in world history. What is the point of teaching the practice of wearing a hijab without exploring what it means and represents? These are not children.

Hopefully, the non-muslim students were aware of global current events and that there is currently murder, persecution, and genocide occurring in the name of Islam before they casually put on religious garments. There is most certainly a causal relationship between global events and attitudes in local communities that contributes to discrimination and stereotypes.