Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#21
Bern I still believe it to be a religious dress code. Let me explain more...
While Im certainly not an Oxford Scholar on the subject I have taken a small minor interest. What people must realise is that there is no bog standard conveyor belt muslim. The religion spreads right across many countries, many tribal regions and so on. There are huge variations on the theme, many different interpretations. The chap practising the religion in downtown Cairo is not, chances are, following the same path as the guy practising it in outer Mongolia. Even here in the UK there are many different interpretations and paths. Only recently this was very evident on that BBCTV at 10am sunday morning programme, when many different types of Muslims gathered and almost none agreed with each other...and they were all from the UK !! In other words there are many different interpretations of the QURAN but all under the umbrella of muslim.
So if some ancient sect of the muslim faith( although Im not sure if sect is the right word) interpret The Quran in such a way as to make the Burkha a standard dress code for centuries, then so be it. By that interpretation and ancient tradition it becomes part of someones religious beliefs.
Thats my own interpretation of things anyway.
So I think we would agree that we wouldnt want to see anyone forced into wearing it, but likewise I personally wouldnt want to see anyone forced into NOT wearing it if in fact it is religious.
#22
You are, of course, right: there are as many sectors of Islam as of Christianity. However, as with some sects in Christianity it is possible to trace the seeds of oppression in some areas, and the imposed dress code for women is in that category. It is simply that a) we are unable to challenge it effectively for fear of causing "offence" and b) few western people actually care enough to look into it - as you and I have done, and even when we scrutinise it there is much left open to interpretation!! Having also examined it, albeit from a western viewpoint, I do not accept that the roots of the dress code are religious, I do believe the women who "choose" to dress that way do so as the result of indoctrination and oppression - and clearly often the oppressed come to identify with their oppressors and sincerely believe that they are making a free choice when they are not. The matter of banning or not is obviously thorny, but on the whole, as has been pointed out, in this culture we have an expectation about communication and visibility, for good reasons. those living here need to accept and adapt. And I say this as one of the least dogmatic and racist people I know!!!