Any time I see an article on the burqa, the comment section is rife with people demanding it be banned. I have noticed the same few arguments are recycled each time. Some of these points are going to be addressed below.
A bit of a forewarning, I identify as a male. However I do not feel it necessary to be woman to understand a principle as simple as; ‘it’s not up to anyone else to decide who should wear what’.
1. “It’s a security risk”
I gotta give it to the Bush administration. Once those three towers fell on that September morning in New York, they got the world thinking in terms of ‘national security’ and ‘terrorism’. States and individuals have sold off their human liberties and privacy in the name of security. Yet terrorism has not decreased, let alone stopped.
This logical insanity appears to have also become a reason why people think women should be banned from covering up. As if showing your face prevents planes being flown into towers. Lets not address the more-than decade long violent war bought upon the Middle East. No. Lets focus on subjugating women to burqa laws instead. That’s going to stop ISIS.
2. “It oppresses women”
This notion is usually thinly packaged as a progressive viewpoint. It’s the idea that society should liberate women by forcing them to undress and take away their right of choice. Oh the irony.
Forcing women to cover up is wrong. Just as wrong as forcing women to uncover. They are both two sides of the same fascist coin.
Fighting against families and societies who force their female members to cover up is a worthy cause. A country like Iran has had a law imposing women to cover their bodies and hair for over 30 years. Although the law does not match the cultural heritage of the Iranian people, who put a lot of emphasis on physical beauty. Many women in Iran protest this with clever acts, such as having their scarf sit on their hair bun and only cover the back of the head. This way they are technically following the law, whilst giving a massive middle finger (or a thumbs up, which is the Iranian equivalent) to the state.
All humans, should be able to chose how to dress. The hijab or burqa should be the choice of the individual and no one else. Those who attempt to dictate either way are the real oppressors.
3. It’s offensive to my traditionalist culture
If I had a pound for all the times I come across something along the lines of; “my granddad didn’t fight in WW2 to defend my country for us to let a bunch of burqa muzlims take over.”
First things first. Millions of Muslims served and died in both World Wars to save your country. Indians flew across the world and sat in blistering cold trenches for weeks on end to protect the lines of the western front. Algerians took the brunt of Germany’s initial chemical attacks for the sake of France. Countless Muslims fought and won key victories in Asia and Africa so you can enjoy civil liberty. Always remember they have paid the price of their visas in blood.
Not to mention all the oil, diamonds and gold. No one worried about burqa when there was natural resources to loot for the benefit of Euro-America.
Secondly, no culture is native or unsullied. English tea comes from Sri Lanka. The Lord and saviour of Euro-America is a Middle Eastern import. Whose mother is famously depicted in a hijab. Europeans built their modern empire off the foundations of Asia. Just as Asia built theirs off Africa. Traditionalist values are already a result of hybrid cultures. The term Anglo-Saxon is literally a hybrid of Scandinavian Angles and Germanic Saxons; none of which originate from Britain, U.S.A or Australia.
4. “It makes me uncomfortable”
Public displays of homosexual affection make religious bigots uncomfortable. Should we ban Adam from giving Steve a kiss goodbye? Hell no.
Scantily dressed women make my grandfather uncomfortable. Should we ban immodest clothing? Perish the thought.
So why should we give in to intolerance when it comes to female modesty?
The funniest part of this rhetoric is that it usually comes from the anti-leftist camp who dub anyone with passion for social equality as a ‘snowflake’. Yet they seem extremely sensitive and easily offended by a piece of cloth. Irony strikes again!
So if your uncomfortable, find a private safe space for yourself and don’t leave it. If a woman can wear a bikini, she should equally be able to wear a burqa.
5. “This is a Christian nation not a Muslim one, they must integrate.”
The Queen of England often wears a headscarf. If a woman is to visit the Pope, she must also wear a headscarf. We have already mentioned how the Christian mother of god is best known for wearing one too. So, if you wish to ban the burqa, please ban these Christian institutions first.
If we take away the right for women to cover up, you risk all of our rights. So worry about your own fashion sense, and stay the fuck away from someone else’s.
Before we all lose.
Merz