Oppression or submission?
The French are mulling over whether they can pass a law making it illegal for a woman to wear a burqa.
The Muslims will say that this is something that the women are doing without being forced to do so, as an act of submission to their god.
My question is, when the Hindu women were throwing themselves on the funeral pyres of their husbands, they were also doing it without being forced to, weren't they?
Which will result in the obvious question whether voluntarily burning one's self to death is the same as wearing a burqa.
The answer is yes, when it comes to following religious or cultural edicts, without any logical reason, they both fall into the same category. So if society can legislate to outlaw women burning themselves to death, can they also be allowed to stop this seemingly harmless code of dress?
The Muslims will say that this is something that the women are doing without being forced to do so, as an act of submission to their god.
My question is, when the Hindu women were throwing themselves on the funeral pyres of their husbands, they were also doing it without being forced to, weren't they?
Which will result in the obvious question whether voluntarily burning one's self to death is the same as wearing a burqa.
The answer is yes, when it comes to following religious or cultural edicts, without any logical reason, they both fall into the same category. So if society can legislate to outlaw women burning themselves to death, can they also be allowed to stop this seemingly harmless code of dress?
posted by Xoff at 6/20/2009 08:10:00 AM
2 comments
