This Really Highlights The Difference Between The West And Other Cultures

[youngmafbog]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3728996/The-contrasting-cultures-brought-Olympics-Perfectly-timed-photograph-showing-Egyptian-German-volleyball-players-highlights-divide-teams.html

Not that I have any particular issue with this one. At least the women are being allowed to participate so that is something. But I think it really shows how the West has moved on with regard to freedoms for women that simply does not exist in some other cultures.

[mikey4444]

Actually, I think that not being forced to wear unsuitable clothing, such as bikinis, is a good thing.

I can't recall ever seeing women in aquatic sports, like swimming and diving, having to wear what is in effect a fashion item. Nor can I recall seeing women in any other sport being forced to wear bikinis either.

[naomi24]

Mikey, this isn't about what other teams wear.

Jim, //the Olympics is not really the ideal context in which to discuss individual choice of clothing.//

But it is the ideal context in which to discuss decisions made on behalf of teams entering into competition on the world stage. I wonder how many events are unavailable to women because of the imposition of this bizarrely inappropriate costume? Certainly all track, gymnastics and swimming events. While Egypt pokes a toe at the present but, with the support of well-meaning but misguided westerners, keeps the rest of its foot firmly entrenched in the past, women will never be free of restriction. It would be good to think that someday all events will be open to them but as it their participation is severely restricted – and for no good reason.

[vetuste_ennemi]

//However the change in the rules appears to be not to give the women who compete in beach volleyball any real freedom but to allow countries the freedom to impose a different dress code...//

Yes, that about sums it up. So let's take our two Egyptian girls and speculate a little. Is what they're wearing THEIR personal choice? Or is the dress code imposed on them by a regulatory body? Is it the same regulatory body which governs swimming? It doesn't look like it. Here is a picture of a young woman who is competing at Rio, but taken five years ago in Qatar (spot the veil):

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/sports/2016/08/05/Egyptian-swimmer-reveals-why-she-won-t-walk-in-Rio-s-opening-ceremony.html.

Some on this thread think that the girls wanted to dress like this because there is a tradition of "modest" dress in their country. Others might think that this tradition of "modesty" IN EGYPT (not necessarily in other countries) is a fairly modern inventio, and entirely the result of the resurgence of political Islam in the form of the Muslim Brotherhood. Have a look at this (spot the veil):

http://egyptianstreets.com/2014/04/05/egypts-golden-years-in-23-vintage-photos/

[Khandro]

Quite! I remember too, the days of King Farouk. I also lived in both London and Paris in the early 60's and saw no hijabs or burkas.