I think we have nearly all men here (jno is I think a woman) discussing whether or not women should wear certain things. It's up to them, not a load of men.
But to women who grow up seeing other women wearing it, and wearing it themselves, it is as natural to them as eye shadow and blusher is to a woman in the West.
//I think we have nearly all men here (jno is I think a woman) discussing whether or not women should wear certain things. It's up to them, not a load of men.//
Isnt that the issue though Atheist... in some countries it is 'a load of men' who decide what women must wear nd what they can and cannot do - like they cant go to school under the Taliban or told what they can or cant wear in Iran
"But although risking arrest for defying the obligatory dress code, women are still widely seen unveiled in malls, restaurants, shops and streets around the country. Videos of unveiled women resisting the morality police have flooded social media."
Clearly there are women in Iran choosing not to wear a veil.
bobbin, you're quite right, but it's not our country and to be realistic we can't expect to be able to export our lefty liberal do-good attitudes to th rest of the planet.
Atheist - // bobbin, you're quite right, but it's not our country and to be realistic we can't expect to be able to export our lefty liberal do-good attitudes to th rest of the planet. //
You're quite right.
You have to be a right-wing fascist imperialist government of invaders, keen on enforcing your version of 'freedom' on people who neither require it, or are remotely grateful.
I'm very surprised at the view taken by several on this thread that as this is a foreign custom we have no right to even concern ourselves with it. Surely that then applies to human rights across the globe? None of our business then? So practices we'd find abhorrent in the UK such as stoning for adultery or imprisoning for having the wrong opinion should just be acceptable because it's someone else's custom?
Not too mention that apparently no muslim woman in UK is made to do anything she doesn't want to, just because some go to the pub?
Andy; I think we should export our values, but only by example and time, not by preaching. Nobody likes to be lectured and treated as inferior or stupid or mistaken in their choice of god or social customs, but over time we or they will be seen to be the preferred option by the majority.
Prudie - // So practices we'd find abhorrent in the UK such as stoning for adultery or imprisoning for having the wrong opinion should just be acceptable because it's someone else's custom?
Not too mention that apparently no muslim woman in UK is made to do anything she doesn't want to, just because some go to the pub? //
A fine example of the 'So' Rule -
There is a world of difference between automatically assuming that a custom different from ours must automatically be forced on people who adhere to it, and stoning and imprisonment.
One is a custom which does no harm to anyone, of the other two - one causes injury and death, and the other causes loss of liberty.
Your comparison is as extreme as it is unworkable.
Atheist - // Andy; I think we should export our values, but only by example and time, not by preaching. Nobody likes to be lectured and treated as inferior or stupid or mistaken in their choice of god or social customs, but over time we or they will be seen to be the preferred option by the majority. //
I absolutely cannot agree with you any more than say that, were it in my power to award you BA, I would do so.
Prudie; we may disapprove of foreign customs, but there are foreigners who disapprove of our customs. Do we have a go at others and thus get them to dig their heels in and have a go back at us? Or do we try to be more patient and subtle? We're not back in 19th century Africa, enlightening the natives about Jesus and making them dress like decent Victorians and change their sexual practices. It didn't go down too well with a lot of them, but we did have hunting rifles.