abu_rashid wrote on Oct 10^th, 2008 at 8:37am:


If it wasn't for people like me standing up for human rights no Muslim women would have an ally outside the Muslim world.
This isn't about Christian women, who BTW can dress however they see fit, its about Islam.
I know all about Muslim oppression as I used to see an ex-Muslim girl from Iran, she came here seeking refuge from Islamic oppression and told me all about the so called "rights" Islam gives women.

abu_rashid wrote on Oct 10^th, 2008 at 9:25am:

So you're saying they like being oppressed then?

queer- you're talking about the right iran gave women, not islam

I believe many people in power have also twisted the quran and its laws in order to suit them (suprise suprise many of these people in power are men)

if you actually talk to muslim women or wear the hijab or niqab they actually feel it is liberating rather than oppressing. and yes these are women who study at uni, hold jobs and are generally very opinionated and intelligent.

personally as a non-muslim woman in the west sometimes I feel oppressed by the constant sexualising of women that goes around- by the fact that I get harrassed in public by random men- the fact that I see so much random pornography and 'sex sells' advertisements that it makes my skin crawl.

there are different ideas as to what freedom and oppression are- covering oneself doesn't equal oppression unless you don't want to cover yourself

abu_rashid wrote on Oct 10^th, 2008 at 11:07am:


yes I think if men let women speak as to the rights they wish to invoke they'd get a different idea. I don't think there are many women who don't have a problem with the over-sexualising of our gender in modern day society.

So I'd like to invoke my right not to be hollered at, not to be molested, not to have someone try and pull up my dress in the street etc etc- wait? what's that? noone cares? funny that...

ohhhh but if I put a hijab on- everyone would care- cause all of the sudden I'm oppressed.

I understand that the hijab/niqab is confronting for a lot of people- but really it comes down to respecting the choice of the individual. if they don't have a problem with wearing it- why does anyone else??

notice that people don't go around talking about how nuns are oppressed btw. nor is such attention given to orthodox jews, the amish etc

freediver wrote on Oct 10^th, 2008 at 11:20am:


I think slavery is an entirely different issue- plus who wants to be a slave? 

but seriously- you're coming from a different perspective whereby you view oppression and freedom as signified by certain things (ie not covering oneself up). whereas others have a different opinion.

note I didn't say you believe freedom is dressing however you want- because if you believed that, you wouldn't have a problem with the hijab.

I do agree that people should have a choice in how they dress- that's my personal opinion. and if anyone is being forced to do something that contravenes their rights as a human being then obviously it is completely wrong.

but again- we have our own laws regarding dress in australia - so it that oppressive? some places have banned the hijab - I see that as oppression.

again-I think it comes down to respecting other people and their choices/beliefs

oh and actually there are islamic societies that give you the choice of the hijab

but notice that increasingly more western societies are looking to ban it!

Gaybriel wrote on Oct 10^th, 2008 at 11:16am:


So why then Moslem governments don't respect the right of girls to wear bikini where they like?

tallowood wrote on Oct 10^th, 2008 at 11:35am:


I couldn't say- I don't speak for Muslim governments. I'm speaking about my personal beliefs. you'd have to ask the government of whichever country you are referring to.

but I always find it amusing when people say things like "well if we were in a muslim country we couldn't wear what we liked, so why should they be able to wear what they want here"

such crazy anti-logic

1) 'we' don't like muslim countries
2) they act in a way we don't like
3) so we should replicate the same behaviour of a country whose behaviour we say is bad

wth!