Actually, I had a couple of Yemeni students who were joined by their families. The men told the women that they did not have to wear traditional dress while they were in the US but the wives chose to do so anyway.
Bill Ward On Wed, 14 Aug 2002 08:02:57 +0100 Keith Hudson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I must return to your original posting (Re: SA and Work in oil-rich > countries) on a point I overlooked in my previous replies. > > I could hardly believe my eyes when I read your comment on burkas! > > At 11:35 13/08/02 -0700, you wrote: > <<<< > Nothing wrong with burkas, Keith -- except that the Western > feminist > movement has labelled them oppressive. I haven't heard any feminist > say > 'Ooooops, maybe we were wrong. Maybe our Afghani sisters really DO > like to > wear burkas, in the same way that we Western women have our own > clothing > habits, rules and taboos. Hmmmmm," our enlightened feminist would go > on to > say, "I wonder what our Afghani sisters say about our high-heels, > our > display of skin, our make-up, our tight-clothing.....is it possible > that > they don't see, whith all these things, how advanced and > sophisticated we > western women are???" > >>>> > > The burka is a total denial of one of the basic characteristics of > humankind -- the need to communicate and socialise. > > Do the Afghan (Saudi Arabian) women like to wear burkas? Of course > they > don't! Brad is quite right. He expressed the situation superbly when > he > wrote: "Burqas are the outward and visible sign of portable > imprisonment." > > I have seen at least three TV documentaries where western > journalists have > interviewed Afghan women in their homes. The latter expressed > themselves > bitterly. However, it is an unfortunate fact that since the > "deliverance" > of Afghanis from the yoke of the Taliban (doubtful -- it's highly > likely to > resurge) very few women are to be seen outdoors without their > burkas > because fundamentalism still reigns. Only the most intelligent, > well-educated minority of women have the courage to do so at > present. > > Changing the subject slightly and reverting to Saudi Arabia, here's > a story > that was recently printed in the NYT: > > "An acquaintance here in Saudi Arabia told me his story: He was > touring the > countryside by car and got slightly lost. He saw a car down the road > and > approached it to ask directions, but each time he drew near, the car > sped > away. Eventually he caught up to it, the car pulled over, and a > terrified > driver jumped out to flee: it was a Saudi woman dressed like a man. > In a > country where it is illegal for women to drive, that's the only way > for a > lady to get behind the wheel." > > The benign way that we in the west tolerate the servitude of > hundreds of > millions of women in Islamic countries is shameful. Hindu practices > in > India are just as bad. The practice of Suttee (wives throwing > themselves, > or being thrown) onto the funeral pyre of their husbands is still > practised. > > Keith > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- > ------------ > > Keith Hudson, General Editor, Handlo Music, http://www.handlo.com > 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England > Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727; > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > ________________________________________________________________________ > ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.
