Confessional styleIt was a risk running this poll, not on account of the ire of Muslims but on account of the reactions of readers. Quite frankly, to be suddenly confronted with ten burqa clad women [you could split hairs as to whether they are, technically, burqas in all cases] was always going to produce emotional reactions.
For a start, there was dismay from those who saw oppressed women inside that garb and to put them in a parade, accompanied by the word 'sexiest' could be construed as low-class Trump and a sick joke. I confess that that is my own reaction and I'm uneasy about this week's offerings.
The second reaction is to say it is a statement against the oppression of women in those ridiculous robes in all weathers but against that, at least some of those women have chosen to take the hijab.
The third reaction is to be offended by the burqas, that women adopting them are deliberately driving a wedge between themselves and other members of society and I'm onside with this as well. Whichever way you look at it, the burqa certainly does nothing to endear the Muslim to the non-Muslim.
The fourth reaction is to see the funny side of it.
Interesting that people have actually voted [including me]. Are we abetting oppression? The bottom line is that it produces so many reactions, the burqa and none of them could be called positive. The moment we go banning them though, what has happened to our libertarianism?
So this week's 'sexiest' format poll has left many of us non-plussed, not least about what I was thinking in running it. I just felt it should be run, that was all.
James when I think of Muslim beauties I think of the charming, talented and beautiful Iranian women I have met. That said the would not be seen dead in a scarf and Manteau outside of Iran!
ReplyDeleteThis is about the subjection of women in a seriously sexually fucked-up culture.
ReplyDeleteRich or powerful men can have up to four wives which may disappoint the women and will create a population of pissed-off bachelors.
Boys swagger around like little emperors while their sisters and mothers are treated as skivvies and worse: mutilated; sold to cousins; stoned or hanged for the sin of being raped and variously strangled or stabbed for choosing unapproved boyfriends or for having them at all or for wearing western clothes.
The least - the very least - that we can do about this huge aspect of Islam is to laugh at its absurdity and bring its arrogant and unreformed followers down a peg or two.
how about the fifth (and most common reaction among the non-sheep) reaction - it's their life , if they want to do it fine, if they are so weak they are forced to do it then that's their problem.
ReplyDeleteQuite frankly this pathetic trend whereby we all are expected to run about being offended on the part of others for their imagined oppression (which is almost always either their own choice or exploitation of their stupidity and weakness) and to dilute the already poor gene pool by saving these idiots from their own folly has gone too far - we should revert to a policy of allowing people to be idiots and hope that in doing so they kill themselves or otherwise ensure their own demise.
Can't argue with any of that.
ReplyDelete