its not even really a debate here to be honest. i think the whole thing is just a bad pop up ad in reaction to the french ban.
anyway there was an article in an australian paper here where the minister of women's interests (i dont know how she is the minister of that considering her ignorant views on women who happen to have different values) was trying to persuade niqabi women to uncover their face because they are oppressed and blah blah blah...
i got pissed off by her views and wrote into the paper, to which they responded and asked me for an interview, which i gave. here is the original article:
and here is what i wrote in:
I'm quite pissed off about your news article above.
Once again you speak about Muslim women yet not one single Muslim woman appears in your article. It is just some woman mouthing off about things she doesn't know about, backed up by a man who has no idea what it is like to cover, nor has he chosen to cover. Both cannot and do not represent the Muslim Woman - the main focus of that article.
I am an young, university educated Australian (Anglo-Irish background) who has converted to Islam and I cover. I do not cover my face (like the man in your article, I also do not believe it is a part of the religion) but I know a few who do (and let me emphasis the word FEW because in our community it is indeed the very small MINORITY who do cover their face and those that do are not forced, oppressed or any other negative thing ignorant and uneducated people tend to throw at the issue). This woman who is apparently the Minister for Women's Interests (obviously not for the interest of ALL women) has obviously never sat down and spoken to a woman who wears the niqab. She is just pulling this "oppressed" bullshit out of her own prejudice and ignorance. Her quotes only force the very false perception that we are subjected to violence -
"if doing so would not cause them to be physically hurt or to be placed in any danger". Why mention that at all?
It is obvious that she holds onto a very small ideal of the Muslim woman - one that is not fair, understanding or true.
I know what that is like because I used to be like her. I had never properly spoken to a Muslim so everything I thought about Islam and the Muslim community was rubbish I was fed from the (usually bias) media and the closed minded ignorance of other (usually racist and prejudice) people. That was until I actually had dealings and proper conversations with Muslims which educated me out of my closed mindedness.
The Burqa really isn't a big deal. I have seen maybe twelve people in Perth with my eyes that actually wear it. TWELVE. Not really a huge number we should be concerned about and if you actually asked one of them I am sure they will tell you they have chosen to wear it for themselves.
If a woman wants to wear a burqa or a bikini then who really cares? Freedom of choice. We pretend we have it here in Australia, yet when someone chooses to dress as per their choice then other people start saying they shouldn't and trying to discourage or even ban it. Where is the so-called freedom in that?!
Please next time ask a Muslim woman who actually wears the burqa
Once again you speak about Muslim women yet not one single Muslim woman appears in your article. It is just some woman mouthing off about things she doesn't know about, backed up by a man who has no idea what it is like to cover, nor has he chosen to cover. Both cannot and do not represent the Muslim Woman - the main focus of that article.
I am an young, university educated Australian (Anglo-Irish background) who has converted to Islam and I cover. I do not cover my face (like the man in your article, I also do not believe it is a part of the religion) but I know a few who do (and let me emphasis the word FEW because in our community it is indeed the very small MINORITY who do cover their face and those that do are not forced, oppressed or any other negative thing ignorant and uneducated people tend to throw at the issue). This woman who is apparently the Minister for Women's Interests (obviously not for the interest of ALL women) has obviously never sat down and spoken to a woman who wears the niqab. She is just pulling this "oppressed" bullshit out of her own prejudice and ignorance. Her quotes only force the very false perception that we are subjected to violence -
"if doing so would not cause them to be physically hurt or to be placed in any danger". Why mention that at all?
It is obvious that she holds onto a very small ideal of the Muslim woman - one that is not fair, understanding or true.
I know what that is like because I used to be like her. I had never properly spoken to a Muslim so everything I thought about Islam and the Muslim community was rubbish I was fed from the (usually bias) media and the closed minded ignorance of other (usually racist and prejudice) people. That was until I actually had dealings and proper conversations with Muslims which educated me out of my closed mindedness.
The Burqa really isn't a big deal. I have seen maybe twelve people in Perth with my eyes that actually wear it. TWELVE. Not really a huge number we should be concerned about and if you actually asked one of them I am sure they will tell you they have chosen to wear it for themselves.
If a woman wants to wear a burqa or a bikini then who really cares? Freedom of choice. We pretend we have it here in Australia, yet when someone chooses to dress as per their choice then other people start saying they shouldn't and trying to discourage or even ban it. Where is the so-called freedom in that?!
Please next time ask a Muslim woman who actually wears the burqa
during the interview i was asked many questions about hijab and my choices by a lovely reporter who i then passed on to a few friends for their input (including the niqabi interviewed). here is the resulting follow-up article she wrote:
in the end im happy i wrote in to express my views because it actually led to something - a niqabi being interviewed about her views on the burqa debate in a fair manner - something that not a lot of news media sources do.
the whole experience just proved to me that you should speak up to the right people when you dont like how muslims or islam is treated. usually we sit on our backsides and complain about the muslim image in the media, and yet we do nothing constructive to voice our opinions. next time write in and you just might come across someone who will listen and present your argument like i did!
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