Ever Notice In Which Countries Women Are Wearing The Burka--And In Which Ones They Aren't?

“Traditional Islamic dress” is not so “traditional.” Talk to any educated Muslim woman who attended university in the fifties, sixties or seventies—back when they assumed history was moving their way and a covered woman was merely a local variant of the Russian babushka, something old and wizened you saw in upcountry villages. Now you see them in the heart of the metropolis—and I don’t mean Beirut or Abu Dhabi so much as Paris and Brussels. It’s very strange to be able to walk around, say, Zarqa, hometown of the late “insurgent” Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and look 90 per cent of the women in the eye, and even be rewarded with a friendly smile every so often, and then to fly on to London and be confronted by one masked face after another while strolling down Whitechapel Road in the East End. The burka, the niqab and the hijab are not fashion statements but explicitly political ones, and what they symbolize in a Western context is self-segregation. [emphasis added]
Mark Steyn, What signal does Barbie’s burka send?

This raises a question that I've raised before about the line between religious and political expression. This goes further than merely the question of being ultra-religious for ones own sake and enters the realm of to what degree Western society must accommodate  religious Muslims--and vice versa.

Back in 2007, I wrote a post in response to a number of cases in Minnesota that raised the issue of accommodation with Muslim sensitivities. One issue was how necessary the accommodations actually were [some links may not work]:

Katherine Kersten writes about Minneapolis Community and Technical College which has a strict policy of not promoting religion but is about to install special accommodations to enable Muslim students to pray.

One point of interest. According to school president Phil Davis:

Some local Muslim leaders have advised the college staff that washing is not a required practice for students under the circumstances.

Come to think of it...

o Though Muslim cabbies in Minnesoata claim they cannot give rides to people carrying alcohol, the prohibition is on drinking, not carrying, and Hooper of CAIR admits this is the first time he's heard of cabbies claim that this is a conflict with their religion.

o The Muslim cashiers in the K-Mart in Minnesota who refuse to handle pork products are acting according to a strict interpretation at best--and Powerline has posted an email from a reader who was in Bahrain where pork is found in the stores, in a special section, and handed by women cashiers--their heads covered--with no problem. Liquor also is not a problem there.

o In regards to the case of the flying imams, Gateway Pundit has posted an email from a reader:

As a person raised a Muslim and practicing Islam. I was taught that if a Muslim's time of prayer comes and needs topray. But is in a confined space or in a situation which would attract negative attention. That a Muslim could pray sitting in chair etc...and use nodding or bowing to symbolize the Rukaahs and Sejdas needed for prayers.

Four separate controversial issues, all of which apparently are avoidable.

The latest issue is the Swiss ban on minarets, which raises a similar issue of actual need, as raised by former terrorist Tawfik Hamid:

 It seems strange that Muslims would insist on building minarets for mosques in Switzerland while thousands of mosques exist inside the Muslim world without minarets. The minarets are seen by many as representing the superiority of Islam, especially when they are taller than the churches; this sheds some light on the hidden intentions of Muslims who insist on building minarets in the heart of Europe. It is important that Muslims in Switzerland explain why they insist on using such historical symbols of Muslim superiority when it is neither mentioned in the Koran nor considered vital to building a mosque.

There is a growing need to address the question of the difference between religious practice and making a political statement at the expense of the hosting culture.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Technorati Tag: Burka and Islam.