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Originally Posted by Aodhan McDunnough  I agree that its existence is the result of the law. However what I'm saying is that in the absence of that law, such a garment, by itself, does not dehumanize. People dehumanize, perceptions do, laws do, cultures do.
The farthest I'll go is to say burqa dehumanizes in the same sense as the bikini and the corset. In fact by itself the corset dehumanizes more because they were physically painful to wear if you weren't svelte.
My simple rule here was to ask the question "Can I imagine someone, a normal person, not being obligated by law, actually wanting to wear that on a daily basis?" and the answer was "yes." | Except the bikini and corset weren't symbols of a culture that sets off suicide bombs, and that's why there's an issue over the burqa.
Look, nobody is banning normal abaya, or headscarfs, or the chador. They are banning a garment only a small fraction of Muslim women ever wear.
France is sending a signal, sure. If you're part of the loony fringe, you're not welcome.
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"To begin with," said the Cat, "a dog's not mad. You grant that?"
"I suppose so," said Alice.
"Well, then," the Cat went on, "you see, a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad."
"I call it purring, not growling," said Alice.
"Call it what you like," said the Cat. |