Not able to muster up any sympathy for Miss Abdulhadi. The whole face-veil, hijab, issue has gotten completely out of hand. I've read numerous articles over here in our two English-language newpapers that pretty clearly state that a face veil is not a requirement of Islam, but is instead a social or tribal custom. Regardless, there are those, like Miss Abdulhadi who make the hijab - the face-covering veil - a religious argument, whether she is correct or not. So the issue, here, for her, is that since she will not be allowed to cover her face at a medical school she wants to go to in France she won't go. Fine. So stay home, then.
You had to have known that this is the law in France - everyone else seems to know about the law - and you cannot expect that you will not have to adhere to it. Miss Abdulhadi believes "There should be a clear agreement between our two governments by which Muslims going there for education could keep their hijabs on." Umm. I don't think so. The Saudi government doesn't get to make the laws in France, just like the French government doesn't get to make the laws in Saudi Arabia. [And this woman is so smart she's going to medical school?!?] France has their reasons for not allowing a full-face-covering veil in medical school and in hospitals; one of them is related to cleanliness.
You want to be fully covered, head-to-toe in black, that is your choice, although it doesn't appear to be mandated by your religion - but instead by your social or tribal customs. You do however, not have a choice when it comes to adhering to the laws in other countries. Just as here, we do not have the choice of not adhering to the laws of this country. And, if you feel so strongly about covering your face due to what isn't an actual religious edict and are not able to do so in a country where the law says you can't, just stay home.
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God gave me hair to cover my beautiful mind. I guess since these chicks have no beautiful mind, they have got to cover their hair. Why love a woman for her mind and soul when you can love her for her body, right?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, you really struck a chord with me in this article. I just can't stand the hijab, or the niqab, for that matter. I always make a point to get a little foundation on them when I'm applying makeup to their faces.
All my Americans just make me out to be intolerant.
Honestly, you don't think I don't know what dirty ball of coarse dark hair is wrapped and lumped up in some crummy elastic band under that scarf? Why don't you stay under a tent during your menstruation, and refuse polyester since it didn't exist during the time of the prophet?e
GROW UP! You cultist group of fools.
While I was looking through erotic asphyxiation, I came upon a list of paraphilias. One of the fetishes on the list is Trichophilia, sexual arousal from hair. I guess they have all sorts of paraphilias out there. I definately could never be aroused from hair.
Oh, no you don't either! "I always make a point to get a little foundation on them when I'm applying makeup to their faces." Snicker, snicker...
ReplyDeleteSpent the morning at our clinic here on our compound; was the ONLY Western woman there and the ONLY woman NOT covered head-to-toe in black. Stuck out like a sore thumb!
hijab is not the face veil. of course the french can make any laws they choose in their country (absurd or not). it is really a shame though because women muslim doctors are soooo badly needed.
ReplyDeleteAlways open to being corrected, Greatsnake. So I looked it up, "hijab." Wikipedia says it is the veil. And gives a lengthy description.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijab
Thought maybe I'd confused it with "jilbab" but I didn't...
Aren't all doctors badly needed?
What is extraordinary is that she think its quite reasonable that France should make an exception for her, but if you suggested that the Saudi government should make an exception for non muslims there not to wear the veil it would create outcry.
ReplyDeleteAnd she's intelligent enough to be a doctor???? God help us!
Oh My Gosh, Rose, there's an "outcry" here if you don't have your abeya on outside our compound walls, for goodness sake! Saudi Jeans did a good post on this yesterday, too, and said something to the effect that in order to get the law in France changed that all that was needed was for a Saudi to be elected President there and then he can change the law for Miss Abdulhadi. Very funny.
ReplyDeletesabra,
ReplyDeletei've mostly seen "hijab" in connection to the headscarf - but it does seem that different people mean different things and it gets confusing, so am not positive.
muslim women doctors are especially needed because many women will not go to a male doctor - or their husbands won't "let" them.
Greatsnake - one of our ER doctors that was here left because he really felt like he was of little or no use, in part because men wouldn't let him treat their wives. He was actually physically assaulted by a husband while trying to listen to the man's wife's lungs from her BACK with his stethoscope. The husband took his wife to the ER because she was having a very difficult time breathing - it was very, very clearly explained to the couple that the only doctor available and on-call at the time was a man - although the couple for sometime insisted that she be treated by someone else [then go somewhere else!], and as the woman is gasping for air they decide they should see Dr. ER, and instead of giving Dr. ER the chance to try to help the woman - the husband punched him in the face for putting the stethoscope on her fully-covered back! Nice.
ReplyDelete