Freedom Of Repression

The practice of wearing the burqa is hundreds of years old. Legend has it that it started when tribesmen tried to foil raiders who would take the prettiest women from a village. The men reasoned tht if the women were all covered from head to toe, then it would make the raiders lives difficult in making their choice.

The practice fell into disuse as the need to protect the women from marauding raiders eased. It only came back into practice in the early 20th century, in the reign of Habdullah in Afghanistan during the years 1901 to 1919. He decreed that 200 women of his harem should wear them to protect them from the jealous glances of men when they ventured beyond the gates of his palace doors.

These burqas were embroidered with gold and silver threads and the eye slits were covered with lace. The burqa became a garment of the upper class. Lower class women couldn't wear them, only women who attained the status of wealth could afford to wear them.

This was the practice until 1959, when Prince Daud, the Prime Minister of Afghanistan shocked the nation by decreeing that his ministers make their wives throw away the burqa.
The garment which had started as a status symbol for the upper class was now discarded by the same class. The cast off burqas were snatched up by the lower classes as a status symbol.

So this recent cultural development became the law for conservative Sunni Islam in Afghanistan and Pakistan. After the rise of the Taliban, the burqa became obligatory for all women. It is not found in any strict interpretation of the Koran, but it has become a cultural object.

I personally find the burqa creepy and repressive. I find it a tool of a male dominated society used to keep women socially isolated. Of course, this is my perception of the burqa. Does it matter what I think about the burqa being worn in public? NO!

Here in France, recently a representative made the proposal for a law that would outlaw the wearing of the burqa in public. Suddenly, the subject took over the national debate on television and the news. When the subject was presented realistically, one realized that only a small number of women wore it. Even more striking was the fact that it was worn by 3rd generation immigrant women, who had recently adopted it more than by newly arrived immigrants.

This would lead one to belive that it was readopted by girls looking for cultural identity in a society that had marginalized them by it's institutionalized and social racism. If they were being forced to wear it by a man, it was much the same situation: trying to recreate a lost sense of identity.

On Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy made a national speech. It wass a sort of "State of The Union" speech. In a blatant attempt to change the subject from Frances economic and social problems, he devote a segment of his speech to a diatribe condemning the public wearing of the burqa in France. He didn't outlaw it, but he made it clear that he personally didn't like it. By his action, he drew attention to a non existant problem to score points with the far right extremeist minority here.

The next day, I was in the town of Terrasson doing some shopping at a Market on the edge of low income housiong development that has a predominately Muslim population. For the first time, I saw posters all over the shopping cart shelters in the parking lot with messages in French of course, reading, "France, Love Her or Leave!"
and "Down With The Left Foreigner Lovers!"
They were signed with the logo of a small far right party. Obviously, the messengers of hate had felt empowered by Sarkozy's speech....
In making a few cheap political points with the far right, Sarkozy gave them to the Freedom to Hate....