Is it the same in the west?

[WildCityWoman]

Are the women treated this way in Muslim commuinities here in Canada and the US?

I often wonder about that.

Carly

[Ophelia]

Hello Carly,


I cannot answer your question about the States or Canada, and I also have little information about France, where I live.
I was surprised when Jan wrote that there are women in burqas in Canada. We have an important Muslim community in France, but they originate from Noth Africa, hence no burqas.

As teachers we sometimes find out that a, say, 16-year-old girl no longer comes to class, and when we ask her friends they say that the girl's father has sent her to Algeria to be maried.

Are you interested in discussing A Splendid Thousand Suns Carly?

Are you thinking of staying with Booktalk?

See you later I hope,

[WildCityWoman]

Did it appear that I'm not?

That's what I'm doing here at this topic section.

I am a newbie - if I'm doing something wrong, forgive me.

[Ophelia]

Are you interested in discussing A Splendid Thousand Suns Carly?

Are you thinking of staying with Booktalk?

Carly I'm sorry if this caused confusion. I onlyasked because some newbies sometimes come, write a question, and disappear, so I write back tentatively at first.

As a newbie you are doing great, and I'll take this opportunity to welcome you to Booktalk!

[WildCityWoman]

Nice to be here, Ophelia - I love finding places to talk about books.

I have a book discussion forum myself at my own site - I don't get many people there though . . .

http://wildcity.proboards14.com/index.cgi?board=Books

[Ophelia]

Yes, it's lovely to have a place where you can discuss books. I've had a look at your site, we also find it difficult to find enough people for discussions although we are a bigger structure.
Chris, our organizer, spends money and effort on advertisements so that more people hear about us.

I like to recommend the "Literature Abuse " thread, at the bottom of the home page in the "Humour, polls and fun stuff" heading.

Enjoy!

[WildCityWoman]

I'll get to the other posts later - this site has more forum users - it's mostly books, so that helps.

Mine's a writing site, so there's other things too. A lot of the members on my site are young teens around 14 to 18 - they're on the Young People's section.

They're into the high fantasy stuff. Takes me an hour to read a page of the stuff they read - they're great writers though - I'm just amazed how good they are at that age.

There are about 4 to 6 adults who are regulars at Wild City. We don't all read the same things there.

[lisamarie]

Women do wear burqas in the U.S. I know where I live they sometimes do walk a few steps behind their husbands, bu tfor the most part they do go out by themselves.

Lisa

[Ophelia]

I found a few weeks ago that burqas are actually forbidden in France under the provisions of an anti-terrorist law: any garment that completely hides your face is forbidden, burqas is only one in the list, with masks and certain types of hoods.

I think it makes sense, it would be very easy for a suicide bomber to hide under a burka.

However, some burqas have reappeared recently, probably for the same reasons that polygamy is tolerated.


Also, Lisamarie, I'm glad you're going to read Splendid Suns, I'm looking forward to your input.

[Penelope]

There are lots of women in our cities who wear the Burka. Even more since our Foreign Secretary - Jack Straw - asked a Muslim lady to remove her Burka when she came to talk to him as a member of his political constituency. He said he couldn't talk to her properly when he couldn't see her facial expression.

There was a bit of a hoohaa in parliament about it and since then the Muslim ladies seem to be exerting their right to cover their faces and when I visit Blackburn - there are lots of obviously young ladies who are wearing black from head to toe with just their eyes showing. That is how you can tell they are young - also the way they stride out. Many of them are also wearing strappy high heel shoes too.

There was a wonderful photograph in our paper of a Muslim man taking a portrait photograph of a group of Muslim ladies all wearing their Burkas - and I thought it was great......because it was ridiculous and made me laugh.

I don't think it is very encouraging to race relations encountering all of these 'covered up' ladies but I would defend to the death their right to choose. They do insist that they choose to wear the burka and that it is not imposed on them by the males. So what can one say?

Don't you think it is rather dangerous not to allow people to wear just what they choose?