I'm overwhelmed by the amount of ignorance that abounds in this country and most other countries when it comes to cultural differences. You'd think being such a multicultural society we would have more understanding and tolerance, but it seems this is not the case. While at University studying Anthropology we did a study of the burqa and women. Based on various studies carried out in recent years it has become apparent that more Islamic and Muslim nations are giving women the choice as to whether they want to wear it. Most women said that they would rather wear it than not. Why? Because THEY feel secure beneath it. Because THEY feel safe beneath it. This particular paper by Lila Abu-Lughod poses the question, “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?” and there are many other papers and studies echoing the same idea should you wish to search them out and learn something about this issue. At the end of the day it is not our god given right to try and tell a culture how they can function. We do not have the right to come in and tell them what they can and cant do. Its their culture! Have you people not learnt any lessons from colonisation? I'm ashamed that so many kiwis are so Ethnocentric.
A lot of people use the weak argument that “if I have to respect their laws and dress that way when I’m in their country, then they should do the same when here.” I really don't see the validity of that argument from my own perspective. If I go to an Islamic country am I bothered that I must wear a burqa or cover up, No. At the end of the day it really doesn't harm me or effect me greatly in any way. Do I care if they come over here and continue to wear the burqa or cover up, No. Again at the end of the day it really doesn't harm me or effect me greatly in any way. It seems to me that the main reason people don't like the burqa is because they either feel threatened by them and Muslim/Islam in general, or they think that the burqa represents female oppression and male domination. Both of these opinions are purely bred from ignorance and bigotry. I’m all for people having opinions and support that fact whole heartedly, however I do believe that an opinion should be formed by educating yourself on the various facts first and it seems to me that so many people fail to do that when it comes to issues such as this.
For my non Kiwi readers we have a show here in NZ called “Campbell Live,” hosted by John Campbell, its a half hour investigative type show where journalists get to the bottom of issues happening in our country at this particular time. Last night they did a segment on the burqa and how people who wear it are treated. John sent two of his staff out onto the streets of Auckland, Mihingarangi Forbes who is a journalist on the show and Jayne Soons who is a producer. Both women dressed themselves in full burqa before heading out to film reactions. Yesterday our Prime Minister stated that “we live in a tolerant and inclusive society”, with the opposing party leader Phil Goff agreeing and adding, “it’s live and let live in New Zealand.” How wrong and out of the loop these two politicians are, because if they had watched this story on Campbell Live last night they would have seen a different side of New Zealand tolerance. I was both appalled and disgusted by the pointing of strangers, the staring and the women at a store called “Barbara’s” who refused them entry into her store and said some things that were unwarranted. For those of you who want to watch the full report you can do so here on the Campbell Live Site. For those of you who aren't interested in watching the full report here is the transcript of the conversation that took place:
Retailer (Standing in the doorway to her store): No, no thanks
Reporter: I can’t see your clothes?
Retailer (nodding to the rack outside): You’ve already looked
Reporter: I mean the ones inside?
Retailer: You speak with a New Zealand accent. What on earth are you doing dressed up like that?
Reporter: Pardon?
Retailer: What on earth are you doing dressed up like that?
Reporter: Religion is a choice.
Retailer: In some countries it is. You take advantage of us here.
You Miss Retailer, whoever you are, should be ashamed of yourself. How dare you speak on behalf of every New Zealander. Who do you think you are to tell people what religion they can or cant choose? I hope that if you ever do that to someone that is truly Muslim or Islamic, that they haul your arse into court for discrimination quicker that you can blink. People like you are both ignorant and imbecilic, choosing to believe misinformation about the Muslim and Islamic faith. You choose to believe that the extremists represent the majority when this is not the case. You fear what you do not understand and you create a breeding ground for hatred and bigotry. It is 2011 people, its time that we stopped living with our heads in the sand and took the time to learn the truth about different cultures and belief systems so that we can work towards living in understanding. If anyone came along and told you that you couldn’t choose the majority western faith of Christianity or go to Church there would be an outcry. If we deny indigenous cultures their rights it is considered racism, and yet this kind of bigotry against Muslims and Islamic is allowed. Instead of all this, what we should be doing is working towards having a society full of balance and acceptance of others and their beliefs.
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