New J&M today; Many people try to palm off the "Burka issue" as simply a matter of choice and who are we to oppose people wearing what they want, this is a straw man argument. The issue isn't about choice, it's about coercion and dominance. Most Women (especially in the 3rd world) who are forced to wear such garments have as much control and say over what they wear (or don't) as Male Jewish babies have over having their genitals mutilated, i.e. to all intents and purposes, none at all. This is by definition a straightforward denial of choice.
Of course, the "head-in-the-sand" types will say "yes but what about the uniforms of Catholic nuns or Police Women?" however, that's simply not a reasonable or fair comparison, last time I checked you had to opt-in to becoming a nun in the same way you have to opt-in to becoming a policeman, i.e. by definition you are choosing to wear a particular uniform. Muslim women don't "opt-in" to being born into that religion, they are just born and then indoctrinated into it, they have no choice (the penalty for apostasy is death) to do anything other than follow overwhelming societal and family pressures.
Just take a look at how brave women in Iran are choosing to react to this garment at the moment, for them it's a symbol, a symbol of an oppressive male dominated theocracy based on a religion that is extremely backward in it's attitudes towards Women. Women (and men) should be free to wear what they want, say what they want, think what they want and to follow any particular religion or none, these are basic human rights in my view that are incompatible with Islam in both extreme and mainstream flavours.
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