I love public radio (NPR)! I have listened for years since my college recruiting days in Tennessee in the late 80's. Over the past few months I have listened to interviews and commentaries on the wearing of Hijabs and veils by Muslim/Islamic females. I support these women's ability to embrace their culture and religious preference, something many Americans have begun to view as un-patriotic or un American. One of the aspects of being American is the promotion of its "freedom" of expression and religious practices. Today, one has to wonder if we still hold this cornerstone aspects of America valid. America was founded on such "freedoms", but you would not know it today by the numerous discussions over women wearing hijabs and then going so far as to put these women on trial who chose to wear the hijab or veils.. The conversations around such "freedoms" make me wonder if we as "Americans" still believe in our choices and rights or not.
I have yet to hear of anyone bringing any Catholic nuns before our court system to explain their Hijabs! We have witnessed Catholic nuns for centuries wearing their religious hijabs which promotes the Catholic religion without public outcry or rejection. How is this different from Muslim women wearing theirs?
The recent objections and public hearings are simply oppression tactics to continue to tell women what they can and cannot do in the world. Shame on America for pretending to be tolerant but actually becoming more oppressive daily. All women will need to listen to these conversations and wonder what aspect of woman will be chosen as a "hunt" next. Women in America must continue to respect our religious preferences and choices even if others don't. We must not be "handled" and used for politcal gain and religious oppression that areobviously growing in our "free" society.
Reference the beginning foundation of country. Remember that we use to hold dear our "freedom" to practice our chosen religions. Abandon FEAR and the well organized oppression of women their choices.
Putting women on trial for the way they dress is extremely wrong. As much as the hijab is a mystifying, and honestly off putting, idea to me those who choose it should be allowed to wear it. America, esp. recently, has never truly embraced freedom. We are very caught up in our Christian ideals.
I do see a slight fault in comparing the habit of the Catholic nun and the hijab of the Islamic woman. Habits are worn only by those followers of Catholicism who have devoted their entire lives to god. They are effectively "married to god." The hijab is meant to be worn by all Muslim women in public, where the habit is reserved for a select few.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.
In Islam, hijab is an outer manifestation of your commitment to God. Through an Islamic perspective, all women (and men) can live God-committed lives and still be human-- still marry and have a family. We do not seperate religion from our daily life, because Islam is a way of life.
Catholics have a very different view of commitment to God. We have priests, monks and nuns who have made the ultimate commitment to God and the laypeople. Priests, monks and nuns are expected to abstain from sex, marriage, material wealth and any kind of excess. They are seperated from average followers.
Laypeople are basically expected to do their best and come to church every Sunday, or just Christmas and EAster, whatever works. Might work out better for Catholics if it were a way of life for everybody instead of just a few. The laypeople tend to not be terribly commited or even mindful of their religion.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.
This kind of lifestyle always astounds me!
Who ordered these priests, nuns, and monks to refrain from that which they are naturally inclined to and that which their bodies are made for? It is confusing to think that your Creator would create you in a way to give birth, yet order you to refrain from it. I can understand hoarding material wealth (that's why there's charity), but sex?! Unless it's sex with other than your spouse, it is your God-given right to have it! Ameen.
That is something that's kinda mystified me as well. I mean, priest is known as a Father and a nun of considerable rank is a Mother, but yet they're not allowed to be actual fathers and mothers....You would think it would help them relate a little better, and then a person could go to their priest for all kinds of advice, including about sex, marriage and raising children.
And it's my personal belief that if priests and nuns were allowed to have sex within the context of marriage (like with all other Catholics), there wouldn't be such a need to go after altar boys...
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"Our lives begin to end when we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Live one day at a time, emphasizing ethics rather than rules."
-Wayne Dyer
I agree. Let the priests and nuns marry and reproduce! The holy and good should be allowed to pass on their traits.
Catholics view sex as a necessary sin that must be carried out to beget children. Most wouldn't put it like that, and most are a little softer about it, but that is the core idea. It is also believed that a man or woman who gives all their love to God should have no reason to love another person. This is entirely unnatural and rather silly to me, but that's the way it is. Women have also always been considered dirty in Catholicism, at least until very recently.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.
There is always room for love. The love for God should always be first and foremost to every individual, be it a chaste nun or a mother of two. Nuns and priests love mankind do they not? Isn't that why they are so generous, want to set an example and nurture humanity? Don't they love nature or all the wondrous creations of God?
My point is: through our lesser loves, we manifest our greatest love, that of which is for God.
Sex shouldn't be a sin, but rather a good deed! (Unless it is done in public or with someone other than your spouse, of course.) I also can't understand the Christian viewpoint of Heaven, a place where we won't have sexual desire. What human wants to be a creature void of sexual desire? That means, we really won't be human: we'll be like angels. Really, who wants that? In that vein of thought, I could care less about Heaven, astagfar.
As for women being dirty, that's the most incredulous of all. Women are like pearls of beauty and wisdom, while men... are just... men. hahhaah jk
And in the Middle East, wearing the hijab is not always a thing of choice. Before we went in to Afghanistan and took out the Taliban (admittedly when we should've been taking out bin Ladin, but that's a different arguement altogether...), women could be beaten for choosing not to wear their hijab and the brutal action would be condoned and supported by the government. Most folks who are arguing against the hijab aren't arguing against women being allowed to wear them, just against women being forced to wear them, and women tend to be on the forefront of that fight. People just want to allow those women the right to choose, just as our Catholic nuns choose to be nuns, rather than having it forced on them by an oppressive society.
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"Our lives begin to end when we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Live one day at a time, emphasizing ethics rather than rules."
-Wayne Dyer
Did you see a stampede of Muslimahs eager to take off their hijabs after the oppressive regimes were dismissed? Americans were confused why these women didn't take advantage and practice their 'freedom' to unveil. For the vast majority of Muslim women, hijab is not a symbol of oppression. If you read the individual stories (Turkey, France, Britian, etc.) they are not at all dealing with women that have been forced to observe hijab, but unwavering women who refuse to take off their hijabs.
There was no stampede, no, but there were some who chose not to wear their hijabs. Just as there was no stampede of women going to vote, but some women have recently chosen to vote now that they have the option. For the many who want to wear hijabs, that's perfectly fine; it's their choice. But the right of those who wish to not wear hijabs should be equally accepted without fear of violence or persecution.
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"Our lives begin to end when we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Live one day at a time, emphasizing ethics rather than rules."
-Wayne Dyer