Far Right enraged over Laura Bush wearing headscarf in Middle East

Obviously she should have stomped all over local custom with the greatest lack of respect possible.

I agree. There's nothing wrong with respecting the local customs. Really, people need to get over themselves. Lol.

KomissarSteve said:

Click to expand...

Enraged??? Hyperbolizing seems to be your [SIZE=-1]Forte[/SIZE].

I think she looks rather stylish. Bravo to Mrs. Bush!

Eh.....and the far left is outraged over "God" in the pledge. So?

I agree with the far right about something...i feel dirty. First of all, there is no reason for her to be in the region to begin with. These women are oppressed. They don't need a lecture about breast cancer health, they need someone to allow them to see a doctor. And yes, it was wrong for her to put on a head scarf. It would be like an offical from Africa going to the 19th century american south and putting on chains. She should be outraged by the treatment of these women, not treating it as if it is a custom to be respected.

If saudi arabia werent such a brutal theocracy i would say this is no big deal. Her action gives tacit support for that dictatorship, which is kind of ironic considering how often her hubby claims we need to defeat islamic dictators. The year we invaded iraq Freedom House rated saudi arabia as being the world's second worst place for human rights abuses.

I think she looks very pretty in that photo.

Personally I don't like abayas, chadors, scarves, etc., but I don't think she did anything wrong adhering to local custom when she was there as an embassador.

I wouldn't feel any different if she were to get a chakric blessing while visiting India.

The difference is we arent occupying anyplace in india with our military. For me the underlying current is the fact soooooo many defend the US being allied with one of the most brutal dictatorships and largest financial supporter of bin laden.

March 11 2002: 14 school girls die in a school fire because the Mutawa'een wouldnt let the girls leave the building without there...drum roll please...headscarves! When a custom becomes a death sentence that might, just maybe, warrant a protest by the first lady of the nation claiming to be the world's model of equality and freedom.

Hah! You haven't seen proper righteous outrage about clothing then!

In Finland we know how to do this in style. You wouldn't believe the
flak Tarja Halonen (our president) got for wearing...socks underneath
her common everyday sandals! Abroad! Not to even mention
the...the handbag she tends to carry! The intellect and reputation of
fashion (non)intellectuals seemingly imploded in rapid succession in
higher casts and circles countrywide. And I'm not making this up.
A minister also got caught forgetting to take of his hat at an outside
picnic table whilst IIRC not personally eating (certainly wasn't a
formal lunch at least).

On a less cynical note...I do understand the "endorsing" aspect in
question, but I think it's up to her if she wants to wear what she likes.
At least she's trying with the forreign relations...unlike some people
like..well...I can't think of any...oh yes, her husband. A piece of cloth
doesn't really mean one agrees with a countrys actions. I wear black
jeans and denim jacket, but I have plenty to disagree about with the
US...even if I went there while wearing them. The situation of middle
eastern women is dire and important, but I doubt wearing a baseball
cap with the US flag (metaphorically...maybe) would save them.
Something more drastic is needed...what though, I can't say. Neither
kissing up to the culture nor giving it the finger will really accomplish
anything IMO.

Ultimately, of course, the whole thing is a non issue unless she
forgets to take it off and gets mistaken for a terrorist when she gets
back home. People get way too agressive about dumb issues,
particularly about pieces of fabric and etiquette issues. I personally
appreciate and try to behave according to some basic good manners,
but I don't care enough about formal etiquette to wipe my [censored*]
with it.

*Swear words are another dumb issue to be offended about,
especially when replacement words for them are apparently allowed
anyway, but I suspect I'm not allowed to swear here lest virgin eyes
start bleeding.


End of rant...I am done and spent for now. Whew.

Whatever. I wore a headscarf when I traveled in predominantly Muslim areas for the same reason I wear a long skirt when visiting Orthodox churches. It's polite. If someone wants to not wear one, that's up to them, but I personally found it a lot easier to get stuff done with one on, and especially on a humanitarian mission, it seems like it'd be counterproductive to screw up your actual goal by making an ultimately empty symbolic gesture by going bare-headed. Like if one goes without a scarf all of a sudden people who oppress women would realize that oppressing women is wrong? Nah. They'd just be like, "look at that harlot who isn't wearing a headcovering."

The absence of a headscarf wouldnt be to convince the oppressors they are wrong but rather to motivate people to get involved. Laura missed a great opportunity to bring SS's abuses to light. Instead, she chose to tacitly condone the laws that murdered 14 school girls. Surely being polite doesnt take precedence?

RealDealNeverstop said:

The absence of a headscarf wouldnt be to convince the oppressors they are wrong but rather to motivate people to get involved. Laura missed a great opportunity to bring SS's abuses to light. Instead, she chose to tacitly condone the laws that murdered 14 school girls. Surely being polite doesnt take precedence?

Click to expand...

I see your point, but had she not worn the scarf likely there wouldn't
have been much noise one way or another I think. Now were she to
grow enough balls to actually go there and tell them off on the
subject it might have done something...though I doubt that
something would necessarily be positive for anyone.

Personally I'm not the bootlicker type who aims to please...i'm
rather stubborn and such...though I can't speak for mrs Bush's
reasons to wear the scarf. Maybe she liked the scarf? I would guess
that she did it out of politeness and PR or such but how would I
know? I personally am not too fond of the scarfs and burkhas and
such and especially not fond of what they represent. I would not do
an equalent to such a thing, but that's me.

Your point does stand though...I can't deny it. I'm a bit suprised that
she did it...I wouldn't have expected it and I admit I feel there's
something she tries to get through by doing it. There's always a
catch and always a reason and planning behind gestures in politics
nowadays.

Congratulations...if my posts here seem inconsistent/incoherrent, it's your fault.

Teshi said:

Whatever. I wore a headscarf when I traveled in predominantly Muslim areas for the same reason I wear a long skirt when visiting Orthodox churches. It's polite. If someone wants to not wear one, that's up to them, but I personally found it a lot easier to get stuff done with one on, and especially on a humanitarian mission, it seems like it'd be counterproductive to screw up your actual goal by making an ultimately empty symbolic gesture by going bare-headed. Like if one goes without a scarf all of a sudden people who oppress women would realize that oppressing women is wrong? Nah. They'd just be like, "look at that harlot who isn't wearing a headcovering."

Click to expand...

When we lived in Tehran, my mom wore a chador a couple of times and also walked around braless - it was the mid-70s which should explain both choices. I've never seen Queen Rania in any sort of headcover. And on some crap show I watched on E! last night about "court" shows, of the two women who had a slapfight during the "testimony" (it was a Turkish version) one wore hijab, the other didn't and obviously had blonde highlinghts.

Therein lies the non-issue of Mrs. Bush's choice - for some women in some countries to veil or not to veil is a choice. In Saudi Arabia it isn't, but her choice to be cultrually sensative was.

Not that to many of you will read this far but there was an intesting insight into fundamentalist Muslim women's mindset in Reading Lolita In Tehran. Mashid, the fundamentalist had expressed her devotion through hijab, but when the Mullahs imposed it upon all the population, her act of piety was invalidated by state mandate.

Mrs. Bush made her choice to be culturally sensative rather than have it imposed on her by state mandate and for that she should be applauded.

I'm beginning to see both sides of the issue now though. Its a hard call for me. I do think USincognito summed it up really well.

I dont get it. The bush famliy has a long history with the saudi royal family. She didnt wear it to be culturally sensitive-she did it out of the motivation, imao, to keep things smooth so the money keeps flowing.