Posted on 01/18/2015 10:12:36 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Orthodox Jewish women and conservative Muslim women both follow modesty rules, but Orthodox Jewish women are devout without abandoning their individuality and civil liberties.
26-year-old Hayat Boumedienneis the suspected accomplice in last week’s 3-day terror attack in Paris, France. Her common law husband, Amedy Coulibaly, murdered four Jews and a policewoman in a kosher Paris market.
Boumedienne is now the poster girl for young, insecure Western women who abandon Western mores for radical Islam. Boumedienne’s close friend described her to France24 News as an emotional basket case “who often cries and has little confidence in herself.” After discarding her string bikini for a niquab and a crossbow, she became violent instead of loving and merciful. In other words, her radical religious zeal seemed to make her more dark and vengeful than serene and peaceful.
Orthodox Jewish women in France now feel unsafe practicing their faith in public. Jewish women are emigrating from France to Israel in historically high numbers even as scores of young French women are being recruited by ISIS. It is crucial for you and me to ask whether political correctness is misleading women.
Orthodox Jewish women who meticulously follow the Torah abide by “tznius” or modesty laws that direct them to wear stockings, skirts or dresses that fall below the knees as well as blouses that cover their elbows and collarbone. But the Orthodox Jewish woman’s face is always unmasked: her mouth is unrestricted, showing that her religious community values her voice and opinion; she is a unique individual; she is equal to men.
A woman who is free to speak her mind would not feel compelled to cover her mouth with a black cloth. Orthodox Judaism recognizes that allwomen have a natural right to free speech, and therefore does not ask women to hide their mouths.
Orthodox Jewish women who cover their hair with a wig after marriage are saving some parts of their beauty for their marriage—while retaining their freedom and distinct personalities. Even after marriage, Orthodox Jewish women retain their individuality and their femininity: waistlines, the shape of the lower legs, the slenderness of the ankle and other curves remain visible.
Extremely religious men who respect women as their equals do not say: “I’m not killing you because you are a woman and we don’t kill women but you have to convert to Islam, read the Qu’ran and wear a veil,” as a shooter told Charlie Hebdo reporter Sigolène Vinson.
Hundreds of teenage girls are fleeing their families in the United States and France to become the wives of jihadist fighters in Syria. Emotionally insecure and underage women are being tantalized with poetic promises of love, acceptance and a chance to fight alongside men. They are being whisked from their homes only to find that they have been duped into accepting a one-way ticket to a life of cooking, cleaning and sewing for violent extremists.
These young women do not realize that they are choosing a life of servitude under the guise of piety. No one has the courage to tell these women that extremely strict Muslims do not have a track record of respecting and uplifting females. Instead, politically correct politicians like French President Francois Hollande mislead women into thinking that radical Islam is just as liberating as Orthodox Judaism.
TIME Magazine’s Paris reporter Vivienne Walt told NPR: “these are not women who have grown up in heavily religious families,” they are “girls who have been radicalized at a fairly young age and rapidly” and they are “married off to fighters” for whom they are expected to keep house. Walt paints a portrait of their lifestyle as more restrictive than liberating: “these very much sound like women from the 1950s.”
Certainly there are many Muslims of integrity such as Lassana Bathily, a store employee at the kosher supermarket in Paris who courageously helped police gain control over the violence on January 9. When Bathily escaped from the supermarket to give the police a key to the store, the officers initially assumed he was Coulibaly. The police pushed Bathily to the ground and handcuffed him before realizing he was there to help.
But we also don’t hear repeated stories of Jewish, Christian or atheist men attacking their wives with acid; stoning alleged adulteresses without due process; or refusing to let women drive.
As individuals, we must reject political correctness in our elected representatives and ourselves. Instead of trying to please everyone, let us strive to live our lives as we see fit while allowing our neighbors to do the same. This means being tolerant of others’ words, actions and faith—as long as they do not use their faith to justify violence, coercion or sexism. Religious freedom, not radical relativism, is the key to happiness.
“As individuals, we must reject political correctness in our elected representatives and ourselves. Instead of trying to please everyone, let us strive to live our lives as we see fit while allowing our neighbors to do the same. This means being tolerant of others’ words, actions and faith—as long as they do not use their faith to justify violence, coercion or sexism. Religious freedom, not radical relativism, is the key to happiness.”
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Your whole post should be repeated; but especially this part.
-JT
“..stoning alleged adulteresses without due process...”
Hey, give credit where it is due, we don’t even stone them WITH due process.
Ok, I know this is a serious piece, but let me tell you about one happy Orthodox Jewish woman that I will always remember.
It was back in the good old days, the 80s, the economy was humming along, NYC was getting back to normal, good times, good times.
And I was Christmas shopping, right at the end of the season. It must have been a Sunday, because B & H photo was open. This is a famous NYC store that sells camera equipment and all kinds of stuff like that. Very high end stuff, very reputable, and they are owned by Orthodox Jews. They are SO orthodox that you cannot even make purchases on their website on Jewish Sabbath or Jewish holidays, they just shut it down.
So, I am shopping for a gift for hubby and the joint is rocking, shoppers, tourists, shopping tourists, it’s a real NYC mad house. (I did finally buy him the gift and he loved it.)
And at the door, greeting people as they came in and thanking them as they left was one of the happiest people I think I’ve ever seen. This Jewish woman, beaming a smile and handing out candy and cheerfully, so cheerfully, saying “Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!” to all her shoppers.
It’s one of my fave Christmas memories, it was NY in a nutshell.
I would guess it is because Orthodox Jewish women are probably not beat up by goon squads if they slack on the dress code.
The words of "Aishis Chayil" are beautiful:
A woman of valor, who can find? Far beyond pearls is her value. Her husband's heart trusts in her and he shall lack no fortune.
She repays his good, but never his harm, all the days of her life. She seeks out wool and linen, and her hands work willingly.
She is like a merchant's ships; from afar she brings her sustenance She rises while it is still nighttime, and gives food to her household and a ration to her maids.
She considers a field and buys it; from the fruit of her handiwork she plants a vineyard. She girds her loins with might and strengthens her arms.
She senses that her enterprise is good, so her lamp is not extinguished at night. She puts her hand to the distaff, and her palms support the spindle.
She spreads out her palm to the poor and extends her hands to the destitute. She fears not snow for her household, for her entire household is clothed with scarlet wool.
Bedspreads she makes herself; linen and purple wool are her clothing. Well-known at the gates is her husband as he sits with the elders of the land. Garments she makes and sells, and she delivers a belt to the peddler. Strength and splendor are her clothing, and smilingly she awaits her last day.
She opens her mouth with Wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She anticipates the needs of her household, and the bread of idleness, she does not eat.
Her children rise and celebrate her; and her husband, he praises her: "Many daughters have attained valor, but you have surpassed them all."
False is grace, and vain is beauty; a G-d-fearing woman, she should be praised.
Give her the fruit of her hands, and she will be praised at the gates by her very own deeds.
According to the sages in the Talmud, a man must honor his wife (and children) more than himself. Over and over again in the Talmud, the woman's central, essential role in making the home a happy and good place to live is emphasized, and likewise the husband's role in making sure he keeps her happy. Young men about to marry are told by their rabbinic teachers to be gentle to their wife, not to make her feel bad, to respect her feelings, to recognize that she waits for his praise for making the home beautiful and cooking delicious meals, etc. Contrast this to Muzzie men, who are counseled to beat their wives regularly.
No contest here, unless one is a masochist.
TIME Magazine’s Paris reporter Vivienne Walt told NPR... paints a portrait of their lifestyle as more restrictive than liberating: “these very much sound like women from the 1950s.”
Is this not scary? The leftist reporters from Time magazine think what is wrong with America is that their mothers from the 50’s were as restricted as the women from the ME. Yep, I remember the 50’s, my Mom had a blast with us kids. I guess I forgot the part where she was encased in a black bag and beaten with a stick if she showed her ankles.... I mean, what planet do these Times reporters come from? They believe their own leftist drivel and have no sense of history.
And don’t forget the Jewish laws re sex. I won’t go into detail but the husband must satisfy her, plus he must be there for her every other day, usually.
Proverbs 31
That’s Proverbs 31
My father put “Proverbs 31:28, 29” on my mother’s tombstone..
Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all. Proverbs 31:28, 29
My parents were Christians and married 55 years...
Getting facts wrong bothers me. I’ve read several times that Hayat Boumedienne is the “common law” wife of one of the terrorists. Ah, we do know she’s the Islamic law wife and I don’t think that France even has common law. Didn’t Napoleon replace all laws with his code?
“these very much sound like women from the 1950s.”
Oh those poor, maligned people of the 1950s. The horror of being able to survive on a single income while mom was home keeping the family well and happy. The horror...
Awesome story. I love it when I see a niqab-clad woman driving a car in America. Transportation liberty, yes. Religious liberty, go figure?
Better sex life with the niddah, tumah and taharah . No contact gives you a little time out and more appreciation for each other upon resumption of physical contact. Men and women with only one sex partner also enjoy their sex lives more, virgins until marriage, too. God’s got something, eh?
Think of the repression of orthodoxy on women! She’s only a helpmeet (Hebrew `ezer ke-negdo; i.e., “a help as his counterpart” = a help suitable to him). See Gen. 2:18-20.
To think God had this all worked out long time ago.
Excellent and what wonderful parents.
Yep and we’re blessed to live in a Common Law country. America is one of the few in the world. Wonder why poverty and tyranny go together? Civil Law countries.
Louisiana sits there like an infected wound.
My 50s childhood was magic. Mom trying out different recipes and baking cakes, happily bringing home the first Swanson’s frozen turkey dinner (and then hauling it into the trash!), lunch with Soupy Sales, my mother dressing us up into different crazy Halloween costumes every year, my father home on the dot at 6pm. Delivered milk and donuts, nice neighbors - other mothers who would watch over the kids when mom went to the grocery store. Heaven. And my mom has only fond memories of it, too!
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