Posted on 10/26/2007 4:11:31 AM PDT by WWTD
When I first wrote about First Lady Laura Bush's latest Breast Cancer Awareness Tour of the Extremist Islamic World (redundant), I noted that Mrs. Bush's PR team told the press that she would not, under any circumstances, don an Islamic headscarf or anything of the sort:
"They do not expect nor encourage it," of Western visitors at official meetings, said Bush's spokeswoman, Sally McDonough. "As members of the official traveling party, we will not need to wear any head scarves or abayas at any point."
I didn't buy it. And, as usual, my instincts were correct. This is Sheikha Laura, yesterday, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (thanks to reader "greatcometof1577").
(Excerpt) Read more at debbieschlussel.com ...
Debbie Schlussel is a hysterical nut... let’s get that out of the way, first.
When I first saw the photo of Laura in the headscarf, I was taken aback. However, I took time to learn more about the context of the situation. I think it was in bad taste for the Saudi women to give her the headscarf, an unsubtle message if you will, and she was stuck with being gracious.
Then, when you see her meeting with the Saudi prince, she is NOT wearing a headscarf. She is a proud American woman in a pantsuit, no apologies.
This is another non-issue, and once again, interesting to see how certain types of posters fall in line with off-the-wall responses.
I think this will be my last post on forum.
It’s all stupid, really. Laura Bush is great and I’ll miss her when President Bush leaves the White House. She’s his good will ambassador.
Direct comments to her Lowness at: writedebbie@gmail.com
Guys, freedom religion means just that. Freedom. There are US citizens who are Jews. There are US citizens who are Islamic. There are some who are Hindu. Bhuddists. Atheists. And there are some who are Christian. Having a Ramadan event at the WH is acknowledging Americans, and good for GW Bush in doing so. He also lights a national Christmas tree each year. Good for him in doing that, too.
As for courtesy when you are a guest in another country, it is very wise not to cross your legs in Asia. It tends to show the soles of your feet to someone, which is telling them they are lower than the dirt you walk on.
The old churches of Europe generally will not allow people in who are wearing shorts. Atheist women or women of any religious persuasian who are wearing shorts when touring such areas for sightseeing pack a skirt in a backpack, to be put on before going inside. There is no public law that requires them to do so, and they could probably contact local police and force their way in wearing shorts if they wanted to, but a courteous woman simply puts on a skirt to spend the 10 minutes looking around inside and avoids offending the owners of the property.
“...if you read the article with the real quote from Mrs. Bush’s PR rep, it doesn’t say that she WON’T wear a headscarf or abaya, it says she won’t NEED to.”
Clintonian parsing if I’ve ever seen it.”
Not hardly. They mean two totally different things.
“There are US citizens who are Jews. There are US citizens who are Islamic. There are some who are Hindu. Bhuddists. Atheists. And there are some who are Christian.”
But, but none of those are REAL religions, Well, maybe the Jews, although they can stand some improving.
“I almost bumped into a woman dressed like that the other day but she had a ninja type slit around her eyes. Why is it that our women are encouraged to dress like this when over there and they don’t dress like us when they are over here?”
Some of the women who dress like actually WANT to dress that way. Should they be forced to dress like us?
Debbie Schlussel,
You are joking, right? You can't be serious about printing this drivel and making some sort of big deal out of the First Lady doing "as the Romans do" when visiting people in a different country? You can't find anything that is noteworthy or newsworthy to write about with all that is going on in the world? This is what you hang your scarf on? I find this attempt to ridicule and besmirch the First Lady to be pathetic and beneath the dignity of any serious alleged journalist.
Sincerely,
Richard Pinnell
Proud Dad of a 10th Mountain Soldier presently in Iraq.
YOU wear the Swastika.
Of course you could say there is no comparison because Hitler had his intentions pinned to his sleeve.
However, he deceived most of the world until the last minute.
Let's face it, if politically correct had been around then, we would now all be called Hans, Hermann, and Fraulein
“Sorry (truly) for the harsh tone, but I hope you will admit the difference between voluntary and involuntary wearing of headgear.”
While some Muslim women are indeed forced to wear the headgear, others do it out of choice. And millions of Mulsim women don’t wear it at all. And most of them still have their breats.
Yep, there are those who truly love their headscarves....like some women love their spike heeled shoes. They can be decorated, beaded, ribboned etc.
Besides, when there is a party and the girls start dancing, those headscarves come off the heads and go around the hips to show off their their movements.
Those scarves mean far more in ways of being feminine than sharia law can ever effect.
God bless Mrs. Bush for having grace and dignity. I do not have a problem with her trying on the headscarf, or oohing and ahhing like we all do when we get a gift we may not like or ever use again.
Agreed.
I think this is the crux of the matter:
Almost everything to do with Islam seems to be one way - to promote greater acceptance (tolerance?) of Islam.
To Laura and many (probably all) posters here this is seen as the kind of innocent gesture a considerate, civilized person makes in this kind of situation. It has no greater or lasting significance than that - a polite way of dealing with a gift.
But to most muslims nothing pertaining to Islam or muslim culture is without significant and deeper meaning. A picture of the American Presidents wife in a muslim scarf has an entirely different meaning to those pushing Islam on us at every opportunity that it does to those who see it as just a photo of Laura politely trying on an ugly black scarf.
When we see photos of the wife of a high ranking Saudi official visiting America and trying on a Jewish Kippah or wearing a Christian cross I might see this in a more innocent light.
LOL!
Sadly, the treatment of women in Islam is an issue to us all. Honor killings, mutilation, stonings, etc, are issues that need addressed, but these are being questioned at least. In many Islamic countries, breast cancer goes undiagnosed and, worse yet, untreated. Leading to more unnecessary deaths. Laura is right to address this issue that is seemingly not addressed or swept under the rug in those areas. If these are all Deb can find to rant about, well, it must be a slow couple of days...
I have no problem with Mrs. Bush assimilating to local norms. God forbid the same Muslims would assimilate to OUR norms.
Briefly or not: barf-o-rama!
I personally think it was a setup. They KNEW she would put the scarf on her head, however briefly; or perhaps they cajoled her into trying it on. That's all it takes. One second of wearing the headscarf and it is immortalized forever in a photograph. They accomplished their goal: the wife of the President of the United States in a Muslim headscarf. Notice how they "moved in closer for photos".
I don’t know if you are right about Jesus, but Paul admonished us to respect the gods of our host while in their homes did he not?
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