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In Defense of the Burqa
I never expected to be writing this but, after a lot of thought on the subject, I think I’ve grown to understand the value of this garment, and I’m prepared finally to withdraw my objections and actually encourage women to wear it.
The burqa, for those unfamiliar with it, is the traditional body-covering garb worn by many Muslim women when out in public. I once thought it oppressive, but now think I was mistaken in that assessment because I failed to appreciate the purpose it served.
First, the burqa increases a woman’s safety. It enhances modesty, makes them less attractive to sexual predators, and so gives them a little bit more security. We don’t know how much more security, really, but it must certainly confer some safety. Given that, discarding it merely for convenience or vanity or some misplaced sense of personal autonomy seems short-sighted: safety shouldn’t be compromised for less important things. I think we can all agree.
Secondly, the burqa communicates submission to authority. That’s important in any well-ordered society. There’s no virtue in a nihilistic disregard for the social order. Individualism has its place, but there are larger considerations of public good and civil order, and of respect for those responsible for maintaining it. Dutifully wearing a burqa communicates that respect, and that one is willing to sacrifice a little bit of one’s own liberty to meet the expectations of the larger society.
So, because I value both that unmeasurable and probably small but nonetheless real bit of safety, and because I think submission to authority is a good thing, I encourage women to wear their masks when out in public.
Sorry. I meant their burqas, not masks. Masks? Where did that come from?
Published in Healthcare
Yabbut, how could we tell it’s you?
By the socks.
Stuffed into flip flops.
Exactly.
Man. It’s like you’re here.