A Burka is Not Going to Cure Men of Evil

A Burka is Not Going to Cure Men of Evil

Women around the world can often be seen wearing either a hijab, niqab, or a burka. Generally speaking the idea behind these garments as told to me, is to allegedly make a woman more modest, less vain, safer, reflect the teachings of her religion, and/or make a clear distinction that she is a woman. As a Westerner, surprise-surprise, I disagree with a lot of this, first and foremost, because for a lot of women it is not a choice to wear these garments. It's more of a, you don't wear this, and we'll kill you, or ruin you and your family, or shun you which kind of really goes against the idea of safety. Like seeing a woman's face or her neck or an ankle is grounds for killing her?!? I can't imagine why I or any other woman would be offended or angered by that, especially since men of these same cultures don't have to abide by the same rules, and not only that, they tend to be male dominated societies to begin with who dictate law without means of democracy.

As far as vanity, from the outside looking in, it would appear that these women couldn't possibly put much effort into their physical appearance, or why would they because as with the burka, no one can actually see them, but a lot of these women who are allowed to disrobe in single sex company admit that they are just as vain as their western counterparts spending a fair amount of time shopping for and doing their make-up because it will be seen by other women. This is of course not every woman, but vanity exists within these cultures, you simply don't see it out on the streets because it's essentially outlawed.

A Burka is Not Going to Cure Men of Evil

When it comes to this idea that it is for a woman's safety that she cover up because men are apparently so vile that they cannot contain themselves, well, I find that assertion absurd. I have the same problem in the US when a woman dresses in a sexy manner, with men that say that, well, she wouldn't have been raped at that party if she'd been wearing a sweater. I literally just saw on the news the story of an 80 year old who was raped. Guess who rapes people? RAPISTS! They don't care how young or old you are or what you're wearing, they are sick in the head, but guess what, how many other men are walking around on the street or at parties like that, who don't rape women because or what they are wearing and I don't know, they actually care/respect women, they aren't sick in the head, and they can look at a girl and be like, yeah, she's sexy, but I don't want to hold her down and force her to have sex with me...because I'm not a rapist!

Burkas/Hijabs, or any kind of covering do not prevent incidences of rape or some men from doing and saying terrible things to women. There are many first hand accounts of women wearing such garments that report the same things that women in the west report--cat calling, groping, lude comments, and even in some cases, actual kidnapping and/or rape. You have to keep in mind that in the majority of these countries, even worse than the west, rape is severely under reported. In a lot of these countries rape is not even recognized as a crime to begin with making it pretty much a done deal that if you are raped there will be no recourse and if you come forward, few if anybody male or female will support you out of fear or out of knowledge that nothing will be done other than victim blaming/shaming and/or your own or your families ruin. That's incredibly convenient then for a male dominated society to have men come out and say, of course these things prevent rape or lude comments...look at how no women are reporting rape or harassment when they probably wouldn't even publish the story or allow the court case if these women did.

A Burka is Not Going to Cure Men of Evil

If you are a woman who wears these items because you want to and you feel it does provide these things for you, then by all means, who am I to tell you what you think and feel and experience, but it should be your choice, and not something forced upon you. A lot of these cultures do not support women's rights on even a basic level, so it's incredibly hard to then make the point that these clothing items when not worn optionally are helpful and promote women in a positive way because why would you need to force something on women if it's so incredibly helpful and benefits all.

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Most Helpful Girl

  • Men harass and rape women because they have no respect for women as human beings. It doesn't have to do with what the woman is wearing. Yes visual stimulus leads to arousal, but normal men can control their behavior because they know it is not appropriate. You cannot erase sexual desire altogether even if you force women to cover up. There will always be some way to find women "appealing" because they are women.

    • and this is only confirmed by those same women who wear these coverups who report that men still harass them or worse. Good men will always be good and bad men, will always be bad. There is nothing more to it. A piece of cloth is not going to change who that man is.

    • A good man will do good, and a bad man will do bad, but to make a good man do bad takes religion.

    • One thing I realized throughout this whole page is that men are made to look black or white. I mean, ok most men out there are not rapists. But they would check a woman out, watch her for a while if they like her, and enjoy whatever thoughts come after, and in some cases things can develop more,. And those are not the terrible men, this is almost everybody. The 60 year old shopkeeper that you deal with probably once was like "damn this bitch look fine".. it's just how things are. For confirmation, check comment section in anything that has an attractive woman in it.. bruh.. I remember seeing several comments in an online course about how the woman voice is attractive, like smh, give me a break. So these types of clothing styles are not made for the strict purpose of preventing rape, and not for the strict purpose of erasing sexual desire altogether.. It is to generally make it easier for the society to not be a freaking jungle dominated by sexual desire. Women can meet some creeps, but generally, they go from a place to another safe, because people who are just minding their own business, will still mind their own business as these women pass by, cuz there was nothing that drew their attention. It's much easier for men in general to respect women and leave them alone when they are covered. I'm not someone who wants to FORCE NIQAB ON EVERY WOMAN ON THE PLANET.. chill.. I just wanted to make the idea behind the whole thing clearer then you can choose. Without feeling the danger of stuff being enforced, or feeling that you are asked to live in a frkn cage or whatever.. cuz these thoughts are in my opinion what make most people hostile when it comes to the niqab thing.

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Most Helpful Guy

  • Thankyou. The way to stop men raping women is to deal with the men, not punish the women. Teach your sons to respect women as humans, don't accept abusive or similar behaviour from anyone.

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What Girls & Guys Said

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  • I always find it interesting when I see these women clad from head to toe, looking completely out of place in a western country. When they are following several mid eastern males dressed in the latest western fashion. Why is it that these guys enforce an archaic dress code upon women both young and old yet they don't have to follow anything theirselves?

    • Because these specific people are probably uneducated and primitive. Why is it always that the alcoholic husbands are beating the hell out of their wives and she takes it, additionally she is the one bringing money home and cannot say a word when husband drinks it. Because these guys are uneducated and primitive. There are Muslims who are educated, and partners treat each other with respect. Westerners just either don't have enough experience with Muslims, or simply like to put them all in a same box with a less worth of us.

  • In my position, I frequent run session in which women wear hijabs. Doesn't bother me at all (as long as it is her choice to do so, of course.) Their modesty (of their whole outfit) often seems more comparable to what the men in these sessions are wearing (dress shirts, sometimes with ties or even jackets) than what many of the women that are not wearing them have on. However, there are other modest outfits that are equally comparable without the hijab, so I don't really consider it part of the discussion. It's more about what is considered "appropriate" for women at different levels (business casual, business, formal, etc) is often far more focused on accentuating their physical form than what is considered "appropriate" for men at the same level. Compare a man's classic black suit to a women's suit. Often the latter is tighter cut, has a open (usually several buttons down) collar, has a skirt above the knee or very tight pants, is more brightly colored, etc. Side-by-side, it's hard to say that they are comparable. (Note: this isn't about controlling what women wear; the men don't have to wear their suits, but do so to look professional.)

    I have had a few cases where women have worn niqabs (never had a full burka) and I will say that I did not find any advantage and several disadvantages over the hijab. First, I've read things like "Because I conceal my face, people, particularly the opposite sex, only know me through my words, my behavior, talents, and my personality," but without any visual reference, I honestly couldn't tell one from the other after the fact. I'm bad with names, but usually remember faces. So, when I see someone later, their face triggers my memory of what they did/said. I lose that with a niqab, so I'm simply don't remember them. Second, facial expressions convey emotions that are often missed through word alone. With the niqab, you might catch some of that in the eyes. You would get none of it from behind a burka.

    I'm all for "wear what you want," so if a woman actually chooses to wear one of these, then that's her right. However, as with most cultural or religious customs, it's too often ingrained at an early age that you must do it, so that they never really get to choose. And, if the reason for their culture or religion saying "you must" is to control them, as second-class or even as property, then it is just as wrong, even if they continue to "choose" to do so later.

    A key question is: Why don't men have to wear these, too?

    • cuz women are just made more beautifully, and there are more chances that they get hurt.. I mean all the girls I know were harassed somehow at some point, even in an almost non harmful way.. but it just happens.. meanwhile it doesn't happen a lot that my male friends get sexually harassed in any way

  • I didn't read all of that, but I can tell you that women are just as sexual as men. I would hate to have to live in one of those shit-hole countries that suppress women.

  • That's interesting, being born and raised in a Muslim country (Bahrain) not ever did I wear a hijab or an abaya etc. Not once was I told to wear one, or frowned upon for not wearing one. However, that does not mean I don't make my best attempt to dress conservatively. Not because i'm forced to, but because I have little to no interest walking around practically naked. I want to be acknowledge by both men and women for my intellect, not for being the girl who's known for showing her ass cheeks with short shorts or wearing extremely low cut tops just to have an excuse to show the world how big her boobs are. My way of thinking has absolutely nothing to do with my religion or ethnicity etc. In fact, many females from all over the world share my same opinion. As for the females who wear Hijab, Abaya, Niqab etc. and are still a little self centered, then that's whatever. They too have the right to flaunt their material belongings, just like everyone else who has anything of worth does too. However, my way of thinking is my way of thinking, and not everyone will agree. And for those who don't, then they're not obliged to follow what I believe nor do I have the right to look at them with an ethnocentric mentality just because they don't share my views.

    • Oh please, someone out there... somebody please read my last paragraph. I literally put it in bold letters for a reason. My issue is not with those who have choice.

    • No, you're just ethnocentric.

    • irrelevant, bahrain has a very small population, its supported by the west and influenced by them, plus they're shia not sunni and we all know they're different.

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  • This is so absolutely true. Evil lurks in the intentions of the doer, not external circumstances. A healthy man can maintain appropriate behavior around a bevy of scantily clad women on a beach. A rapist’s perverse fantasies might be triggered by the sight of a women's ankle.
    I disagree with most of the posters that the purpose of the Burkas/Hijabs is to project modesty and a defiance of western colonialism. If so, why does all of the responsibility fall to women? Meanwhile, Osama Bin Laudon and his merry band were found with reams of western pornography. How does this depict purity and resistance to western culture?
    One purpose listed in posts did ring true; it is intended to control women, and this is more in line with all of the other limitations women face in cultures that champion Burkas/Hijabs. It seems clear to me that this is a burden placed on women by a patriarchal society left over from an earlier, primitive time.
    As with many rituals spawned by religious dogma, the stated purpose and the actual intent in daily use are entirely different things.
    ~JSmith

  • For SOME women of the east its not a choice. Particularly in specific countries. Thats a fallacy of the nation and not the religion. Not to mention, the scarf hijab began exclusively as part of the religion, but the burka and niqab-something thought of some time ago and started as some cultural tradition. The rest I can see your point. I dont think its keeps people safe from rapists, because not many things can. But that wasn't what they meant by "safe". Actually the term "safe" is misleading. From what I understand, the covering is supposed to humble the girl, while it should keep men from lusting for them (doesnt always work ofc). And yes, many of the eastern nations are male-dominated, but if you expanded your thinking you could also say thats true about every other country, even the US. I think no matter what the religion, this world can be tough for a woman. I think you have some points to consider, but overall kind of a narrow-minded approach to seeing the religion. Yeah, a religion, not a culture or a nation. So just as Spanish Catholics have different ways of practicing than those in the US, same goes to Muslims of Africa and middle east per say.

    • So men wontnlust after them? Is that what we want to teach the next generation? It is alright as long as wearing burqua is a personal choice. Why make it mandatory because men can't keep their dick in their pants? Such nonsense. I agree with you regarding culture. It varies but all of it has the same origin, religion. I dont think there is a difference when young boys are being raped by priests either in usa or spain. The same way a lot of sharia countries ar crazy. Just see how popular psycho scholars of religiona re in those countries.

    • @Gouthamfab no I think you misunderstan what I'm saying. I don't condone the mandatory act of wearing the burka. I don't condone a government forcing anything on its people I think that's a violation of basic human rights. But what I'm saying is I also won't patronize a woman if she chooses to wear it. I'm not going to try to tell her that the burka oppresses her because Idc

    • What she does with her body and her clothes. Was simply trying to share what I know about the east and how they see the burqa. Also I see what you mean that culture and religion are too often intertwined and believe me its one of the most annoying problems you can come across in the east. But regardless, the origin of the burqa/niqab unlike the headscarf are cultural. I don't know when it started, but it was too long ago. Somehow the culture of burqa/niqab became intertwined into religion in some nations like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia etc

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  • WoW,
    just look at you, I think American feminist are dumbest people on the planet earth.
    1) Rapist (that should be hanged) are still human beings that have the 5 senses and they have biological bodies with endocrine and nervous system.
    2) Sexual vision stimulate the nervous system to signal the endocrine system to release the hormones (testosterone or androgens) that cause the sexual stimulation and in the case of the rapist the aggression, that usually results in un-speakable deeds.
    3) Burqa or viel decrease the chances visual stimulus and its apparent by the rape rate in stable Muslim countries.
    Rates are the number of reported forcible rapes per 100,000 people.
    1. New Jersey - 11.7
    2. New York - 14.6
    3. Virginia - 17.7
    4. Vermont - 19.3
    5. North Carolina - 20.3
    6. Hawaii - 20.5
    7. California - 20.6
    8. Maryland - 21
    9. Wisconsin - 21.3
    10. Georgia - 21.4
    11. West Virginia - 22.7
    12. Massachusetts - 24.7
    13. Missouri - 25.1
    14. Louisiana - 25.2
    15. Indiana - 25.5
    16. Connecticut - 25.6
    17. Pennsylvania - 26.1
    18. Delaware - 26.5
    19. Wyoming - 26.7
    20. Alabama - 26.9
    21. Florida - 27.2
    22. Rhode Island - 27.4
    23. Mississippi - 27.5
    24. Illinois - 27.7
    25. Maine - 28
    26. Iowa - 28.3
    27. Kentucky - 29
    28. Oregon - 29.2
    29. Texas - 29.6
    30. Idaho - 30
    31. Minnesota - 30.5
    32. Tennessee - 31.5
    33. Ohio - 31.7
    34. Washington - 31.8
    35. Utah - 33
    36. Nevada - 33.7
    37. New Hampshire - 34
    38. Arizona - 34.7
    39. South Carolina - 35.5
    40. Kansas - 36.5
    41. District of Columbia - 37.3
    42. Montana - 37.7
    43. Nebraska - 38.3
    44. North Dakota 38.9
    45. Colorado - 40.7
    46. Oklahoma - 41.6
    47. Arkansas - 42.3
    48. New Mexico - 45.9
    49. Michigan - 46.4
    50. South Dakota - 70.2
    51. Alaska - 79.7
    with sweden as high as 82
    and muslim countries
    Saudia 1.5
    Turkey 1.5
    Qatar 1.8
    Oman 4
    Qatar 1.8

    Do you why?
    Burqa and public hanging.

    • Yeah but in those countries a woman can be stoned for dishonoring her name and mentioning anything about rape or shit like this. So the numbers you listed in the end there aren't accurate at all. Those are the ones that have been reported. Not the actual number.

    • @MrMysteryMan No poor baby, I know someone will point this out. These are the numbers collected from your own agencies with +1 propaganda ratio and that fucking agency is UN.

    • @MrMysteryMan They are smarter than you to consider this option.

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  • Men cannot be cured of evil by a burka, because lust was not the first sin. Hubris was. And because of that, all are fallen. And any man who wants to do evil badly enough, will not let a lack of exposure to lust incentives stop them. The cultures that blame the woman anyway do so only because the men are spineless cowards who cannot bear to be held accountable for what they nurture in their hearts.

  • It is sad that women let themselves be treated as 2nd class citizens. They let men tell them they have to cover themselves from head to toe. I feel sad for them. But they let it happen and there is zero reason for it to happen here in the USA, so that is on them.

  • I second Ale's opinion to be honest i don't think they're there for much other than to prevent sexual harassment whatever they say the reasons are.

  • I would totally be cool with a female revolution in the Middle East. Its about time we should these pussy men how it feels to be dominated.

    • nobody should be dominated it should be equal

  • They're there to oppress women, it has very little to do with modesty and more to do with "you're a piece of meat to me, cover yourself so that you don't cause my dick to get hard and I'm forced by your evil shoulder to rape you and murder you".
    Fucking 10th century countries and their animalistic views.

    • Always the fucking ignorant.

    • @HaveNoName Thanks baby :*

  • Basically all fundamentalist religious thought comes down to controlling women, particularly young women -- removing their ability to choose when to have sex, who to have sex with, and when if ever to have children. This is true of Islam, evangelical Christianity, ultra-orthodox Judiasm, and fundamentalist Hinduism. These religions view women as a tribal asset to be controlled first by their fathers or other male relatives and then by their husbands. Mandatory veiling is just one manifestation of that control -- it makes women invisible and hence unavailable to solicit and choose a sexual partner.

    • Nah Muslim women get to choose the when and with who when it comes to sex, and they can choose a sexual partner, they can like a man and be like dad i want to marry this person. chill

    • @createausernamebruh really? What if that man is not a Muslim? We regularly see stories of "honour killings" of young women because they dated or married an unaltered man.

    • Unapproved man.

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  • i just find it strange that an ideology would place all the onus on controlling men's sexual desire on women

    and you're right. there are videos of these men sexually harassing burqa clad women in broad daylight. because apparently they trained themselves to see the silhouette underneath.

  • You make excellent points and this is a great piece. The whole idea behind these "coverings" is the subjugation of women and girls. Period. And you're absolutely correct: Why would a woman report a rape in one of these societies where the reaction of the men in her own family would be to kill her as an "honor killing"? In other words, the "shame" brought on the male members of the family (father, brothers, etc.) would be greater than the indignity that their daughter or sister had been violently attacked. And so the solution would be: kill HER. I think you did an outstanding job in dealing with this issue.

  • Interesting to see hijab women in tight jeans, high heels... lipstick lol... and eye liner
    Like the covered hair is going to change anything here hahah... so silly some of them

    Most will say its their choice and how the modern hijab women is more about empowerment... I've heard that a million times. But they fail to realize they have been conditioned
    I guess when you are conditioned it feels natural (like its your choice)

    • where i live i see women wearing hijab, showing most of their arms they ankles, wearing flip flops, super right pants with their underwear showing, nose rings, ridicolous amounts of makeup, nail polish, tight shirts and sometimes can even see the bra, and their bahavior is far from modest yet they say it makes them stronger? in what way exactly? do you think a bit of hair is gonna matter when i can see your ass?

    • @CoolSky01 My thoughts exactly. I've met women dressed the same way and just wonder why hiding one's hair follows the original intent of the rules behind wearing their Hijabs? If you're going to detour so far from the path of what the original intent was. Why follow that rule at all, and just take it off?

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  • Good for a shade in summer

  • Unfortunately, you can't reason someone out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.

    Like, some women believe all men are the Enemy, and all women are their friends. That's not based on reason either, but many women believe it in their hearts and base their whole life and every decision on it.

  • Thank you!! What you wear makes no difference.

  • I will admit to not knowing a lot about this issue. What i understand about this type of dress and the variations of it, is it is cultural more than religious. You should show respect to a persons cultural upbringing and not question their choice in how they dress.
    The wider issue of it being to protect women from the "evil" desires of men, isn't that clear. Men are men. And again depending on culture it determines how they see women and their place in society.
    If we didn't have so much access to information, if there wasn't the amount of immigration from peoples of ME culture into Western society, we wouldn't know about this and it wouldn't be an issue. But it is. We all need education and understanding. One person's culture shouldn't take precedence over another's. But the suppression of a persons culture to fit into the norms of the society they find themselves in, is not right. It reinforces the differences, and these differences are used to control society in a negative way, by both governments and religious authorities to suit their agendas.
    Regardless of culture, people are people, all with the same desires, wishes, and aspirations for a happy peaceful life. All of us, ordinary people, have more in common with the ordinary people from different cultures. This isn't something that governments or religious authorities want us to realise, or are happy with. A divided society is always easier controlled and manipulated.

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