Who, in America, has not been astounded by the site of a figure covered in black cloth from head to toe coming to them along the street or seeing them in a subway or in a car? That outfit is called a burqa.
While riding the PATH train one day I came across a group of women wearing burqas eating lunch out of a Burger King bag. (Hey, no comment about violating PATH's rules against eating on the trains.) What struck me was the movements they had to go through to eat. The clothed hand would come out from under the cloth, dip into the bag, grab some French fries and then insert the food under the cloth hiding their faces into their mouths. It reminded me of the way elephants feed themselves, and looked as if there was no way the burqa would not get dirty.
Many feel that wearing the burqa diminishes the status of women and, some would say, poses a risk to society as the burqa effective masks the wearer's identity. So, Ms. Chesler asks for the abolition of the burqa on various grounds while preserving the wearing of the hijab that covers the hair but leaves the face fully exposed.
See the full article here, Hijab (The Headscarf)—Yes; The Burqa—No.
Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow
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