Some local Malaysians, including my Malaysian friend, refer to the covered over Muslim women as DVs, Darth Vaders.
I've made no bones about my dislike of people who cover their faces. Human connections rely on seeing faces, and to cover faces diminishes communication.
Whether Muslim women are forced to do this, I think the jury is out. Some will be, some won't be, and some will feel pressure. In Malaysia at our hotel breakfast buffet, we saw some in the full black garb, with faces covers and gauze over the eye slits. They had to lift the black flap in front of their faces to eat, and it looked very awkward.
But I won't discriminate. I dislike all overt religious behaviour. Most of the US MAGA are probably Christians who attend church every Sunday.
There are number of Australian women with children who have been trapped in the Middle East for years. They were married to Middle Eastern terrorists and willingly went to the Middle East to support their husbands who were committing terrorist acts.
Well, they have finally found passage back to Australia and will be allowed in as they are citizens or permanent residents of Australia. Yet, they went to the Middle East to support extremist fighters who were members of prohibited organisation, that was against everything Australia stands for.
They are Australian citizens and must be let in, and I hate that but respect their right. Their children may well go into care to be deradicalised, and perhaps the women themselves. Some will be arrested at the airport for possible criminal actions. I can hear their pleas now, my husband forced me, I had to support my husband.
They had a gold standard of being an citizen of Australia and went off to fight for a Middle Eastern terrorist organisation, and now return to the comfort of Australia and will receive good medical care at no cost, receive social security payments, child benefit allowances etc etc. I say, fuck 'em all.
Photo of the scary from The Age.
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I feel sorry for them, mostly young women in a fairly closed community. I think they should have been allowed back in Australia a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteIn case not obvious from my comment below, I agree with that. The longer they are left there the greater risk and difficulty there will be in dealing with their children.
DeleteThese situations can be dealt with though. If you remember that weird incestuously formed cult near Young in NSW 8 children were ultimately homed together in a special foster family, and now (including some who are now adults) they have actually been adopted by their foster parents.
J, they have been given a second chance in their lives. I hope they take advantage of that and don't abuse it.
DeleteLike you, "I dislike all overt religious behaviour" and have only grudging respect for other people's beliefs and habits when it comes to outward expression of religious "faith". Why can't they see the light? For the truth is that there is no God watching over us and no afterlife either. That is all bullshit and it would be far better if those folk could just get real and smell the coffee of authentic life devoid of religion.
ReplyDeleteNoooooo! Some of the loudest most vocal defenders of the Republican Jesus haven't parked their asses in a pew in many years. They are vulgar and angry people, waving their Fuck Biden flags and spouting the ugliest things you can imagine. Yes. There is the Christian Right, and yes, they they spearheaded this awfulness, but the banner has been seized upon the cause. MAGA Christians are not Christians, not in the Biblical sense.
ReplyDeleteHumanity is so complicated and often despicable that it's easy to forget the good sometimes. I tend to prefer just about every other life form. Mosquitoes, kissing bugs, and other disease carriers are NOT among them. lol Be well!
ReplyDeleteWow, Andrew. If you write like that about those women then I can see why politicians have been so reluctant to let them return. They are or were fuckwits or were stupid or naive or were horrible zealots but they are our all of the above.
ReplyDeleteSecond of the last sentence should read but the banner had been seized upon by people who are biblically ignorant.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if these Australian women were Muslim to begin with or converted when they met the men who became their husbands'.
ReplyDeleteIt's a dilemma for sure, let them in or refuse them? Did they convert or keep their original religion? And what happens in the future if the husband comes back and wants to claim his children?
ReplyDeleteI have seen some black clad women here in Adelaide, but truly only a very few.
Their loyalty was with ISIS it still exists in pockets of the Middle East Thry should stay there I have no sympathy for them or their children some of whom posed with guns
ReplyDeleteHaving come from (and abandoned) an oppressive religion that affected so many in my family - all women - I understand these unfortunates who get sucked in with great promises of finding whatever saviour is flavour of the week. All religions oppress women in countless ways. Muslim sects can be extraordinarily oppressive but so were all others back in the day. I don't judge too harshly.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
I echo J's comment, Andrew.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation. Will they see (in our eyes) the error of their ways or will their beliefs still be there in the back of their mind (our fear)
ReplyDeleteI feel that such young women are lost, for whatever reason, and should be allowed home, to the countries they rejected. Repatriating and re-educating them will take time and patience, but their children deserve the chance to grow up in the democratic west.
ReplyDeleteI do think they should adhere to the norms of the country, and dress accordingly, or we will have more and more ghettos, as is happening in parts of the UK.
Religion takes many forms, and is only ever dangerous when it becomes fanatical.
I don't care about someone's religion and I don't want to hear about or see it in their garb either. I just look the other way. Must be hard to be tied up inside in rigid beliefs. Can't be much fun.
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