I was doing some shopping in Scunthorpe last week and saw a woman wearing a hijab. Not unusual for Scunthorpe, where there is a fairly large Muslim population (for white bread Lincolnshire, anyway). I hadn't had a chance to wash my hair that day, and I seriously thought to myself, "Wow, I'll bet that comes in really handy when you're having a bad hair day."
Martin accuses me of being a bit of an anarchist. Funny, how closely anarchy resembles a belief in small government. Our political views very rarely match up. I don't think the government should have as much control as they do, and Martin likes being more "protected." Interesting, when you consider that many political discussions with my dad (Cook, not Bowcutt) ended with him snorting derisively and calling me a "bleeding heart liberal."
That could be a post all on its own. Maybe one for another night.
Anyway, one of the many things Martin and I disagree on is the wearing of the burka. Although it might make me seem anti-feminist, I have no problem with people wearing it. I don't think anyone should be forced to wear a burka, but I believe they should be able to choose to wear it if they want. Martin thinks it should be banned as it hides peoples' faces and poses a security risk. He also thinks that wearing a burka isolates women from the world around them. We could fight--er, debate--for hours about this topic.
I was shopping in Claire's Accessories a few years ago, and they had a really good clearance rack. A woman in a burka and hijab was standing at the clearance rack and looking at some earrings that I really liked, so I asked her where she had found them. She looked around the shop, saw that there were no men present, removed the veil covering her face, and talked to me for a few moments about the jewellery we were looking at.
This was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I will never forget that woman's smile. I felt like she had let me into her life in such a personal way, and it was like a little gift. She wasn't isolated from the world. She was just choosing who to let in. And she chose me, even if it was just for a few minutes. Amazing!
Anyway, using the hijab to cover up your greasy hair. Good or bad idea? Discuss:
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