The Hijab as aphrodisiac?

Not "a symbol of oppression" but "a representation of culture and choice?"

Naomi Wolf, self-styled infidel-defender-of-the-hijab seems to be influencing other infidel women about the wonders of Islamic wear. The problem, however, is when non-Muslims, as this writer, begin conflating the logic for wearing the hijab with everything else Islamic.

In the Sept. 7 article titled "Cover-up: Of Muslim women and Western fashion," Naomi Wolf states that we as a nation need to understand that the Islamic way of dressing is not intended to suppress sexuality, but to embody "a strongly developed sense of its appropriate channeling--toward marriage and the bonds that sustain family life."

I admit I used to be one of the people who looked away awkwardly when approaching a Muslim woman dressed in veils. Because to this veiled woman, who was I? A promiscuous hellion raising chaos in my arm-baring shirts, that's who.

After all, what could a conservative woman covered, quite literally, from head to toe have in common with me?

We have to start accepting women's veils or chadors, not as a symbol of oppression, but as a representation of culture and choice.

To say wearing more revealing clothing represents freedom is ridiculous, especially when a woman might choose to dress more conservatively to feel comfortable.

Muslim women declare that their chadors liberate them from "intrusive Western stares."

With young women in our nation shamelessly flaunting themselves these days, it leaves little to the imagination--which, as Wolf says, actually reduces libido in men.

So while covering up may symbolize culture or religion for Muslims, maybe a modicum of modesty for us Western gals wouldn't be such a bad idea, either.

Reduces the libidos of men? NOT!! 96% of all women in Egypt say that they have been sexually harrassed. In Egypt women have to wear the headscarves. So that does not convince me that wearing conservative clothing reduces the libidos of men. Not muslim men anyway. Rape is rampent in the muslim community. Of course it is always the woman's fault.

UK: Muslims try to get alcohol banned at local supermarket

Reasonable Accommodation Alert: this is what follows inevitably from the "reasonable accommodations" that Muslims are demanding, and being granted, in the U.S. as well as in Britain. Sharia law applies to non-Muslims as well as to Muslims. Once the precedent has been set that Sharia provisions must be accommodated (to a chorus of "What's the big deal?" from the learned analysts), then Muslims begin to assert it over non-Muslims. "Muslims try to get alcohol banned at Tesco," by Sally-Anne Johnson for Bedford Today via Europe News, September 25 (thanks to Islam In Action):

More than 150 people have signed petitions imploring Luton Borough Council to deny the new Tesco Express in Bury Park an alcohol licence.
The bid from the supermarket giant has upset Muslims living in the area, some of whom say they find the idea of alcohol being sold offensive.
Next Tuesday councillors will make a decision on the application, which, if successful, would see the store permitted to sell alcohol from 6am until 11pm every day (...)

UK Muslim sues supermarket for making him carry beer on a forklift

This appears to be part of an effort to force the store to stop carrying alcohol altogether -- which illustrates the supremacist element in Muslim demands for accommodation. Muhammad laid curses not only upon those who drank alcohol, but those who distributed it and transported it also; however, only recently have Muslims in the West begun insisting upon observance of these restrictions.

A Muslim worker is suing Tesco for discrimination after being asked to transport beer on his forklift truck.
Mohammed Ahmed claims he was in eff­ect forced from his job because managers ref­used to accept that handling alcohol offended his beliefs.
The 32-year-old, raised in Saudi Arabia, told a tribunal he had never visited a Tesco store and had no idea it sold alcohol when he took on the role.

You would think that any rational person would say "my religion tells me that I cannot work with alcohol, so I need to find a place that does not have alcohol." But not this muslim, he is going to sue the company for forcing him to handle alcohol.

But he admitted shopping at Sainsbury's, Lidl and Asda and seeing alcohol on sale there.
It was, 'reason­able to expect him to be aware of what Tesco did', said company lawyer Laura Canham, accusing him of giving out mixed messages by suggesting at one point he could handle Budweiser.