Sunday, April 20, 2008

Amitai Etizioni: Let them wear scarves

Amitai Etizioni writes
Headscarves are a test: a test of Western tolerance for legitimate differences among cultures and societies and within them. True, when wearing them is forced on women, as is the case in Iran and Saudi Arabia, they should be opposed like other such coercive dictates. However, at issue recently has been the lifting of the Turkish government’s ban on students wearing these scarves at Turkish universities, the French ban on Muslim women wearing the scarves in public schools, and the German ban on the scarves in some government buildings. Here some say that wearing these religious symbols reflects peer pressure or pressure from traditional parents. Well, if we banned people from wearing that which their peers or families promoted, they would run around naked. It is not the role of the state to counter peer and family pressure, as long as it remains nonviolent and the door is not closed on other social forces promoting their views.

3 Comments:

Blogger Luisa said...

Actually the West is rethinking of his positions on freedom of expression, and starts to follow Islamic patterns .
So the scarf is banned for socio-political reasons, same as people start to wonder "why should we allow Mosques, if they do not do the same with churches ?"
For example 10 years ago a joke on the Pope would have been normal .
Today father George asks Italian television to stop sarcasm on his good looks and they immediately block the show .

5:58 AM  
Blogger Luisa said...

Ops I forgot
Chilton, our anthem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXf-YbsSh0Y

Dedicated to you and to the Ecomunist :P

6:34 AM  
Blogger Blog Wrangler said...

Hi John - this is J.C. Butler from dubizzle[dot]com. We really like your blog, and I wonder if we could have a chat over email about the new local beat/opinion community blog section that dubizzle will be launching. I wasn't able to find your contacts, so I apologize that I have to get in touch with you by leaving a comment - I won't be offended if you don't approve it;)

So shoot me an email on jc[at]dubizzle[dot]com.

Cheers,
J.C. Butler

P.S. I grew up the first 12 years of my life in Northern VA.

10:22 AM  

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