cultural respect

Submitted by Ishtar NYC (United States), May 31, 2009 at 09:30

What is the big deal about showing respect for another culture? These scarves are not threatening. Jackie O used to wear them all the time. Fyi, I, a part Jewish woman, have spent time in Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. The only times that I have worn a headscarf are to enter a mosque, as one would do entering certain cathedrals out of respect, or in a situation where it was culturally appropriate to do so, like visiting with a traditional elder for example but that was a rare occurrence. We too have norms that we would like visitors to respect when they are visiting with us. As a woman, I have always been treated with respect in the northern and very educated Arab world. I would like to add that contrary to popular belief here, most women in the countries I've visited do not cover their heads. These days women in central and southern Iraq feel obliged to do so only for their own safety because we allowed fundamentalists to enter the country through foolishly unsecured borders after the invasion. Prior to that it was absolutely a matter of choice. ...

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