As Belgium has already banned the ‘oppressive’ Islamic veil ‘Burqa’ and France is all set to follow suit, we in the third world are wondering if these countries are going to declare ‘bikini’ as their national attire.
<br><br>
There is no denying the fact that European women are a gorgeous lot and bikini suits them to the hilt, but does it mean that a nation should ban all its women from covering themselves up? I wonder!
<br><br>
When I was in school, a seemingly frustrated, middle-aged English teacher, who was a self proclaimed custodian of Indian culture once told me that he fails to understand the concept of semi-clad women being considered ‘modern’ and ‘progressive’, after all, human beings used to be naked before the advent of clothes. So going back to nudity can’t be considered “progress”!
<br><br>
At that time, it was all Greek for an eighth standard student, but now I can easily make out the inherent meaning of his words and couldn’t but empathize.
<br><br>
The above mentioned views might be considered typical of a ‘middle class Muslim’, so I want to give a simple logic to support my argument.
<br><br>
The preachers of democracy across the world propagate ‘freedom of expression’ as one of the most important needs of human life. The way one dresses up is purely a matter of personal choice and a way of expression. How can you terminate the most basic fundamental right in the name of liberating people from ‘oppressive customs’?
<br><br>
Another point that I want to put forward is that if forcing a woman to wear ‘Burqa’ against her will is a crime (now punishable under new laws in Belgium and France), don’t you think forcing a woman not wear something against her will should also be considered a crime.
<br><br>
I just fail to understand the logic behind banning ‘Burqa’; after all how can a country deny the most basic right of a woman - to cover herself up?
<br><br>
I have grown up in a pretty conservative middle-class Muslim family of Bihar, where we followed all Islamic customs religiously. But even then, I never came across a single incident when anyone forced the women in the family to wear ‘Burqa’; it was always a matter of personal choice for them.
<br><br>
It is a matter of personal choice and freedom and governments should not interfere in it.
<br><br>
I must admit that I am not complaining though. After all, France is a country where even the President can have an extramarital affair and the First Lady can roam around in a bikini. We, in the third world, are too underdeveloped to understand such “progress”.
<br><br>
And, having said all, which man wouldn’t like the sight of a bikini-clad Carla Bruni?
<br><br>
We too, the poor and deprived people of third world, love women in bikinis!
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.