"burqas are 'not welcome' in France"

Sarkozy says burqas are 'not welcome' in France

PARIS (AP) — President Nicolas Sarkozy lashed out Monday at the practice of wearing the Muslim burqa, insisting the full-body religious gown is a sign of the "debasement" of women and that it won't be welcome in France.

The French leader expressed support for a recent call by dozens of legislators to create a parliamentary commission to study a small but growing trend of wearing the full-body garment in France.

In the first presidential address in 136 years to a joint session of France's two houses of parliament, Sarkozy laid out his support for a ban even before the panel has been approved — braving critics who fear the issue is a marginal one and could stigmatize Muslims in France.

"In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity," Sarkozy said to extended applause in a speech at the Chateau of Versailles southwest of Paris.

"The burqa is not a religious sign, it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement — I want to say it solemnly," he said. "It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic."

In France, the terms "burqa" and "niqab" often are used interchangeably. The former refers to a full-body covering worn largely in Afghanistan with only a mesh screen over the eyes, whereas the latter is a full-body veil, often in black, with slits for the eyes.

. . . "

Movies Show Headcoverings

I just received this note:

I have just started watching an old disney movie - MoonSpinners - that you may like to see.
I think the whole plot is Hayley Mills visiting Greece - anyway, so far I have not seen one Greek woman without her headcovered.
and the ones some of the wedding guests wore were quite pretty.
anyway, I got it from Netflix.
I can't promise it will be any good - haven't watch that much - but it may be worth it just for the fashion.

I remember that movie - must see it again. If I remember, the story and acting are pretty enjoyable. Hayley Mills is always fun to watch, and here she's a young woman - if I remember right, she even wears a head scarf when going out.

Makes me think - I'm sure that there are other older movies, not period pieces made lately, but movies made in the 60's and before, that show women with their heads covered when going out, whether for fashion or because it was the thing to do to attend worship somewhere.

I've always liked Fiddler on the Roof. There's a Natalie Wood movie in which she dresses modestly and wears hats. Can anyone think of others? Would love to hear from you!

And thanks for the thought, Karen. :)

Femitas on Headcovering

Very plainly put, "Femitas" of blogspot blogs answers those who wonder and guess at why she, as a Christian woman, has decided to cover her head. Read: Headcovering

And now for something different

"The Top 10 Silliest Hats in England"

from alltopmovies.net and Ladies Day at the Royal Ascot race

See also the Ladies Day photos at the Telegraph.

"Faith and Practice"

"Faith and Practice : Head Covering"

Written from a Catholic point of view, with application to all, I think.

The blogger begins:

" ... a little about the tradition of women covering their heads in prayer, and men uncovering. . . . some texts that are written with more eloquence than I could hope to reproduce myself."

One of those texts he quotes does include a study of the passage in 1 Corinthians 11. He also discusses briefly the Catholic tradition of the leading men in service who cover during worship, but not for the entire service.

He writes:

"... covering the head is an external manifestation of an interior piety. It is not, and should never be, enforced from without, by men or by women, but rather it comes from within, from the Christian woman's own soul."

And later:

"If we assume then, from this most current of examples, that the normative fashion is for boys to cover their heads and girls to uncover them as a sign of social status and in conformity with prevailing worldly fashion, should we be surprised, then, that the church demands that we do the opposite in our worship? On entering the church building, we are coming into the presence of God, and the appropriate response to that divine presence is to relinquish our worldly social order in exchange for God's order, and scripture asks us to make this one concession for the Glory of God."

I so like that last line.

Comparing Reasons

Found in "Women in Islam Versus Women in the Judeo-Christian Tradition, part 06"
Part 16 - The Veil (which is about half way down on this page)

Excerpts follow:

". . .

Finally, let us shed some light on what is considered in the west as the greatest symbol of women’s oppression and servitude, the veil or the head cover. Is it true that there is no such thing as the veil in the Judaeo-Christian tradition? Let’s set the record straight.

"According to Rabbi Dr. Menachem M. Brayer (Professor of Biblical Literature at Yeshiva University) in his book ‘The Jewish woman in Rabbinic literature’, it was the custom of Jewish women to go out in public with a head covering which, sometimes, even covered the whole face leaving one eye free [22]. He quotes some famous ancient Rabbis saying,”It is not like the daughters of Israel to walk out with heads uncovered” and “Cursed be the man who lets the hair of his wife be seen….a woman who exposes her hair for self-adornment brings poverty.”

. . .

"The veil signified a woman’s self-respect and social status. Women of lower classes would often wear the veil to give the impression of a higher standing. The fact that the veil was the sign of nobility was the reason why prostitutes were not permitted to cover their hair in the old Jewish society. However, prostitutes often wore a special headscarf in order to look respectable. 79 Jewish women in Europe continued to wear veils until the nineteenth century when their lives became more intermingled with the surrounding secular culture. . . .

"What about the Christian tradition? It is well known that Catholic Nuns have been covering their heads for hundreds of years, but that is not all. St. Paul in the New Testament made some very interesting statements about the veil: . . . (I Corinthians 11:3-10).

"St. Paul’s rationale for veiling women is that the veil represents a sign of the authority of the man, who is the image and glory of God, over the woman who was created from and for man.

. . .

"From all the above evidence, it is obvious that Islam didn’t invent the head cover, but Islam endorsed it. The Quran urges the believing men and women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty and then urges the believing women to extend their head covers to cover the neck and the bosom . . . (24:30,31).

. . .

"Thus, the only purpose of the veil in Islam is protection. The Islamic veil, unlike the veil of the Christian tradition, is not a sign of man’s authority over woman nor is it a sign of woman’s subjection to man. The Islamic veil, unlike the veil in the Jewish tradition, is not a sign of luxury and distinction of some noble married women.The Islamic veil is only a sign of modesty with the sole purpose of protecting women, all women. The Islamic philosophy is that it is always better safe than sorry."

. . .

Other interesting comparisons and observations are made in this lengthy article, including an appeal to morality in the West. I have not read more of this series than some of the first part of this page, which compares the use of polygamy in Islam with the practices of Judeo-Christian tradition.

"questions for women wearing head coverings?"

Heads up: do you have questions for women wearing head coverings?
examiner.com

Welcome back to the Brooklyn Jewish Examiner page. I want to thank all of you who responded to last week’s articles – Parts I and II of “Headed in the Right Direction: the Head Covering as Marker of a Jewish Woman’s Identity.” While several of you were familiar with Jewish women’s head coverings, and/or with women following the practice, my sense was that overall, this is an area shrouded in mystery for most people; so I’m delighted if my articles were successful in – pardon the pun – uncovering any misconceptions.

All of the articles are linked here.

Posted using ShareThis

News and Notes about Headcoverings this week

Justice Department Files Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Against Essex County, New Jersey
U.S. Department of Justice
sunherald.com

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Essex County, N.J., alleging that it discriminated against a Muslim corrections officer on the basis of her religion in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The suit alleges that the county refused to permit Yvette Beshier to wear a religiously mandated headscarf while working as a corrections officer. . . .

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The Archaeological Museum at Izmir (Smyrna)
Wednesday June 10, 2009
Beliefnet.com

. . . Here we see a remarkable bronze statue of the goddess Demeter. Notice the head covering. When a Roman or Greek person made a sacrifice or offering, they would cover their heads in the presence of the deity, which definitely has something to do with what is going on in 1 Cor. 11.

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christians and jews. Do you agree?
removejewwatch.com

. . . Why is it people have a problem with muslim women wearing hijabs a.k.a head coverings? From my investigation hebrew/jewish women and christian women were/are suppose to wear them as well. . . .

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Is Headcovering “false holiness?”
in clevsea.wordpress.com

The question:

We don’t have to cover our heads, we are free in Christ. Isn’t that false holiness to do that?

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mobile food slingers will need protection
Council committee advances measure to get street cooks to use plastic gloves, hairnets
metro.us

Questions from a girl

"If the Bible says for women to cover and men not to (while they're praying and that) then why are they having this argument? shouldn't they just obey?

"I don't need an answer, I was just thinking.

"Oh, and who cares if it was a custom?"

A New Testament Lesson

From the sermon series on FIRST CORINTHIANS by Dr. Jack L. Arnold, Winter Park, Florida:

"Headship, Hair And Hats: I Corinthians 11:2-16", on sermons.logos.com

A portion here:

There are several possible interpretations of I Corinthians 11:2-16, but I will spend the majority of my time on the view I personally hold. Some commentators look at this passage as purely a first century cultural practice which has no relevance to us today. Yet, this page seems to set forth universal truths which apply to every culture or society in any age. Still other commentators believe that a woman’s long hair suffices for a head covering in our modern culture, especially if she has it up in a bun. Yet, if this view is taken, other verses in the context seem to be nonsense. Some commentators believe a woman should wear a head covering when attending the official meeting of the local church. This view has support from Scripture and history, for Christians from the very beginning had their women wear a head covering in public worship. Pictures in the catacombs at Rome indicate that up until 400 A.D. women wore head coverings in the public assembly of the local church and men did not. Up until about seventy-five years ago, most denominations (Roman Catholic, Protestant and Independent) had women wear hats in the church services. Today, most women outside of the USA wear some kind of head covering when they go to church. While the vast majority of women do not know why they do this practice, it nevertheless is a tradition that has been passed down through the ages. Still there are other commentators like myself who believe a woman should have her head covered only when she is praying or prophesying in an official way in the presence of men inside or outside the called meeting of the local church.

Read the full sermon article at the title link above.

Vintage 20th Century Hats

For those researching or just interested in the hats of the 20th century (that period of time marked by excessivism regarding the head covering (which may have been a strong justification by some for doing away with an elaborate unnecessary fashion that apparently had little to no point but to get attention and show off?)), please see and read:

"Vintage or Bust" from the eVintage Society

Surgical hats

I came across another group of people who wear headcoverings - not that we didn't know that these folks existed or had never seen them, but somehow we forget that there are other reasons for wearing something on our heads, and that is to conceal our personal germs...

". . . Surgical hats are for use by those who work in sterile environments, such as during surgical procedures. In addition to wearing other sterile clothing such as nursing scrubs, medical scrubs, scrub coats, and other medical apparel, physicians, nurses, technicians, and others who spend time in the operating room are usually required to wear a head covering that conceals all of their hair. Formerly, the state of the art that was available for hair covering options for those with long hair, particularly women, were limited. The most popular style, the bouffant scrub hat, resembles a shower cap, which can be quite unflattering and bulky. Furthermore, the bouffant falls down on the nape of the neck, which can be uncomfortable and get in the way of a stethoscope, which must be worn around the neck."

Please check out "Blue Sky Scrubs" - designer nursing scrubs - and the article that I found about them, from which I quoted above: "Nursing Scrubs Retailer blue sky scrubs Secures U.S. Patents for Medical Scrubs Hats", in PRWeb.com. (Photo above from the "blueskyscrubs" website)

Unlawful Coverings

RE: Medina police request patrons take off hats, sunglasses while shopping
by Sue Bielawski, June 04, 2009


I am always concerned and believe that the public needs to be made aware of the potential problems associated with "hat" bans. Usually warranted, a ban on hats, hoodies and sunglasses inside of banks applies to the need for security - since crooks (usually men, I must note, and not Sikh or Jewish men either) use hats and hoodies to conceal their identity. The problem usually arises when someone who believes that they must wear a head covering for other reasons, usually religious or modesty reasons, gets put into the same category as a potential bad guy. From what I have read, it is almost always poor interpretation of the rule by a hard line employee (a la "Barney Fife", if you know who I mean from t.v.). Education MUST go hand in hand with this type of blanket rule, and I hope that it has in this case. But somewhere along the line, some employee will slip past the explanation of the rule, and try to enforce it on a law abiding citizen, just because "it's a hat, and you should do what everyone else has to do" mentalities.

One quote from this article: "The whole idea, according to Thomas, is "If a teller or local business clerk asks a person to comply with bank policy and if the customer refuses to remove a hat, hood or sunglasses, he or she will draw attention to himself or herself -- exactly what a criminal does not want.""

Dear Thomas, anyone refusing to remove their head covering will draw attention to him or herself -- exactly what nobody wants. Be careful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See also "Religious garb open to security searches" in the Baltimore Sun, for similar thoughts.

Help for Thinning Hair

Treatments and advice for coping with thinning hair
"Thinning hair calls for the best help money can buy"
by Sarah Vine, TheTimesOnline

Short article including facts and opinion, and links, including this:

• Cover-up: Suburban Turban (www.suburbanturban.co.uk). Nicky Zip makes beautiful head-coverings for women with hair loss (top left, £36).

The website link includes a "how to" on tying a Indian style turban - very cute.

Blog Carnival of Head Covering Ladies

TALES FROM AN AMERICAN NOMAD: The Blog Carnival has Arrived!

Please check this out. I don't keep up my blog nearly as often as I used to, but I do hope that this link will provide the right stuff for those of you searching my blog for information about women who cover, by women who cover.

Why Christian Woman Wears Headcovering

~Today's Journey~: Wednesday's Walk With The Lord~Head Coverings and why I wear them

Another gentle woman describing her understanding of the Scriptures. Please read.

symbols of politics?

In the Malaysian Insider, "Headscarves enter Indonesian polls"

JAKARTA, June 2 — The wearing of headscarves has emerged as a hot issue in Indonesia ahead of next month’s presidential election.

As parties gear up for the soft campaign which kicks off today, the campaign team for Vice-President Jusuf Kalla and his running mate, former general Wiranto, has published a booklet about the candidates’ wives being pious Muslims who don headscarves all the time.

This is in contrast to the wives of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his vice-presidential candidate Boediono, both of whom do not wear head coverings.

Copies of the eight-page booklet, entitled Isteri Yang Shaleha Pasangan Pemimpin Masa Depan, or The Devout Wives Of Future Leaders, were distributed over the weekend, carrying the profiles of Musfidah Jusuf Kalla and Rugayah Wiranto with quotations from the Hadith or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad on Muslim women and their dressing.

Both Kalla and Wiranto have been travelling across the country, with their wives in tow, to garner support from the Muslim ground.

. . .

continued article at the linked title above

Other articles I have found on this subject, and the book about the candidates' wives, seem to suggest favour of the people being linked to the pious behaviour/dress of the men's wives. While the behaviour of wives certainly is a reflection of the outlooks and personal disposition of their husbands, I would hope that folks are not simply leaning toward a political leader because of outward appearance. But we all know that it happens.

1st photo caption: "Incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla (L) of Golkar, who is running for president, his spouse Mufida Jusuf Kalla (2nd-L), his running mate Wiranto of Hanura and his spouse Rugaiya Usman Wiranto (R) wave after registering for the next presidential election in Jakarta on May 16, 2009." from daylife.com

2nd photo caption: "Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, left, and his wife Kristiani Yudhoyono, right, shows ink-stained finger after casting his ballot at a polling station Thursday, April 9, 2009, in Cibubur, south of Jakarta, Indonesia." AP photo from daylife.com

Christian Women

I came across a very thorough and straight forward discussion: "Gender Roles in the Bible". Until the author gets to 1 Corinthians 11 and the head covering, he presents every aspect of uniqueness of women as "from creation" and as an example of Christ and the Church - and not as some cultural custom that we have "overcome" nowadays. Using the Bible words themselves. I recommend reading.

Since he believes that we need a culturally relevant solution to the problem of the tradition of headcovering for women to show forth the beauty of God's order of creation, I, of course suggest a simple idea: let's cover our heads with a head scarf. Sounds reasonable, right? :)

~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, and for a little more straight forward, independent thinking by a Christian man (and his wife) on the things of the church, including headcovering and modest dress, you may enjoy this article called: "Discussions With the Wife or God Inspired Post-It Notes...?"

Fashionable Head Scarves

"A red lipstick: Head Scarves"

Lovely photos posted of young women in several styles of head scarf. Well, the one smoking a cigarette kind of detracts from today's ideal beauty, but the styles are pretty and fashionable, nonetheless.