[MD] Intellect battles the (immigrant) barbarians

[Khaled Alkotob]

> [Khaled previously ]
> A head cover such as the one a Catholic nun would wear, like a 
> habit. 
It's interesting how one is considered devotion to one religion and the 
> other  becomes the battle cry for religious bigotry.

> [Arlo]
> The only moral tangent to this, for me, is whether or not there is 
> force. 
> When a Catholic nun wears a habit, or a Muslim woman a shador, it 
> should be a matter of choice. 

[Khaled]
And here my friend is the crux of the problem. there are actually TWO
issues at hand. The freedom to dress as you see fit, and yes it's
different, and people will look at you, and the other is the freedom of
choice to do so.

it's like learning about women circumcision and foot binding in my
women's study class. These issues should be left for that society to
solve by itself. No external force can do that.

Once these people emigrate and go to a different country that forbid such
customs, then they should obey these laws.

It personally bothers me when I see a seven year old covered up (
especially in the west). It makes me question the whole political thing
behind it. Parents trying to assert themselves in the new society, or new
converts following what they don't know.

The sad truth is that 90% of that religious fervor tends to be political
and an identity crisis.

During the civil war in Beirut, the private Christian school I attended
forbade the wearing of any religious jewelry. Of course we did not have
people wearing head scarves then. The question arises when an adult
female Muslim student decides to wear a head scarf. All religious symbols
( in jewelry form) are forbidden, but isn't the head scarf a religious
declaration? Can you show up with ash on your forehead on Ash Wednesday?
Can a Jewish student grow his sideburns? How about the Hindu and his
turban?

It gets a little sticky. But then again, if society is comfortable, well
fed, and not living in fear ( big brother, the commies are coming, the
sky is falling) such diversities are rather welcomed and makes society
proud.

FDR said " we have nothing to fear but fear itself."  This administration
says " we have nothing but fear."


Khaled