(September 4, 2016 at 4:25 pm)Tres Leches Wrote:(September 4, 2016 at 12:17 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: I don't see that the state paternalistically instructing a woman on how they may and may not dress at the beach -- or anywhere else -- is one whit better than her imam paternalistically telling her how she may or may not dress.
In both cases the message is, you are a woman, you need a male-dominated structure telling you how to dress.
Hey Thump, I agree with you on most everything you post here but on this one I disagree.
If Muslim women who "want" to wear head to toe swimsuits while their men are free to wear what they want only do this because they 100% came up with the idea on their own and they aren't being forced or indoctrinated into covering up - then have at it! But that's simply not the case here.
When a societal institution like government speaks out for a subjugated group of people, it's a good thing.
Either way, the French will decide for themselves through their government and courts what's appropriate in the case of Islamic swimwear.
Disagreement's fine. I get the point about the woman's choice being often an artifact of cultural programming, but often it isn't. And in either case, unless she's disturbing the peace or doing harm to others directly, it's not the purview of the government.
"We don't like you being told how to dress, so we're going to tell you how to dress" is not, imo, a sound basis for any legislation.
