Just cultural differences
Bono shocked by Muslim women's reaction to breastfeeding heads the Muslim News.
Bono recalls: "I remember one vision of the people who are with World Vision, which is an American aid agency.The Muslim News itself comments thus on this incident:
"One of the women was breast-feeding a child on the horse. She was so comfortable. She didn't mean to be insensitive.
"But the Muslim women did not like this and came out and started throwing stones at her because she was showing her breasts."
The American woman was oblivious of the offence she was causing, and had to escape the angry onslaught from female Muslims who had no qualms about injuring her or her baby.Good to see this Muslim medium also (apparently) regard this behaviour as barbaric.
posted by Unbelonger at Thursday, June 16, 2005 - PermaLink
6 Comments:
When in Rome do like the Romans.
I don't thinkt the breast feeding aid worker on a horse will be welcome in the middle of Atlanta or some other western cities I know.
Ok, throwing rocks is another thing, but....
But that's exactly the point, isn't it? The difference between a barbarian and a civilized person is that the barbarian will (attempt to) hack your head off, and the decent person will show his disapproval in a way that is constructive, or at least not lethal or harmful.
And what does this mean? "Ok, throwing rocks is another thing, but.... " What's the "but..."?
Breastfeeding a baby is perfectly normal - all mothers who are able to actually do it and there's no shame attached to it, unless you're living in a patriarchal, misogynistic society.
@Anonymous (from anonymous #1):
Yes, breastfeeding is perfectly normal, but in some societies it's not perfectly normal to do that in broad daylight (on horseback!) for all the world to see.
Shitting and fucking are perfectly normal too, but preferably performed in the privacy of one's own home :-)
So, Muslim women shouldn't wear hijab in my cultural circle... is that you are saying?
If Muslim women think that breastfeeding a baby is the same as the baser bodily funtions, like going to the toilet or having sex, then I suppose it explains why they're prepared to sacrifice their children.
It's like the old joke... Two Middle East mothers are sitting in the cafe strip chatting over a
pint of goat's milk. The older of the mothers pulls her bag out and
starts flipping through pictures and they start reminiscing.
"This is my oldest son Mohammed. He's 24 years old now"
"Yes, I remember him as a baby" says the other mother cheerfully.
"He's a martyr now though" mum confides.
"Oh so sad dear" says the other.
"And this is my second son Kalid. He's 21"
"Oh, I remember him," says the other happily, "he had such curly hair when he was born".
"He's a martyr too " says mum quietly. "Oh gracious me ...." says the other.
"And this is my third son. My baby. My beautiful Ahmed. He's 18", she whispers.
"Yes" says the friend enthusiastically, "I remember when he first started school".
"He's a martyr also," says mum, with tears in her eyes.
After a pause and a deep sigh, the second muslim mother looks wistfully at the photographs and says... "They blow up so fast, don't they?"
There's no shame in the female breast and after all - if God would have wanted us to be covered and have no pride in our bodies, we'd have been born with clothes on.
As for Muslim women wearing the hijab, they can do what their men want them to do (and even think that's what they want) - after all, they've yet to to really rise against the male dominated society - and that won't happen for another 100 years.
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