I hate admitting I have anything in common with a bunch of conservative nutwits, but I have a problem with burkas. Yes, I know that there are a bunch of different veils associated with Islam, but I am being slack and just using the term-du-jour for my convenience. It's not really au fait amongst the left at the moment to criticise religious veiling, but when it boils down to it, I have a problem with any cultural/religious dictation of what women should and shouldn't wear. I'm not terrified it is a security risk and I am appalled at a bunch of privileged white and mostly male people attempting to further ostracise a minority group for political sway. This does not however, change my concern about cultural regulation of women. Yes, I know there are women who choose to wear a veil. Choices always happen in a context, and women are great at self policing. We have been conveniently helping cultural norms keep us within an acceptable range for a long time across many cultures and religions. Women also choose to wear makeup, shave their bodies, obsessively diet, have plastic surgery etc etc. That doesn't change the common theme of the controlling of women's bodies. Whether they have to be covered up or enhanced, we are still telling women what is and isn't OK about them. And there is a common theme of focusing on women's sexuality. Women are covered up in order to protect men from their sexuality or women are dressed up in order to show off their sexuality. But not too much. Because then they are asking for men to lose all control and assault them. It's all bollocks.
I'm struggling to think of an internet selfie campaign that I haven't had a problem with, but I am currently uncomfortable with the #WISH one. Part of it is the nature of "selfie activism". It's very easy to take a photo and bung it online and feel all gooey inside but, has anything really changed? The other is around what sort of things become popular selfie campaigns. Call me cynical (ok, I accept I am actually cynical), but they all seem to be ones in which you can rather participate in without really doing anything confronting. No make up selfies was full of cute pictures. Women against feminism was full of cute pictures. And WISH is full of cute pictures of women in scarves. The interpretation of the hijab is all quite flexible (and indeed it seems to be in the muslim community as well, which does seem like a good thing) where you grab your favourite scarf and drape it attractively over your head. We don't see women putting a full black or blue veil on. And I see a few men posting selfies saying they are also in solidarity. Where are their hijabs????? Surely there is no less pointlessness in men wearing women's religious head wear than non-islamic women wearing it? I accept this is all well meaning and maybe some women are feeling less ostracised by the number of women posting photos, but I'm wondering where are the selfie campaigns in solidarity with victims of domestic violence, acid attacks, female genital mutilation ... oh wait, they won't make for cute pictures.
#confusedcatsinsolidaritywithhijabis Sorry, i couldn't resist.
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