Sunday, July 18, 2010

More on the Syrian Niqab ban

Syria's Minister of Education, Giath Barakat, has given his reasons for banning the niqab from university campuses throughout the country:


"طلابنا هم أبنائنا لن نتركهم عرضة لأفكار والعادات المتطرفة", مشيدا بـ "أخلاق المجتمع السوري الذي اثبت على مر العصور الوعي والقدرة على التصدي للكثير من العادات السيئة وشارك بفاعلية وجدية في ضد حملات الغزو المنظمة

"Our students are our children and we will not leave them vulnerable to radical ideas" and he called upon the "morals of Syrian society which have proven over the passage of time a maturity and capacity in dealing with many bad habits and has been effective against organised invasion campaigns"


I suggest Dr Barakat starts by banning subversive television series' like Bab el Hara where all the women in these sinister historical dramas are shown to be wearing the niqab or "mlayeh" as some Syrians with false consciousness used to call it. Apparently these foreign ideas have been bubbling away in Syria for over 1000 years, ever since these subversives came in with their camels under their bloodthirsty general Khaled Bin Waleed. Thank God (can I still say that?) that we now have Dr Barakat to save our robust Syrian morality from this foreign invasion. Somebody should remind the good Minister of Education that we kicked the French out of our country over sixty years ago and that this is Syria, heart of the Arab and Islamic world, not France or Germany.

Elsewhere in the article he said he responded to calls by "concerned parents" who were worried about the influx of these women in neqabs who had joined the universities "under the pretext of getting an education". Yes, because it's inconceivable that these barbarians would actually be interested in learning anything to better their lives or futures. I mean look at them, they're following some kind of subversive and sinister ideology which is telling them they aren't allowed to steal, cheat, sleep around, smoke, do drugs, or drink. They should even work hard and think independantly according to these radicals. Apparently their Mullahs are telling them that they must seek knowledge, but we all know this is certainly a coded instruction to go and radicalise our delicate Syrian flowers with their corrupting ideas.

What on earth is a man like him doing as the Syrian Minister of Education, and what on earth is it his business telling students what to wear? Will he take a similar stance if, for example, concerned parents came to him asking him to ban the wearing of tight jeans by girls? Or do the precious morals of his Syrian society only go one way?

Click here to see what average Syrians on the Shabab Syria discussion forum think about this ignorant decision.

3 comments:

Kano said...

With all do respect. the Shabab Syria forum you mentioned is not the voice of average Syrian. It is the voice of the most radical fundemental end of the Syrian society spectrum.

I respect your opinion on the subject but please don't make it the voice of the average Syrian. It is not!

مترجم سوري said...

Kano:
allow me please to say my openion.
I am entirly against this decision because the reasons given are not making any sense to me.
on one point it aches my heart to see girls wearing the full cover and whether wassim likes it or not there is nothing in the holly Quraan says that a woman should cover her face, but it is a pesonal choice, and i'm more than sure that a resonable number of them are doing it as a family inheritage.
on another hand, the minister's statement is ununderstandable. what's this nonsense about "vulnerable to radical ideas"???
these women - regardless of their numbers- are part of the syrian society. the syrian society has tremendous variatons. these kids are part of the syrian society and they should encounter with all the variations avialable in their society.
where else they are to encounter with all the different types availble but in schools?
now could you tell me what is the message delivered to the syrian students now? women with cover on faces are dangerous to deal with.. and we have moved this danger away so in the coming future if u come across one of them, do not talk to them???
and for god sake, this stupid's grandmother used to wear one. and if you asked the syrian stuedents to bring their mothers' photos you would find one or two women in each class wearing it.
which means that they are part of the variation of this society!!and the students are used to seeing them everyday. and those who are not used should see and speak to them.BECAUSE THEY ExIST HERE.
what is making me angry is the way descions are made here.
One man decides for 20 millions!!
و بصراحة يلي بسمعه بصدقه
يعني صدقته انو هو كتير مهتم و ما عم ينام الليل من قلقه عالطلاب
if this man is finding a problem with this sector, could he please answer how come he approverd opening a school in the middle of damscus to graduate "radical syrians"? and where are these graduated stuedents are going to work??!
Kano it's not about our children's safety of mind, - he made me laugh actually- i do not understand what is this confusuion they are pushing the syrians into.
long live syrians.

Maysaloon said...

Kano could you give us a bit of information about that site? It seemed pretty average to me. Like Omnia I agree that we can't just section off whoever we don't feel is a part of Syrian society just because they don't fit our television perfect image of a modern people. These people are Syrians, not Israelis or Americans. And no, I'm not a "radical", I just don't like stupidity.

Omnia,
Just to point out, I'm not personally a fan of the niqab, but other than that you made some excellent points. Thanks.