Maryam Namazie

Maryam Namazie is a political activist, campaigner and blogger

Unveiled women are like buses

This is my final blog for Secular Student Alliance blogathon. I can’t believe I managed to post a blog every half an hour from 9am-3pm GMT! But all for a good cause.

I leave you with some pearls of wisdom – not mine of course – but of an Islamic ‘scholar’ and Friday prayers leader.

He says:

“An unveiled woman is like a bus – everyone gets to ride her.

“A woman who is not wearing a full-chador (all encompassing covering) but wearing a head-scarf and manteau (overcoat type covering) is like a taxi – a limited number get to ride her.

“But a woman wearing a chador, like my wife, is like a donkey – only one person gets to ride her.”

 

 

 

Ahh bless, now I wonder how the defenders of religious education are going to explain this one. Oh let’s just stick to the mantra of golden rules and all religions preach love and peace (albeit only for those who agree with them).

Now if this has been useful to you – or more likely not – then go and donate to the SSA.

It’s  the best revenge.

Here’s a link to the official SSA Week page, which has lots of information about the SSA as well as an easy-to-find donation widget.

Here’s a list of quotations collected by Greta on why the SSA is worth supporting.

(Clipping via Afsaneh Vahdat)

 

Comments

15 responses to “Unveiled women are like buses”

  1. StevoR Avatar
    StevoR

    Congrats on completing your blogathon Maryam Namazie. Well done and well written.

    That quote – whoah! Scaryu tothink there are people who really “think” like that and treat women accordingly. I’d like to hope such a person is unmarried and will stay that way.

    To confuse women with donkeys (& buses and taxis!) makes you an utter ass. (As has been noted alreadyand almostgoes without saying.)

    Not a useful one or one able to carry burdens successfully either.

    What can be done with people like this dropkick to get them to see half as humanity as equal to the other half – or actually less than half of it? What will it take to make such people think and acknowledge women’s rights as something real?

    Reply
    1. StevoR Avatar
      StevoR

      Sorry typos. Make that :

      Scary to think there are people who really “think” like that and treat women accordingly.

      &

      (As has been noted already and almost goes without saying.)

      for clarity.

      Also someone should that man’s wife -or wives – this song :

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4R9FiKE0Tk

      Wait for the 1 minute 15 sec ish mark for it to start properly.

      Reply
      1. StevoR Avatar
        StevoR

        Or rather make that just before the one minute mark.

        Arrgh! I’m not doing well tonight, sorry.

        —————–

        That’s Bette Midler’s ‘Beast of Burden’ classic for those who don’t click the link.

        Reply
    2. Maryam Namazie Avatar
      Maryam Namazie

      I don’t think you can make people accept equality. Some are just bigots, though by taking away their political power and ensuring that laws promote equality, and education, you can help limit their role and control over women. The problem with Islamism is that it is in power and so this perspective actually makes the laws!

      Reply
  2. michaelbrew Avatar
    michaelbrew

    I know he’s actually serious about it, and that’s kind of terrifying, but I could not help but laugh when I read that. I mean, it’s just hard to imagine such a stupid comment coming from anyone with half a brain (no offense intended toward those with half a brain, of course).

    Reply
  3. mxh Avatar
    mxh

    His poor wife.

    Reply
  4. alanflynn Avatar
    alanflynn

    I hope his missis gave him a good pegging when he got home.

    Reply
  5. Yessenia Avatar
    Yessenia

    And the ass he rode in on!

    Reply
  6. Sometimes first reactions are the best reactions. « David's Slingshot

    […] was reading Maryam Namazie‘s SSA blogathon posts and found her quoting a religious ‘scholar’  in a manner […]

    Reply
  7. Ophelia Benson Avatar
    Ophelia Benson

    Well done! It is hard work, isn’t it – but kind of fun. #andforagoodcause

    Reply
  8. chrisj Avatar
    chrisj

    He may think his wife’s a donkey, but he’s clearly an ass.

    Reply
  9. Alverant Avatar
    Alverant

    I thought it was going to be more like, “You ignore them at your peril.” In the BBC show Red Dwarf there’s an episode where the main character has a vision of his own death. His sidekick tries to comfort him, “At least you have some warning. That’s more than what the rest of us get. If we’re lucky we’ll get ‘Watch out for that bus!’ ‘What bus?’ *splat*!” (Not an exact quote but close enough for a blog post.)

    Reply
  10. Zinc Avenger Avatar
    Zinc Avenger

    How romantic. If only I had more talent with witty verse.

    My wife is like a donkey…

    Reply
  11. Brianne Bilyeu Avatar
    Brianne Bilyeu

    Those analogies… my head just exploded. Which is a problem because I have to go to work now. I don’t know how I’m going to explain my brains leaking from ears to my coworkers. *sigh*

    Congratulations on completing your blogathon, Maryam! I look forward to catching up on all of your posts. Thank you for the material, and for promoting the efforts of the Secular Student Alliance.

    Reply
    1. Maryam Namazie Avatar
      Maryam Namazie

      LoL. It’s been fun. I didn’t think I would be able to keep up but once you start, you just can’t stop.

      Reply

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