and now, good hearted western liberals are normalizing it because they fear to do otherwise would be perceived as bigoted or islamophobic.
There's a paradox here that i'd rather address than ridicule positions on this i disagree with.
You're saying that there is some sort of hypocrisy in people in the west accepting religions which are socially repressive - especially with regards to the rights of women.
I get the point you're making, but i think it is important to respect people's religious and cultural heritage, because it's not something you or i can just will away.
To me, the only way to help muslim women improve their lot is through understanding, not legislating against religious fundamentalism, but through leading by example.
I think the benefits of liberal democracies tend to become quite clear to people living within them - even if it takes a couple of generations. In the scheme of things, that's practically the blink of an eye - and i think it's best to resist the fear and mistrust of islam in exists in the western world.
I find the catholic church's position on numerous social issues to be pretty appalling - same goes for mormonism, hinduism, and pretty much every organised religion.
but i also realise that trying to impose "progressive" values onto people is problematic, and probably counterproductive.
When people cite women's rights when talking about making rules or laws about what people can and can't wear, i wonder what value we should place on the right to religious freedom, and freedom of expression.
If western nations insist on legally forcing muslim women to dress (or not dress) a certain way, i don't think it is very likely to help those women, or increase their social or cultural autonomy.
think it's safe to say that imposing our cultural values on people's religious customs (by banning certain religious clothing) probably makes life a lot more complicated (and dictated) for the women in question.
I tend to think that there are far better ways to support muslim women - and women more generally.
I've noticed that a lot of the aggressively anti-islam people in the west bring up the rights of women when it comes to islam, but not so much when it comes to feminist politics for the rest of us.
Some of the critics of islam who criticise the lack of rights enjoyed by muslim women are explicitly anti feminist - so i think it is often used as a wedge.
That's not directed at anyone here, but it's often used in a disingenuous way by many critics of islam.
Personally i think it is entirely possible to respect - and accept - the religious customs and cultures of muslim people, as well as valuing the rights of people who are oppressed by that (or any other) religion.
It seems kinda unrealistic to think that imposing 'socially progressive' ideologies upon religious folks will somehow help them.
i really think that basic acceptance of people's cultural and backgrounds and cultures is pretty fundamental - and that "burqa bans" would only be reasonable if muslim women wanted such laws.
When it is imposed from the outside, i'm sceptical of its value.
I tend to think that enforcing laws which ban religious dress may compound the difference between muslim and non-muslim people - which is exactly why i think it is counter-productive. The best way to influence cultural shifts is by leading by positive example, rather than legislating against conservative religious customs.
Freedom from oppressive religious traditions is probably appealing to a lot of people, espscially when they're living in a socially liberal community.
The best way to erode the power of ancient religions and the social oppression controls they exert is education.
Education is the biggest threat to religion, because it erodes the power of dogma and theistic social control.
I don't think that laws which try to force cultural integration will succeed in making that happen - i really think the best way to affect cultural influence is to embrace what you seek to influence, and maybe meeting people half way, rather than forcing them to bend to your will.
To me that seems like a good way of increasing division and mutual suspicion, rather than fostering cultural ties which are highly likely liberalise conservative migrant cultures in time anyway.