In the U.S. we’re constantly inundated with spurious claims that women who wear hijabs are routinely harassed and discriminated against, and that Muslim women who wear the hijab or niqab are doing so by choice. We’re constantly reminded that we must support that choice or be charged with “bigotry” and “Islamophobia.” Great. But what about the women who fled the Islamic State and immediately discarded their veils? They don’t seem to have regarded wearing it as something they chose freely. Do the women who were and are forced to wear the hijab, niqab or burqa have any right to choose what they wear? Do they have any rights at all? Do Western feminists stand with them? Why not?
“Route to Raqa dotted with discarded veils, burned cars,” by Ayham al-Mohammad, AFP, May 3, 2017:
Dozens of black veils dotted a freshly laid sand berm in northern Syria, ditched by women fleeing the Islamic State group’s bastion of Raqa as US-backed fighters close in.
Outside the village of Tishreen Farms, 17 kilometres (10 miles) north of Raqa, the Syrian Democratic Forces could be seen laying sandbags to protect themselves from IS car bombs and snipers.
With air support from the US-led coalition, the alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters has seized swathes of territory from the jihadists, who were stationed less than a kilometre away.
SDF fighters told AFP that women hastily shed their IS-mandated black veils after crossing into SDF territory near Tishreen Farms, revealing vibrant, patterned robes underneath.
“Most of the women tear off their robes and burqas as soon as they arrive at our positions,” an SDF fighter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Some of the women stomp on the robes because they finally feel safe and are finished with Daesh,” he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS….
Rev g says
Those are not women’s veils, they were worn by cowardly men sneaking away from ISIS dressed as women. The women love their oppression, I mean freedom,
mortimer says
Disagree. Your theory of deserters wearing women’s clothing isn’t confirmed. I doubt many did that and they wouldn’t get far. Most deserters would escape at night. ISIS is pure Islam, the purest form of Islam. The rejection of the burqa is the rejection of pure Islam. This shows that they are losing faith in Islam.
Western governments should be exploiting this loss of faith and helping with advanced, professional deprogramming to completely destroy the Salafi ideology and all and any basis for belief in Islam in general. Only complete deprogramming will end the jihad.
Rev g says
Sorry, your conjecture does not fit any liberal talking points, and therefore must be rejected
Truth is irrelevant.
Gordon Miller says
Well said.
carol says
Then three cheers instead of a slur for the women.
Donald R Laster Jr says
Rev g comment was clearly satire.
carol says
Not to those who aren’t familiar with the reverend. At first impression It seems a rather negative note to start out with (and we have heard from some sexists lately).
Lucia Bartoli says
The word “pure” in any context should never be uttered. Pure Islam is an oxymoron.
martin says
Except that pure when related to islam is translated in most minds automatically, as, ‘pure EVIL’.
Lia Wissing says
Rev, did not the mufti of Jerusalem escape from the British forces by donning women’s clothes and slipping out of al-Aksa as a woman? A long tradition …
mortimer says
CHOICE ??? Oh, yeah, sure !!!
The CHOICE is real. Not all women are ISLAMO-MASOCHISTS !!!
The message of the discarded burqas is CLEAR and UNMISTAKABLE.
Paul N Silas says
It’s all a massive plot by Jewish Bankers air dropping thousands of used scarfs purchased at the Good Will shop. (sarcasm)
I’m certain Mo, (bacon and eggs be upon him) is really ticked off at these ungrateful females. (more sarcasm)
marina says
Why waste good bacon and eggs on that vile Mo. Better be piss or pus.
marina says
And non-muslim women show solidarity with muslim women by wearing hijab on world hijab day.
Oliver says
Perhaps the veils etc are from women killed..
They don’t need them anymore. And to Paul Silas.
Coffee almost went over my phone via my nose laughing at your first comment.
Great.
Paul N Silas says
What woman wouldn’t give her right arm to become an ISIS sex slave? It even looks good on a resume, when looking for another job.
Matthieu Baudin says
“… SDF fighters told AFP that women hastily shed their IS-mandated black veils after crossing into SDF territory near Tishreen Farms, revealing vibrant, patterned robes underneath…”
This looks like a bit of a fantasy piece shaped to make the SDF appear to be ‘moderate’ and ‘a lot like us’ in their values and attitudes. But how much narrowness and hatred there exists towards non muslims, amongst those who have fled from ISIS controlled territory, and similarly amongst the fighters of the SDF, we have absolutely no idea. It’s a fair calculation however that ISIS represents only the ugliest feature on the landscape and that the depth of religious fanaticism reaches very broadly and deeply throughout the populous of present day Syria and Iraq.
Karen says
“This looks like a bit of a fantasy piece”
My thoughts exactly.
In any event, I have little sympathy for any woman who willing supported ISIS, and now finds their hijab a bit too tight.
Greyhound Fancier says
They may have been wearing the bag to save their life (or to stay alive for their surviving children).
Karen says
Yes. I reserve my utter contempt for the willing participants.
Karen says
It looks more like a hijab-filled dump truck turned over….
Matthieu Baudin says
Greetings and thanks Karen.
Karen says
And to you, Matthieu. 🙂
Halal Bacon says
probably lot of guys pretending to be women – they need pussy hats
Donald R Laster Jr says
Something people tend to overlook or not know is that the much of the violence started when the government of Syria – that is President Assad – proposed a new Constitution after the people of Syria started protesting for more freedoms. Most of those protests were not violent. The proposed Constitution protected minorities, women, and other religions, and did not allow Shar’iah law to be the supreme law of the land. That is when then turned violent and bloody. The Islamics did not like that Islam would not be made supreme and all else. The Islamics then went to real violence which Islam has been normally using to impose itself since Mohammad’s lies were rejected the people of the Middle East and North Africa. Syria is back to the bloody routine pattern of violence that existed before the Assad family took power. And the story is pointing out how the women do not want to be part of the violence and suppression. Given an opportunity they will leave it.
Oliver says
Mr. Laster,
You make it seem that Assad was a good person; a savior, etc.
HE WAS ( AND IS) (AS ARE ISIS, AL QUEIDA, ETC) A MURDEROUS THUG., AS WAS HIS FATHER.
He (as ruler, would and should be responsible) for terror attacks against Israelis; killings of Israeli civilians; and Jews in general-along with his blood brothers, the ayatollahs and Islamic Revolutionary Guards from Iran.
His”:humanitarianism” does not, and did not, even more then after -probably more than 30 years– extend to returning the body of Mr. Cohen , whom his (or his father’s- nepotism is great- keep the ruling and spoils in the family-sort of the divine right of kings ) governments killed.
Excellent book and movie- “THE IMPOSSIBLE SPY” — TRUE STORY.
Assad’s father murdered a few thousand of his people – when they protested something or other. (I am sure that it is somewhere on JW, either a post that referenced it, or a comment about it-I do not recall the details).
He is, as was his father, evil.
PERHAPS, AND PROBABLY NOT, as evil as the al-queida people (Bin Ladin, etc) or the ISIS people, but not a nice person.
He was educated in Europe, so has more education than some of the other (former, and even current) Muslim leaders, like Hussein ( former head of Iraq, until killed); Quaddafi (multiple spellings-former head of Libya, until killed -involved H. R. Clinton; etc).
But still a murderous thug.
stephanie says
The picture made me smile. Wish it could go viral.
Infidel Lass says
But the question remains. Who did those hijabs belong to? If they belong to ISIS’s slaves, then fantastic for those who escaped. If they belong to those who willingly joined ISIS, round ’em up in a pen and bomb them. Nazi women were executed back in the day, and rightfully so. Don’t be wusses. The willing women of ISIS, the wives, the extremists, they are to be held accountable.