[Buddha-l] Dissent or Service?

[jkirk]

>
> The American habit of imprisoning people who might be harmed by 
> dangerously
> intolerant Americans is not much different in principle from the Taliban's
> putting women in purdah to protect them from the unwanted attentions of
> undisciplined males. The difference is that when Muslims do such things 
> it's
> backwards and evil, but when Americans do such things it's promoting
> democracy and freedom.
>
> -
> Richard Hayes
========================
Um......requiring women to be in purdah is in no way the same as prison.
According to their customs, they are leading normal lives among their kin, 
children, relatives, etc.
The "prison" trope can also be found among non-Muslim women who grew up with 
disciplinarian fathers or mothers, and also among US  or EU teenagers who 
aren't allowed to stay out after 11pm, date boys, etc., or upon whom their 
cities of residence impose curfews. So please forget comparing Muslim 
customs with
prison. If some (probably rebellious or feminist) Muslim women chose to 
think of purdah that way, that was their choice, it was not a shared theme 
by a long shot.
Joanna