Inglorious Bastards

Ok, somehow this is not crystal clear to everyone, so I guess, I have to spell this out.

French authorities forcefully undress women on public beaches. As if it’s not ugly enough, they racially profile women, and only forcefully undress those who appear Muslim and wear “burkinis”.

When a government of a medieval totalitarian kingdom forcefully makes women wear certain clothes, it is disgusting but understandable: they are a medieval totalitarian kingdom, after all.

When an enlightened Western democratic government uses armed police forces to forcefully undress women in public, it’s unacceptable and beyond fucking outrages.

Interestingly enough, “burkinies” are banned in Muslim countries as well: they are considered to be too revealing. Morons all over the world can’t agree on how women should dress, and why certain items of clothes are unacceptable.

Wearing burkinis, burkas and hijabs by women in a free country is not “oppressive”, it is a free choice of a free person. I spoke with girls in hijabs back when I went to college in Canada, and they were absolutely comfortable wearing them; they feel safer, more secure, more dignant wearing hijabs in public. And in a free society these are all the reasons one may need to wear something in public. When a girl wears a “burkini” at a beach, she doesn’t feel like showing you her body, that’s all there is to it. Deal with it.

In this year 2016, when a Mars rover shows us 360-degrees photos from the surface of another planet, when private spaceships deliver goods to the permanent human habitat in space, when self-driving cars being tested on public roads; in this year 2016, a Western government uses armed men to undress women in public.

It will take time to sink in, but at this moment, there’s no difference between Iran and France, really. Both countries practise oppressive medieval rituals demeaning to women. The magnitude is still different, I admit, but that’s where their differences end.