Jonah does look quite charming...

I've never realised before today, while watching sitcoms and surfing the blogiverse, just how much Jonah looks like Andy Dick.

Andrea,
Your e-mail address link doesn't work. I have adored your site for some time, but the burka posting doesn't even begin to work for me. As a woman, you should be able to see the ignorance in that post. With the recent vote in Afghanistan, even the women there are protesting the fairness of the vote. As you regularily post your "Kerry" favorings I feel you should be more sensitive to womens rights in general. As a Canadian and a woman, I feel that as women, we should be in favour of things that are good for women. Freedom to choose, freedom to vote, freedom over our bodies. Burkas do not represent freedom for anyone. Please re-think these cutesy posts. Doesn't "What is Victoria's secret?" say it all?

I was somewhat disturbed at this post as well...however, the title of it, "Burka Blasphemy" might suggest that Andrea is aware that it's a sensitive topic, but is looking at it from a purely poetic point of view.

On another note, as odd as it sounds - despite the fact that the headscarf pegs women as sexual objects and takes away their freedom; there are actually some french muslim women who have been voicing out that the headscarf gives them freedom. Due to the infrastructure of certain areas (mainly suburbs) in France, the headscarf has taken on a role of giving these women freedom and protection from violence.

In all, I still believe that headscarves should not be advocated and forced on women...

A head scarf is one thing. An imposed veil is another. Women in suburban France, probably have a little more say, don't you think? Last I checked women in France had a touch of freedom and choice. Ask an Afghani woman if she feels free from persecution by her village and family if she is accused of adultery or voting without her imposed burka...........would you? Is public rape and torture a better option? We need to think about what we do and say in the media. We should represent what is truly going on, not what our local newscasts are telling us.

I'm confused, because in no way in my last post, did i attempt to belittle the situation of muslim women outside of France. This isn't a contest to see who suffers the most. The part on some women in France opting for the veil was meant as an ironic piece of information. It is in no way denying the fact that there are a great deal of muslim women being abused and repressed.
The following isn't pro-headscarf/veil, but is merely meant as a fact - another look at a related situation:
One reason WHY there are French women embracing the veil is because in a lot of poor areas in suburban France, there are muslim families that are badly integrated into French society. The children can speak French perfectly, but very often the parents cannot and tend to hold onto traditions a lot more strictly. For some girls, their parents do not let them have an education, but by embracing islam and the headscarf it lets them receive an education, because no where in the Islam does it forbid women to be educated.
Due to certain extremist beliefs amongst some young muslim men in France, a lot of them consider girls (mainly muslim) to be whores if they aren't covered - veiled, and fit to be gang-raped. Not to say the veil is a good thing at all, but in this situation it does offer protection and freedom from violence and rape. (Samira Bellil-gang raped a multitude of times & her family is humiliated & Sohanne - burnt alive - again let me state that this isn't meant to denigrate the lack of freedom for women in Afghanistan per se, but to show that perhaps the "freedom" in certain parts of France and a woman's worth to some, are also at stake) AS for public rape, there have been incidents where a muslim girl who was not covered, was on the train in France and was gangraped in public and the civilians on the train did not dare say anything. This is an obvious indication of a problem. Although women in suburban France do have a lot more freedom in choosing whether or not they want to cover themselves, in some areas it seems as though they haven't much choice at all.
Naturally I'm not trying to speak for ALL women in France, because the situation is different in all areas, but I am trying to show that there is a serious problem that exists here as well.

Finally, if we are not present in the situation ourselves, how do you suggest we present what is truly going on in different countries- without sources from "our local news", or books etc?

I find that your website is pointless and an utter waste of time and space. What can you contirbute by having this webiste?? The people that post comments on your website appear educated and intelligent, however the reason why they are frequently looking at this webpage is beyond me. For you knowledge, I accidentally got onto this website . . .
So please actually do something with your life, or at least your spare time