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Michelle Obama forgoes a headscarf and sparks a backlash in Saudi Arabia

Not bad.
 
Such a simple thing says so much. :applaud
 
fmw said:
What you say is true. What I say shows respect for the culture in which one is a guest.
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No, the culture in the United States is that people can wear what the hell they want on their heads, and nobody gives a darn. Top-hats, Native American headdresses, bonnets, fedoras, Google Glass, yarmulkes, nun's wimple, coonskin cap, propeller beanies, ten-gallon hats, SCA plate helmet...and yes, hijabs, burkas, kufis and keffiyehs...are ALL part of American culture, as are many others. It's a melting-pot thing. We do it.

-AJF
 

MildSteel said:
You know man, I really like your posts! They are consistently good!!!!
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I'm going to guess you've never been to Africa, worked around arabian countries in Africa, seen the very long history of blacks as slaves under various Arab traders going back beyond the invention of Islam or even read anything / spoken with or dealt with (face to face) arabs in Northern African countries going from Nigeria to Egypt.

I have.

What amused me in the ferguson riots was when ISIS pledged solidarity with blacks, hoping to cause foment. Arabs see themselves as higher muslims - the originals and everyone else who converts is second / third etc class. You won't read much of this on the internets but you see it in the eyes, the sneer in the eyes and mouth when you talk to arab muslims in Africa.

You won't understand how the Saudi Arabians will see the blacks who arrived off a plane, dressed as they were - especially Michelle Obama. The resonances in the muslim and African world go beyond mere comments and snide remarks on a US website. Black muslims in conservative and extremist muslim circles are lesser muslims, they are shock troops (ever wonder why so many bomb carriers on international planes in the last 15 years were black?)

However, thank you for making your comment - I was amused. I will start my Thursday in better cheer after a good belly laugh.
 

When I visit Canada I don't wear a hockey jersey, a mounty hat and smear maple syrup over my nipples. And you know what? Nobody gets offended when I don't.

Let's stop pretending for one second that you actually care about the feelings of Saudis. This is just about sticking it to Obama and nothing else. We don't tell those assholes to take off their hats when they enter the US, so we will not be treating our women like slaves.
 

Try again Hat...

This is one thing concerning the wife of our Socialist Leader, I am King Obama, where I thought... OK... fine with me. It can only help bring women in these countries out of the 7th century. Would have been even better if she got behind the wheel of a car and drove herself!
 
Non-issue. Western women are not required to wear head scarves in Saudi Arabia. This was only a problem in the Twitterverse. Also, the only reason she wore a scarf in Indonesia was so she could enter a Mosque. She did nothing out of the ordinary. Saudis in the main cities are used to seeing non-Muslim women walk around without head coverings.
 

Clearly, you haven't the foggiest idea what "paying respects" means. As for your attempt to slag Saudis by tossing out Americanized ignorance about Canadians, that's just of a piece with your self-centered need to dictate how others live. Quite the resume for a Libertarian.

As for the Obamas, I care little about what they wear. The only point I made was that if you're attending Saudi Arabia to "pay respects" it might be nice to actually include some respect in the process. If you can't or don't want to, don't be a hypocrite and stay home. The First Lady wearing a headscarf on one occasion, not as a fashion statement, as shown here in this thread, and then not wearing a head scarf in Saudi Arabia, to make a political statement, is not something that I find respectful of her hosts or the position she holds. One way or another, it makes her a hypocrite - either in Indonesia for wearing the headscarf or in Saudi Arabia for not wearing it.
 

So you have proof that she was making a political statement? Could you post it here please? Women not conforming to shariah law is not offensive. Keep crying.
 
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This is just another weekly right-wing manufactured outrage. Stay tuned next week for a new one.
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Actually I support Michelle on this, as First Lady she isn't required to bow down to their customs, unless she wants to. Actually most conservatives were lampooning Obama for all the bowing he was doing.
 
Paxaeon said:
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This is just another weekly right-wing manufactured outrage. Stay tuned next week for a new one.
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I don't really care about the issue that much, but are you seriously comparing a leader there to represent a major country (Merkel) with someone the spouse who is only there because of her husband (Obama)? Talk about false equivalences.
 
AliHajiSheik said:
I don't really care about the issue that much, but are you seriously comparing a leader there to represent a major country (Merkel) with someone the spouse who is only there because of her husband (Obama)? Talk about false equivalences.
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Yes, please do talk about "false equivalency." I would like to hear your side of the story.
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RabidAlpaca said:
So you have proof that she was making a political statement? Could you post it here please? Women not conforming to shariah law is not offensive. Keep crying.
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I'm not claiming she's making a political statement - you and those who support her did. You have a serious problem with reading comprehension and logic. You claim "good for her, not bowing down to oppression of women" - I take your view as serious - don't you? As a result, I simply indicated that making a political statement at such an event wasn't "paying respects", as outlined in the OP. "Keep crying"?? Who's crying? I'm pretty sure that's you. You get all emotional and weepy, pitching insults, just because someone dares to have an alternate opinion to yours. Again, not much of a Libertarian, are you?
 

I don't think this sparked anything, and she wasn't the first woman to not wear a headscarf when meeting the King of Saudi Arabia.
 

Thanks for pointing that out. That said, I like his posts, and that one was funny.
 
Paxaeon said:
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Yes, please do talk about "false equivalency." I would like to hear your side of the story.
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do you want me to call and read what I wrote?

*edit for clarity
 
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I've never once claimed that she was making a political statement, I've only responded to your idiotic claims that she was. Go troll somewhere else if that's what you want to do, I'm not going to be strawmanned into an argument.

Not conforming to shariah law dress code standards is not insulting muslims.
 

Not once did I indicate a desire to engage you in discussion. You got all butt-hurt because I posted an opinion contrary to yours and decided to confront me about it. The trolling was and is all yours.

Take care and have a good day.
 
American said:
We believe in free of religion, wherever we go.
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Says the guy who agreed that Obama was destroying our friendship with England by returning an ugly bust of Churchill. Don't worry, I've come to realize your double standards. Returning a bust? Oh noes! Our relationship with England! Not following a nation's customs? Fine if it's Muslims.
 
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Wait, sorry, I got lost in your comment. Are you speaking of our military? And by hats are you referring to the PC's (protective covers)?

Sorry, just trying to track.
 
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