Video: Laura Bush defends the hijab
posted at 1:44 pm on October 28, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Can a culture that requires women to travel with a chaperone, prohibits them from driving, and makes Islamic worship a condition of citizenship really be said to afford a “religious choice”?
Evidently so.
Update: A dilemma for HuffPo. Criticize the Bushitler’s wife for defending a symbol of oppression or clap her on the back for pushing back against the wingnuts?
Which do you suppose they chose?
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Thanks. I genuinely appreciate the baseline.
re: 6:46, yeah that’s amusing but it’s hard to derive your opinion on many of the significant components that have to be addressed/juggled: energy supply, relationship with Israel, consequences when we withdraw, etc.
Spirit of 1776 on October 28, 2007 at 10:50 PM
Do you honestly expect a goodwill ambassador of such stature to say “I refuse to wear this scarf with the pink ribbons” to their faces while being a guest?
That would have been an absolute blunder.
AlexB on October 29, 2007 at 12:27 AM
So then Mrs. Bush, Americans should demand the same courtesy from all Muslim women who choose to visit or live their country? Or is this good manners thing only applicable to Americans, while all others are exempt?
RMR on October 29, 2007 at 12:36 AM
She could have said, “Oh, thank you very much, I’ll try this on later. I really appreciate your gift and… here… I’d like each of you to have a copy of the bible and torah. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them every bit as much as I enjoy your hijab.”
FloatingRock on October 29, 2007 at 12:41 AM
Sorry, Laura: this was a BAD CHOICE!!
Leaders do not subjugate themselves to others when they visit foreign countries. You should have politely thanked them for the gift, and then put it aside…as you would have done with a book, a pen, a medal, or any other gift.
“When in Rome” does not apply to our first family. We expect you to demonstrate and promote AMERICAN ideals when you travel.
Thought questions: Would you have participated in a stoning just to be polite? Would you walk two paces behind a male foreign leader?
landlines on October 29, 2007 at 2:03 AM
When Laura Bush wore a mantilla at the funeral of Pope John Paul II, I thought it was fine and dignified. When she wore a hijab, I cringed. The difference is that when she goes to Rome the next time, no one will demand that she wear a mantilla and then stone her if she refuses to.
Ellen on October 29, 2007 at 4:50 AM
WWHD
(What would Hillary Do?)
stenwin77 on October 29, 2007 at 8:18 AM
Lord please forgive her, for she knows not what she does.
thareb on October 29, 2007 at 8:46 AM
Do you honestly expect a goodwill ambassador of such stature to say “I refuse to wear this scarf with the pink ribbons” to their faces while being a guest?
She could have said “I don’t cover my head but I would be pleased to wear it as a shoulder scarf”…
That would have been in tune with western culture. Plenty of western women wear scarves around their shoulders tied in the front.
Babs on October 29, 2007 at 9:03 AM
So when visiting the Mursi . .
- The Cat
P.S. But then again, wouldn’t it be like us telling them to put a shirt on?
MirCat on October 29, 2007 at 9:14 AM
Um I saw a Muslim woman the other day without her hijab on. She came up the issue desk (I’m working in a library on an 8-month contract) and she smiled, took it out and put in on much to my displeasure (she was very beautiful).
Maybe she only had it off because her husband/brother/son wasn’t around. Anyway I don’t see why Laura Bush (who is a lovely woman) should wear it over there or anywhere for any reason.
aengus on October 29, 2007 at 10:04 AM
Ronald Reagan refused a mule from a poor Latino farmer, joking that he already had so many back in Congress.
aengus on October 29, 2007 at 10:06 AM
The hijab is a reminder to muslim women that THEY are responsible for controlling the lustful impulses of men, who are incapable of controlling themselves.
drewas on October 29, 2007 at 10:25 AM
Do the Saudis own the Bushes? Whoops. Sorry. I know that sounds “Truther-esque” but this ‘Islam is a peaceful religion’ crap spewing from Georgie Porgie for years fits right in with Laura’s comments.
saved on October 29, 2007 at 10:26 AM
The hijab is a religious symbol and the western equivalent would be for Mrs. Bush to give a visiting muslim a cross pendant and expect them to wear it. Would they? Of course not.
drewas on October 29, 2007 at 10:30 AM
My thoughts exactly Connie. When I first saw her donning the head scarf I wrote that it must be one of two things:
1). She is completely naive or
2). She understands but is willingly acting like a good dhimmi.
I’m really not sure which is worse when we are talking about the first lady of the U.S.
Its now clear that she is simply naive. And as you said that is very scary. She is as naive as a typical liberal.
Zetterson on October 29, 2007 at 11:31 AM
Yup, and if Laura Bush was not so wrapped up in PC liberal garbage she would be over their fighting for the cause of women currently locked up for having committed the crime of once having been raped. Or are those laws just part of their rich cultural tradition too?
Zetterson on October 29, 2007 at 11:36 AM
That would be something.
INC on October 29, 2007 at 12:02 PM
Zetterson, I think someone at LGF linked to this site that defined these terms among others:
and
and
Augean Stables had a link to another site where this definition is given:
and AS puts it together:
INC on October 29, 2007 at 12:12 PM
I doubt she had it off for any reason other than it wouldn’t make a political statement until she was actually face-to-face with another individual. (You)
Connie on October 29, 2007 at 12:43 PM
Laura Bush demonstrated to millions of Muslims that the USA will submit to this barbaric cult.
pat on October 29, 2007 at 12:53 PM
Mrs Bush could have said Thank You and put the scarf down on her lap. Had she been pressed to put it on she could have said: I am an American and do not cover my head in public. I appreciate the sentiment of this gift so very much. Then she could smile in all sincerity.
Unless of course, she does not mind the hijab. In that case, I would resent her representing my nation
She was in a nation where women unnecessarily die of breast cancer because of the culture of subjugation. The women sitting next to her had bags on their heads, for Christ’s sake.
I do not like the covered faces of immigrants in our nation because it is too easy to facilitate slavery.
I believe there may be female immigrants in America who are prisoners and cannot escape. They are isolated and brought out in public only with faces covered, not allowed to speak to outsiders. In our area such women are herded by men who tell the store owners what the covered woman wants.
These women are raised to obedience. Is there a better environment for the Stockholm symdrome? A hostage taught from birth to have loyalty to the captor?
Yet the PC idiots here tell us to honor these peoples’ choices!
I despise this culture. I have no desire to change Saudi Arabia, but I believe our immigration rules should refuse to admit people who keep women this way. Along with the Pledge of Allegiance (which these radical immigrants do not respect) we need to teach all children they shall not be subjugated if they are citizens of this nation
Freedom stops at keeping and raising slaves. Out with you subjugators and slavers. We lost 500,000 men to end slavery and it should not be tolerated
entagor on October 29, 2007 at 1:47 PM
The Saudi Arabian government has pushed the American government around for so long that the Saudis expect subservience and they get it. Jimmy Carter, for example, claims to be the voice of human rights, but has steadfastly defended the Saudi royal family. No doubt the fact that Saudis bankroll the Carter Center and bought his peanut farm business to bail him out has something to do with Carter’s moral blind spot when it comes to Saudi Arabia. The First George Bush repeatedly stated that Saudi Arabia is America’s key ally in the MiddleEast and the the first Bush prevented any criticims of the Saudi royal family. Clinton refused to adequately protect the soliders stationed at the Khobar Towers for fear of upsetting a Saudi royal family member who felt that extending the US perimeter around Khobar Towers would be an affront to Saudi feelings. Clinton would rather see the tragedy that unfolded rather than upset the feelings of the Sauid royal family. So Laura Bush is simply following a long tradition of genuflecting to the House of Saud, of refusing ever to criticize anything about the royal family and pretending that the Saudis are just like us. Keep in mind that even after 19 Saudis killed 3000 Americans on 9/11/2001, the State Department continued to allow a visa express for Saudi “students” so that after 9/11/2001, literally hundreds of Saudi young men entered the US without any background check whatsoever. Once they are here, the government of the US is powerless to check up on them.
Larraby on October 29, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Somewhere between putting women in bags and dressing your daughter as a skank is teaching her to be chic, attractive and lovely.
INC on October 29, 2007 at 2:39 PM
When I saw this yesterday, aside from the softball questions Chris Wallace threw to Laura Bush (like not asking her why she goes to countries that practice apartheid against Israeli Jews), I thought, “Gee, Chris Wallace needs Yiddish lessons.” Shmatta means rag, NOT scarf, dude.
Debbie Schlussel on October 29, 2007 at 4:32 PM
I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep.
–Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord
Sultry Beauty on October 29, 2007 at 4:34 PM
Unreal. I have lost a lot of respect for her now.
You have a choice as a symbol of freedom as she was to those women:
1) you can offend by politely not wearing the hijab the very people who suppress women
or
2) you can offend the poor women who get beaten for not wanting to cover their hair and are fighting for their life of the right to not cover it.
Gee, hard question…..NOT!
Highrise on October 31, 2007 at 1:15 AM
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