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[–]jkfinn 2 insightful - 5 fun2 insightful - 4 fun3 insightful - 5 fun -  (3 children)

"Islamophobia" is a very modern term--and very false. Centuries of racism cannot be pathologized. And to focus on face covering when every kind of mask is being used and explored to fight a plague seems, at best, poor timing. Nuns and Amish farmers dress is what I had in mind, not Catholic school children. Both are criticized for being dangerous under some situations and unhealthy under others, but no one has ever suggested banning them. (Also, I'm not playing any card... I don't even know how to play cards, and as to this being a radical feminist forum so how dare I... anti-racism is very central to radical feminism and has been from day one)

[–]sisterinsomnia 15 insightful - 1 fun15 insightful - 0 fun16 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I think what matters in this general context is that Muslim men are not required to wear any kind of face covering or even required to cover their hair. I would completely agree with you about this possibly being religious discrimination or even racism if there was no sex difference in who was required to cover their faces.

[–]jkfinn 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

But this is your or our valid reason. You can be sure these feminist insights are not moving the ban needle. And if so, why in this case, and not in others? A good example is the citing of the Taliban's sexist policy on women for the US war on Afghanistan when it was the very last consideration for it, if it existed at all in the minds of the war-mongers in the State Dept.

[–]weirdthorn 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I sugest you look up Alice Schwarzer, who runs the feminist magazine "Emma" and has been "islamophobic" since the 70ies. Most german libfems despise her.