Piercing The Veil

A Muslim wearing a veil ... it's no different from a Christian wearing a cross, right? We believe in freedom of religion, and therefore don't want to make a problem out of a Muslim woman donning a veil. Well, New Sisyphus thinks differently:

One of the centerpieces of that war of ideas has been over the Muslim veil. To the extent that a large number of Americans and other Westerners have bought that the wearing of the veil, in whatever form, is merely a harmless religious practice, the overwhelming view of the majority, the Jihadists and their sophisticated Western allies (CAIR, left-wing groups, "human rights" groups [but I repeat myself]) have been very successful.

This is understandable, if lamentable. Americans especially, but Westerners in general, take a very hands-off approach to religion. If someone says "my religion commands this" who is anyone to disagree?

Fortunately, the debate over this charade has just been settled, and from no less a Jihadist source than Al-Qaeda "Number Two", the psychopathic Egyptian "doctor" al-Zawahri. In his latest ramblings, he said:

The statement--said to have been issued by al-Qaeda's "media arm" al-Sahab--praised Muslim women who insist on wearing the Islamic veil despite pressures not to in some Western lands.

He described anyone doing that as "a soldier in the battle of Islam against the Zionist- Crusader attack".

This is exactly correct: the wearing of the veil is not a religious statement, but a statement of political solidarity with Islam Armed.

Many will immediately, and rightly, say this is a generalization, and they're right. They will find a find Muslim woman who wears the viel out of a reverence no different than a Jewish man's wearing of a yarmelke or a Christian wearing a cross.

But the Jewish and Christian religions don't have sizeable factions that push for violent, fascist expansionism, and yarmelkes and crosses are not symbols of such a movement. Islam does, and for many believers, the viel is a symbol of the jihad philosophy.

Remember, moderate and non-believing Muslim families always react with great concern when a daughter suddenly starts sporting a veil.

So what is a moderate, veil-wearing Muslim woman to do? She can either wear a symbol of jihad, or she can be a symbol against jihad by taking off her veil.

Hat-tip: Jim