Would you wear one?

Hmm, I think we do similar things to men though. It may not be makeup, but it may be a suit, tie, short hair, and a clean shave. Some companies are paying their employees as much for their image as for their skills. Casinos are one of those places. You KNOW when you apply for a casino that a certain look will probably be expected, or demanded, of you. It's show business as much as it is anything else and in the entertainment industry both men and women are hired for how they look, or can make themselves look. Now, if she got fired from a call-center for not wearing makeup that might be a different issue, but it still is the employer's right. It's not discriminating against a trait that the person cannot change, but it is demanding compliance with certain dress codes as a condition of employment. Me, I'll never work at a place with that strict of a dress code, it's personal choice, but I can understand why some of them have the dress codes they do even if I don't particularly agree with it.
I would also like to note that in the decade I lived in the Midwest (South Dakota) I never knew of anybody but strippers who was actually required to wear makeup. In fact, most places seemed to think less of a woman who wore too much makeup or wore it all the time. Of course, I also didn't know anybody who worked at the casinos.

I also would not have too much of an issue with going veiled most of the time in public. I think it's silly, but there are other things that would be much more important for me to work on and going unveiled would not allow me to do so. I mean, how is it so terribly different from a lot of America's nudity laws? It's just different/more pieces that are required to be covered. I would have just as much of a problem with us outlawing the veil. The things I would have a problem with are issues like being subservient to males, never speaking to males I did not know, never speaking up in public at all, etc. I can still be myself in any kind of clothing and I can actually kind of appreciate the mystique the veil fosters and that it insures males do not treat women differently based on their physical appearance. Clothing norms are present everywhere, though more radical in some places than others. Clothing does not bother me too terribly much so long as it is not too uncomfortable (and, though you may not believe it, when the weather is REALLY hot going completely covered is cooler than going naked as the clothing insulates you AGAINST the heat if the air is above skin temperature) and though I love playing with it subtle things have great impact in places with strong taboos whereas blatant nonconformity simply elicits reactionary responses.

*singing* Oh Canadaaaa!

I feel enough ties to this country that I'd stay here.

When Bush got elected (first time) I said I'd move to Canada. After the "election" I said "Hell NO!!! This is still my country and someone has to be the voice of reason!"

I'm not a gun-toting apacolipto, but this is My country too!

When I was in the process of joining the Peace Corps, I was made an offer to be placed in Tunisia. The mandatory veil, and all it symbolizes to me - was one of the reasons for turning it down and taking my chances on the next offer.

If I was unwilling to do it for two years overseas, I certainly wouldn't do it here in America.

Yeah, I think it's all about choice and what it means to that women. I like that there is a movement in some of the veil wearing areas to make it not mandatory on religious grounds because as they point out it means nothing if it's mandatory. it is not a show of faith if you have to wear it. I think that is something alot of religious groups miss about stuff. If you make people do it...it doesn't mean anything.

> And there is something kind of sexy about saving somethings for your lover. <

How are you going to attract a lover when you look exactly like every other burka bag on the block? I'd don't think burka wearing women have any choice about who their lovers are, their parents or tribal elders decide that.

Are you sure they are complying to a man's demand of "modesty?" I know that is why a lot of countries insist on it now, but the Muslim lady I know in Rapid said that she wore the burka for two reasons: 1) because men became weak int he face of female beauty and could not function when a woman's power was exposed and 2) because she wanted her unveiling to her lover to be more special and more intimate than if she had shown herself to every man walking down the street. The dance of the seven veils doesn't make an impression if the woman starts out wearing tiny little hankies, and a woman who slowly undresses just seems sexier than a woman who is already naked. Well, to me anyway.

Would I want to do that? I don't know. It would be interesting to try for a time but I must admit that I am afraid to because of the reaction my fellow Americans have to that article of clothing. Would I want it REQUIRED? Hell no! I also like doing the naked pagan dance around the fire!

Good point. Many convents still require the nuns cover their hair and many of the conservative Christian sects view exposing skin below the neck as sinful. We don't, for the most part, make those taboos legal (though, again, we aren't permitted nudity because that one spot is oh so naughty) but there is a strong social stigma against women who dress too skimpily. Yeah, men may like it in some contexts, but don't walk down a dark alley in a micro-mini. They'll say "She was asking for it." It's the same assumption that a woman dressed in less than the social norm is loose and without honor.

Fifi you caught me. Yes I intentionally framed it that way. For women who aren't used to covering up, to be required to do so would be oppression.

And like SV and others said, the oppression is the underlying problem to be confronted.

I agree with those who said that they would conform but work against the oppression and the oppressive issues.

I don't believe I could go along with the full chador type covering. Even the bhurka is a little too extreme for me. BUT I've seen some very beautiful versions of veils on women from India. I love the silky, fluttery cloth with the embroidered finishes. I admire the lacy/net versions with flowers appliqued on them. This version looks very feminine and flattering. It keeps the head covered for modesty but doesn't make the wearer invisible. If it were suddenly the law I'd opt for this version. Though I'd hope that life never changed so radically for us here that this was required.

definitely the christian extremists are working hard to make sure the laws here enforce their ideas of what people should do. They do it all sneaky and in things that you aren't supposed to see everyday so they can then turn around and talk about america the free.

This was well-detailed in the horrifying novel "The Handmaid's Tale", by Margaret Atwood, in which a religious extremist oligarchy has taken over the country and reduced women to chattel slavery status.

<The likeness was not conscious on my part but in light of the current conversation I find it amusing.>

It is kind of amusing, but I didn't post it on your behalf. However I agree with you that the eyes can be very intense. I was using my StumbleUpon toolbar and the site popped up. The author obviously loves her culture and sees the beauty of the practice. I was wondering how American women would feel about both the veil and the law/peer pressure to wear it.