Saturday, February 03, 2007
Muslim Cross-dressers?
The excellent UK Commentators publishes this photograph from the Birmingham Post.
I don't think I've seen anything quite like it for quite a while.
Well clearly these days, one can never be sure, but I think it safe to say that these individuals appear to be of the male persuasion. Personally, I would have thought that Muslim males were forbidden from wearing female dress, if so, they must be a great disappointment to their mullah.
I can't quite understand what they're trying to prove either. Not speaking from personal experience, but I understand that most Western cross-dressers will attempt to look like the other gender, and adopting the clothes is merely a part of that. Here there appears to be no effort to disguise the male form, I wonder if this can be explained by the shapeless nature of the burqua. I mean ultimately there's not much point in cross-dressing (I suppose) unless at some point people know you're doing it. As a "burqua-boy" you could go for years without anyone knowing, but by not disguising your form it is clear to all that you are in fact male.
I don't blame them for wearing the veil, after all not all Muslims are liberal like me, and whilst I cannot condone cross-dressing, I'm quite happy to live and let live. Some Muslim countries punish homosexuality with death. Let me be quite clear on this, homosexuality is no crime and between consenting adults, should not attract the attention of the law. It is a shame that such cross-dressers do not feel safe enough in UK society to remove their veils, and I think the government should prioritise this: "Only when Muslim cross-dressers feel safe enough to remove their veils will our task be complete".
Despite their obvious fear, it's good to see some spirit; with a gesture not merely Western, but as English as they come, the "gent" on the left (how appropriate) shows "his" defiance of "his" oppression, I can almost hear him shout "One day I'll be free of this veil and be able to show my face in my burqua!". Will we abandon such spirit or will we help "him" realise his dream? In a caring society there can be only one answer.
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