Vigils all over New Zealand.  People wearing headscarves “as a mark of respect”.  Respect for what?  For the successful oppression by Muslim men of Muslim women?

Doesn’t anyone else find it odd that not one single non-Muslim western woman, whether British, NZ, Australian, Canadian, American, European, chooses to go around covering her hair every moment of the day?  Yet many Muslim women do, often depending on age and country of heritage. Let us not ever forget that when a whole cohort of people opt for the same thing, something other than choice is operating.

This fact of life leads me to assume that Muslim women do not freely choose to wear scarves, or worse, burkas.  They do so because of their beliefs, beliefs interpreted and enforced by men who are in turn influenced by clerics.  Weird that Muslim men never – never!! – choose to cover their heads or wear burkas.  When we look at the Koran, of its 6,000 verses, only 6 have anything to say about what should be worn.  Most of those 6 verses advocate modest dress, on the part of women AND men.

So what exactly is it that all these New Zealanders going to vigils and wearing scarves respect?  The success of Muslim men in controlling their women?  How can that be something anyone should show respect for?

The ultimate irony is that most of the people shot to death in Christchurch were men.  The reason?  The gunman entered the mosque and started firing in the main prayer room.  Only men are “allowed” in there.  By whom?  By the men, of course.  The women have to worship in side rooms, not in the main room.  Thankfully, the gunman seemed to be too ignorant to know that.

Ah the poetic justice.