Invisible Women

Whether women wear burqas and hijabs (veils) by force or by choice remains unclear to me. Some Muslim women say that they choose to wear their veils for religious or personal reasons, and they want the right to wear them without criticism or insults from those of us who do not understand them. Fair enough. But, if these women shroud themselves by choice, why do I see no joy in their eyes?

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Perhaps it is the words of the Muslim cleric Sheik al-Hilali that disturb me the most. He compares unveiled women to pieces of uncovered meat and men to cats who have no control over their actions. He suggests that a group of Muslim men who received 65-year jail terms for being gang rapists are the victims of vile women who caused their own rapes. Here are his words:

There were women, he said, who 'sway suggestively' and wore make-up and immodest dress "and then you get a judge without mercy and gives you 65 years. But the problem, but the problem all began with who?" he said, referring to the women victims.

Addressing 500 worshippers on the topic of adultery, Sheik al-Hilali added: "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it..whose fault is it - the cats or the uncovered meat?

"The uncovered meat is the problem."

He went on: "If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab (veil), no problem would have occurred."

My translation of the cleric's offensive words: Women must remain invisible by covering their heads and faces or men will rape them. 

It seems to me the men should be the ones covering their faces.