**How do we deal with such ideas? Its from a local English daily newspaper.
**
Letter to the Editor
No to Ninja Nuisance
Q. Isa Daudpota
My eighty year old Lahori aunt and the country’s police force have one thing in common. My gynecologist aunt refuses to employ any staff in her clinic who wears a hijab, let alone the face-hiding Ninja headgear, which is becoming increasingly common in our cities. Patients need to communicate unambiguously with their care-givers – would you like a Ninja peering down your mouth or another orifice, or asking you questions muffled by a face-clinging fabric?
Lone Ranger had his day. Today the police refuse talking to masked men. They sometimes even haul up those who drive in cars with privacy preserving dark glasses. In our fear-laced times you need to know exactly whom you are talking to.
The same concern applies to educational institutions where it becomes impossible to communicate with Ninja female students with blinking eyes. This is made worse when the lecturer too adopts this garb. While a hijab maybe recommended according to some religious interpretations as a means of maintaining personal modesty, the Ninja version of it isn’t! Thus the paragons of modernism in the Ministry of Education and the Higher Education Commission should issue orders banning the masked headgear in all education institutions.
As for the militant women in places such as Jamia Hafsa the solution is clear. If they stopped being supported by government agencies, they could be flushed out by means commonly known. A more humane way is to show them a better alternative: have the Aabpara Community Center located near their madrassa offer good discounted food, show interesting enlightening films, free internet access and classes in modern thought. Also teach skills, which get them employed in a worldly job.
Pakistan’s dilemma is clear-cut though: it cannot rest in peace until religion remains mixed up with the workings of the state. It is time that those who gain international publicity using the slogans of modernism show their concern by stamping out the menace of the Ninjas. Such hypocrites refuse to even voice their concern in unambiguous terms.
QID, 252-A, St 52, F-10/4, Islamabad.
[email protected]
2 May 2007
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
If the colleges are seggregated why do they still need to wear the niqaab.
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
maybe through:
Patience.
Speaking out when possible.
Character.
Perseverence.
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
If the colleges are seggregated why do they still need to wear the niqaab.
thats the problem.....majority of Pakistani institutions are not..
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
what is alarming and unacceptable is the lack / absence of tolerance amongst secularists !
Is this the kind of freedom these people believe in?
How problematic is it and important to see the face of a female nurse?
Why is there even a need to have female nurses in male wards?
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
what is alarming and unacceptable is the lack / absence of tolerance amongst secularists !
Is this the kind of freedom these people believe in?
How problematic is it and important to see the face of a female nurse?
Why is there even a need to have female nurses in male wards?
Sorry to differ but i dont see tolerance amongst religious people in pakistan either.
Niqaab isn't an obligation but people do have a right to wear it.
Anyway, i've noticed that in pakistan no matter how much a woman covers herself, men still stare at her. why is that?
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
How is a burqa interfering with the state? Is his complaint against the Niqab or those students? Is denying healthcare to niqabi's really that wise?
If anything, the secularists should be challenged to reply. If this is the vision of a 'secular' Pakistan, then it is one clearly at war with Islam and any shred of public affiliation to it. No to the secular menace. If anyone is looking bad, it's secularists. This guy is asking for a crack down, clearly not what those with a secular agenda want.
Light Bearer, your thoughts? How would you respond to this bigot?
Anyhoo, that's another possible angle of attack. Write in the guise of a mild secularist, and simply ream into the writer for being an unthinking and intolerant twit, not to mention his Aunt. That undercuts support for him from secular quarters, or at least seeds dissent as other secularists are likely to agree with the milder stance, and spares us the embarrassment from the typical knee-jerk response from the religious folks.
This may be the only way to get the letter published, too...as most likely only the most vitriolic letters from the religious would be published. Sometimes you just have to role play to get your point accross...the media is not fair, and is most certainly biased.
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
Light Bearer, your thoughts? How would you respond to this bigot?
:) You know me man, my take is simple wearing a naqaab or going topless is not the state's matter it's personal choice. As long as it does not interfere with the job (if the woman is working) as teachers should not be allowed with either case becasue children get wrong influence (in case of topless teacher) or partial information (in case of niqaabi teacher).
If the woman is not working she can wear whatever she likes and it is nobody's business.
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
I agree with this article. At the very least, if you have a right to wear the niqaab, then your employer has a right to fire you for wearing it. If it hinders work, then it needs to go. Islam is a very flexible and practical religion. There is definitely no reason for a nurse/doctor/tech to wear a niqaab with her patients, for example. I mean, the patient is probably exposing their behind to the nurse. What? That's not haraam? Of course its not, because its for medical and health reasons. Better expose your bum, and get that colonoscopy done, right? So, how is a woman's face more offensive than an ugly hairy bum?
What I disagree with is the conclusion that religion needs to be separated from government.
The problem is not the religion. Its the interpretation of the religion. The right interpretation, if used, makes for a good society and government. Solution is to fix the religious interpretations.
Your laws are going to based off some system of morality or another. In the US, its the morality agreed upon by the majority of the citizens. In Pakistan, that would inevitably be Islam anyway.
You can't just suddenly pull out Islam from the laws. You'd have to re-draft a new set of laws. In short, chaos due to sudden moves. Never a smart move.
They are very correct about cracking down on Jamia Hafsa. There has been enough public outcry that the government should crack down on it. But the problem is, that there might be an extremist religious reaction to it. Next thing you know, maulvis will be throwing a coup-de-tat.
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
:) You know me man, my take is simple wearing a naqaab or going topless is not the state's matter it's personal choice. As long as it does not interfere with the job (if the woman is working)
Teachers don't teach topless because it's illegal and considered vulgar, not because it inhibits the teacher from doing her job.
The Niqab is not illegal...but many secularists do consider it vulgar. That's the issue here. This whole inhibiting the job nonsense is, well...nonsense. Indeed...what if there is a niqabi patient that only wants to talk to a niqabi doctor...oh oh...can't get one, at least not in that secularist's ideal vision of Pakistan (which, I should add, doesn't really jive with your secular vision). As for communication break down...it's a niqab, not tape on the mouth...
In any case, this dude is perfectly okay with not hiring Hijabis..let alone Niqabis...so, let's not sweep that under the rug...this isn't just about the Niqab...is it? Or should we forget that, at least accoding to some, the elimination of public aspects of religious expression (and hence, the marginalization of those who are religious through social boycott and regulation) is part and parcel of 'progress' towards a secular state?
How else to explain the left-field conclusion of the letter, and the proposition of a 'threat' by all niqabis (predicated on his invocation of the few 'Ninjas')?
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
The idiot on one hand wishes to promote tolerance while on the other wishes to marginalize those with a different mindset...
While he ignorantly venerates his grandmother who doesn't hire Niqabis, i wonder what his stance would be on a woman who doesn't hire non-Niqabis...Would he venerate them as much as he admires his grandmother?
Obviously not...But that is the expected outcome of ignorance...
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
Of course being topless inhibits your work. Who the heck is going to pay any attention to a teacher with her boobs hanging out?
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
Segregate the environment if possible. If there is an inceasing number of "ninjas" (i detest the term) then soon there would be institutes catering according to their needs and wishes. Meanwhile have the decency to co exist in peaceful manner.
It's a stupid article with no intellect. That promotes nothing but bigotry and discrimination.
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
Of course being topless inhibits your work. Who the heck is going to pay any attention to a teacher with her boobs hanging out?
Depends on the culture, I suppose. But I could argue the same about any manner of dress that is even remotely revealing...
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
Perhaps those who are so distracted by women whe aren't covered up to the point that they have to dicate to women how to dress should look into watching porno to exercise their apparent need and desires to look at scantily clad women.
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
^LOL that is an unbelievable reason to watch porn.
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
Perhaps those who are so distracted by women whe aren't covered up to the point that they have to dicate to women how to dress should look into watching porno to exercise their apparent need and desires to look at scantily clad women.
Semi, I don't think you need an excuse...so go knock yourself up...er...I mean out...:D
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
I don't have the problem of being distracted by women who aren't covered up from head to toe. I am able to treat them with respect and dignity, which includes allowing them to make their own decision on how to dress and present themselves in public.
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
^
There's nothing dignified or respectful in porno...or suggesting it as a release...
Re: "No to Ninja Nuisance" ?
How is a burqa interfering with the state? Is his complaint against the Niqab or those students? Is denying healthcare to niqabi's really that wise?
It's not denying health care to niqabis but rather not letting doctors who wear niqab practice medicine or work in that health office. I can understand why niqab is a problem, but why is hijab a problem? A hijab covers the hair and neck, do we really need to c someoen's hair for them to practice proper medicine? In that case, yes it's bigoted and something should be done to stop this. Instead of shedding theri hijabs or niqabs they should definitely do their best to get employment and education in thier hoem country regardless of what they're wearing....