secularism
Female Imams
Chinese Islam retains characteristics that set it apart. The communist revolution with its emphasis on gender equality has left its mark here. Mao famously said that “women hold up half the sky”, a lesson China’s Muslims seem to have imbibed well.
Update on Mini-Skirts and Veils
Statistics on how many women wear facial veils are usually not available in France, which is wary of surveys of people’s religious practices because of the ideal of equality. This means that until now, the issue of Islamic veils has been debated with much passion but little hard evidence.
Beyond Mini-Skirts and Veils
President Sarkozy’s recent declarations against the burqa have fallen out of the news headlines but his words are still ringing loudly within and outside Western Muslim communities. Opinion pieces and letters continue to flood international and local papers, tugging back and forth. While such debates may be painful and trivial to read and listen to by many, they must be welcomed as they both bring into light a far greater issue than any all-encompassing piece of fabric.
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