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October 30, 2007
Laura Bush Embraces Tyranny
Caroline Glick observes the First Lady don the abaya and does not like what she sees.
And neither should we.
Laura Bush now speaks the poison language of multi-culturalism. For the Muslim/jihadist world, this is a huge symbolic victory. For America, for Israel, for Democracies inclined to fight for their freedom this is another nail in the coffin.
Due to the fact that the abayas convey a symbolic message of effective enslavement of women, Mrs. Bush's interaction with women clad in abayas was the aspect of her trip most scrutinized. In the United Arab Emirates, Mrs. Bush was photographed sitting between four women covered head to toe in abayas while she was wearing regular clothes. The image of Mrs. Bush sitting between four women who look like nothing more than black piles of fabric couldn't have been more viscerally evocative and consequently, symbolically meaningful.
The image told the world that she - and America - is free and humane while the hidden women of Arabia are enslaved and their society is inhumane.
But then Mrs. Bush went to Saudi Arabia and the symbolic message of the previous day was superseded and lost when she donned an abaya herself and had her picture taken with other abaya-clad women. The symbolic message of those photographs also couldn't have been clearer. By donning an abaya, Mrs. Bush symbolically accepted the legitimacy of the system of subjugating women that the garment embodies, (or disembodies). Understanding this, conservative media outlets in the US criticized her angrily.
Sunday morning, Mrs. Bush sought to answer her critics in an interview with Fox News. Unfortunately, her remarks compounded the damage. Mrs. Bush said, "These women do not see covering as some sort of subjugation of women, this group of women that I was with. That's their culture. That's their tradition. That's a religious choice of theirs."
To read Caroline Glick's entire article, please click here.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at October 30, 2007 12:32 PM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
I was very disappointed with Mrs. Bush donning the abaya but worse was her justifying it by sayin the women with her did not see it as subjegation. Its subjegation when it Must be worn and when there is no freedom of choice involved. When there is a punative consequence for opting out of wearing it, then it worse than subjegation, it is pure oppression.
It all hinges upon the freedom to choose. I am disappointed in Laura Bush too as she has been an outstanding First Lady and quietly and humbly gone about her tasks and her causes with grace and dignity. This though was beyond the pale.
Posted by: Dana at October 30, 2007 04:56 PM
I'm an Israeli living in Israel.
The extreme right wing policy of our goverment is not to my liking.
Am I an antisemite?
Posted by: Israel David at August 5, 2008 03:50 AM
Israel David:
If you believe that the current Israeli government is extremely right wing, well, I'll leave it to my readers to judge your political and social acumen.
Thanks so much for writing.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 5, 2008 11:42 AM