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http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/07/02/beyond-burqa

[Note: This article references the proposed ban on burqas by French President Sarkozy. Comments in [] are mine – SAR]

[snip]

Violence against women is tolerated in the name of tradition all over the world. Women’s oppression is universal. Those who want to help address this sorry state of affairs should start not by telling Muslim women how to dress [that would be facist], but by tackling the root causes of this oppression both at home and abroad: discrimination, lack of access to services, and unequal economic opportunities. [Which work IS the business of feminism.]

A legal ban in Europe on the wearing of the burqa in public life would be just as much a violation of the rights of those women who wish to wear it as is the forcing of the veil on those women who do not wish to wear it in, for example, Iran or Saudi Arabia. [Equal rights for all - sound familiar?] Muslim women should have the right to move around dressed as they choose, to make decisions about their lives and religion, whether we understand or support those choices or not. [Generalize this to include all women, and this is the heart of the feminist philosophy.]

[snip]

The argument that “the burqa oppresses all women” and therefore should be banned by the state implies that it is up to the state to regulate and limit a woman’s choices about how she expresses her religious belief through her outward appearance. This is an outrageous interference that so far from protecting Muslim women, which is presumably the intention, actually further undermines their ability and their right to choose how to lead their lives and how to present themselves in public.

Human Rights Watch recently conducted research in Germany, where a number of states have banned the wearing of the headscarf, a far less severe form of covering the body, for women teachers.

Fathima, a young teacher, described her choice to wear a headscarf to school: “They should ask our colleagues, directors, school inspectors, the parents, the pupils what kind of person we are. All of them have experienced me and know me so well, that they can attest for sure that I am not oppressed and that I do not wear the headscarf because of oppression.” [In other words, don't stereotype people based on their appearance or dress.]

[A couple of examples from my own experience: while I was working towards one of my degrees at a university here in the US, I met several women who were doing the same while choosing to wear burqas. A close friend of mine here in the US - a 60s radical, as progressive as they come - who had a Muslim boyfriend sometimes wore a burqa because on occasion she found it refreshing to not be treated as a sex object. Again, it was HER choice. ]

She argues powerfully that the scarf cannot simply be written off as a symbol of oppression, and that for her wearing the headscarf represents her choice to practice her religion while still participating actively in Germany society. [Freedom of choice, a feminist ideal]

There is no doubt that many Muslim women are forced to wear the burqa or other forms of veil and are unable to make decisions about the most fundamental aspects of their lives. But there is equally little doubt that many other Muslim women have made a free and informed decision to wear such coverings, and value the space to practice their religion in public. Banning the burqa fundamentally undermines their rights and perhaps most importantly does not provide any meaningful assistance to those women who are coerced and forced to cover their bodies and faces. [Freedom of choice again]

Politicians like Sarkozy who claim to stand up for women’s rights must look beyond what women wear. Banning the burqa will not make it go away; it will only force the women who wear it, whether by choice or under coercion, to drop out of sight.

[By this article's logic we should ban dolls/action figures with military dress, since that is historically synonymous with the mass killing of civilians. Or pirate dress, as that is synonymous with murderous thieves. Or schoolgirl dress, as that is synonymous with being young and immature. ]

The fact remains Burqua Barbie was produced by Mattel and was sold at auction to generate funds for Save the Children, a charity that Neil B. Friedman, the President of the Mattel Brands Division at Mattel, Inc. is on the board of directors.

That fact remains that a charity, save the Children, that works to protect and educate children did profit from the auction of Burqua Barbie..
Off the backs of the girls I believed you worked to save you did profit.
.
The end does not justify the means.

You approved of and sold a doll that seeks not to inspire girls but rather sends the message to girls that to be uneducated and sub missive and abused is acceptable to a civilized society.You sent a message to. The boys who grow up to be the men who abuse women that is acceptable in a civil society.

Seriously what were you thinking? You above all should be aware that the burqua is a symbol of suppression.

Dear Mattel,

Thank you for responding, but you have not answered any of my questions, least of all my concerns that Mattel has put its name on a Barbie dressed in Hajibs and Burquas.
It seems you are just playing the Blame game, its the designers fault.

“In this case, Italian artist and designer Eliana Lorena used Barbie as a model to showcase her interpretation of cultural dress from around the world. Barbie was literally her canvas and the outfits were the artist’s personal expression.”

Mattel takes no responsibility that they approved the final design of the Burqua Barbie, that they produced the Burqua Barbie and added the Mattel stamp of approval to Burqua Barbie.

Barbie is Mattel and Burqua Barbie is Mattel.

My organization PUMA PAC strives to bring awareness to the suppression of women around the world. One of the most suppressive garments on the planet is the Burqua. To label the Burqua as “A Cultural Dress” and show case it as a costume or a fashion trend along side of a sari or a sarong ignores the fact that a woman in a burqua is a woman who is living in an isolation chamber. Unable to see, and walk properly, she is denied vitamin D from the sun. A woman in a burqua is denied the right to drive a car, she is not driving a pink Barbie sports car, she is denied the right to an education there are no Barbie lawyers, pilots and astronauts under the burqua and more importantly she is denied the right to the freedom of choice, a burqua is mandatory and if she choices to forgo the wearing of the isolation chamber she will be flogged or stoned.

Another in correct fact in your email is that “Barbie has no religious affiliation” and that is how it should be. Mattel has by virtue of Barbie wearing a hijab and a burqua affiliated her with the Islamic religion. Burqua and Hijab Barbie are either Muslim or they are living under Islamic law.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burqa

I am happy to hear Mattel has “no plans to make commercial editions of the dolls. These dolls are not available for sale.”
The purpose of writing to you in masse was to prevent any plans Mattel might have to make commercial the Burqua Barbie, since Iran is the third largest toy importers and Barbie in her bathing suit is banned in Iran, but Barbie in a burqua or a hijab could be a huge source of revenue for Mattel.

The fact remains Burqua Barbie was produced by Mattel and was sold at auction to generate funds for Save the Children, a charity that Neil B. Friedman, the President of the Mattel Brands Division at Mattel, Inc. is on the board of directors.

And finally, you could have produced an email that at least sounded sincere to the thousands of us who wrote you with concerns that Mattel was using Barbie not to inspire girls but to suppress girls.

I thought you might like to see what is under the veil.

http://pajamasmedia.com/phyllischesler/2009/11/23/under-the-islamic-veil-faces-disfigured-by-acid/

Sincerely,

take it upstairs!

Somebody create an image using a naked Barbie with her hair in the condition I describe…have her holding an Amercan flag with part of the flag covering part of her body and one hand holding a burning burkha..or any other variation..Prowl that image everywhere..especially women’s groups as well as slime media and CEO of Mattell and Foundationl

and under image have a message….for all of them..

Consider the pleasure of this… Go find all the olde beat up Barbies. you can…with their hair standing straight up and all messed up …and naked…(have seen many a one of these after American girls finish with them…)

Put them in a box naked of course with a little American flag
Send them to the CEO of Mattel….with this or similar notes..

“Screw Burkhas…American women would rather be naked” ! as you will be when we finish rejecting everyone of your so called toys for our children…”

or whatever moves your protesting hearts….

Oh….not sure I’ll get back here much today…but is Roxie free yet???
——————-
No. I get to spring her on Sunday. I can’t wait I miss my trusty Puma partner