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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| AUSTRALIA National Headscarf Day |
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| SuperHiMY |
| 11/23/02 at 06:44:40 |
[I]So I'm surfing my usual sites and came across the following...[/i] National Headscarf Day Friday 29 November 2002 A National Day of Solidarity with Muslim Women and a Protest Against Racially Motivated Attacks on Muslim Women in Australian Cities. On Friday 29 November all Australian women everywhere are invited to wear a headscarf in public for the day. You do not need to change your attire, there is no rally to attend, no petitions to sign. It's easy. Dress as usual, put a scarf over your head and go about your day. Any scarf will do. Headscarf Day is in solidarity with our Muslim sisters who have been the target of racially motivated attacks in Sydney recently. Traditional Muslim women are an easy target because their traditional dress makes them visible. Let us make them feel that they belong, and that they are protected, by helping them blend in. And let us send a message to the racist thugs who attack them that their behavior is unacceptable. Men are also invited to join us by wearing some form of traditional Muslim head dress. I am a Jewish woman, a former Israeli and an Australian citizen. I have decided to organize Headscarf Day because with my background I simply cannot sit by and watch while Muslim people and women in particular are becoming the target of racism. ASIO's raids on Muslim homes are giving legitimacy to racist attacks on Muslims in our streets, and helping to create a culture of `us and them' in Australia. We must make it clear both to street thugs and our government that the Australian people are united in our rejection of racism, and that we will not allow the population of our country to be polarized. Surely there are appropriate ways to deal with security concerns without resorting to bullying and intimidation. First They Came for the Jews by Pastor Niemoller First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no-one left to speak out for me. Come Join Us on Headscarf Day and make your mark! Headscarf Day has now been endorsed by Senator Kerry Nettle from the Australian Greens and by the Muslim Women's National Network of Australia. Download a flyer for National Headscarf Day [PDF 336K]. http://www.netspace.net.au/~avigail/headscarf_day.pdf (It doesn't look great on screen but it prints OK. We hope to have a better one soon.) [i]Even if one is NOT in Australia, perpaps it's still good to have the PDF flyer printed out as something to refer to if need be in the future. Your bro in T.O. (toronto ontario) ~ HiMY! ~[/i] p.s. First they came for the Taliban... Then they came for the Iraqis... Then they came for the Muslims... oops, they meant to say Moslems. |
| Re: AUSTRALIA National Headscarf Day |
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| imaazh |
| 11/24/02 at 10:10:36 |
| [slm] [color=Blue] I recently received this in an email. Makes me so sad :(. [/color] Extract from breaking news on: ninemsn.com.au 17:13 AEST Thu 21 Nov 2002 PM won't rule out Muslim dress ban Prime Minister John Howard declines to condemn a call by NSW Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile for Muslim women to be forbidden to wear their traditional dress in public places. Prime Minister John Howard appealed for tolerance after NSW MP Fred Nile called for a ban on Muslim women wearing full body coverings in public. Reverend Nile used the upper house of the NSW parliament to call for a ban on the wearing of chadors in public by Muslim women. He said the coverings could be used to conceal weapons and explosives, offering a perfect camouflage for terrorists. The call came as the nation was placed on high alert against terror attacks following credible intelligence received by the federal government. Mr Howard said he could understand Reverend Nile's concerns and refused to rule out a ban on chadors. "Generally speaking I'm in favour of respecting people's religious beliefs, or indeed people's lack of religious beliefs," he told the John Laws program. "We have to respect each other in these things. It's just a question of civilised living. "If you've got a religious faith, and providing you're not flinging it in somebody else's face, then you should be allowed to practise it." Mr Howard said Rev Nile spoke for a large section of the community. "On the other hand, I feel it's very important at the moment that Islamic people don't feel they're being singled out," he said. "I understand what he's getting at, but I also stop short of agreeing with him because I've got to frankly myself have a better understanding of just how fundamental that is." Mr Howard said while public interest concerns could override some religious practices, he was unsure of the chador's status in Islam. "Sometimes you don't have a flat yes or no on something like this," he said. "Different people of goodwill will have a different view. "I don't want Muslim women in this country to feel that they're being prevented from practising their religion. "I want everybody in this country to live according to the modalities of Australia, and that is that we respect religious belief, we respect and tolerate a range of religions, and we also accept the people that have no religion." |
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