I went to Walmart a couple of days ago. Just ahead of me, there was a man wearing a full burka entering the right door as I was entering the left door. There was no part of his body visible. I am sure it was a man. He was very tall and walked with long strong strides. There is a difference in the way a man walks and the way a woman walks. I suppose it has to do with the placement of pelvic bones. As he walked, the burka would lift away from his shoes . They were men's shoes. I have no doubt that it was a man. I admit, I felt a streak of pure fear go through my heart. Why would a man be wearing a burka? Was he carrying a weapon beneath the burka??!! Or explosives?!? I headed toward the left. I knew there was an exit there. I would have just left but there were a couple of things that I really needed to get. I quickly got my items and left. I haven's heard of any attacks at that Walmart so, apparently, that was not why he was wearing the burka. But, why? Would you have been afraid? Do men wear burkas?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/wo...ear-burqas-to-campaign-for-womens-rights.html @Shirley Martin It seems some men are wearing burkas and the link explains why. But yes, if I had been in Walmart and seen a man in a burka...I would have been frightened too and left immediately if possible.
Wouldn't call it phobia. Everyone has a right to fear something or not feel right about something they see. Never know what or when the next place will be shot up or run down.
I can understand your being afraid, too, @Shirley Martin , and I would have also not liked seeing that. I am not sure if Islamophobia is actually what it was though. When I thought about it, it could be anyone who looks creepy or dangerous. A lot of hoodlums wear dark hoodies, and those awful saggy pants, and that is how they usually look when they are attacking or robbing someone, and seeing someone who looked like that and looked dangerous would have alarmed me just as much as the burka-wearers would have, and maybe more. Two of our good friends are Iranian, and they are wonderful people, and they are the ones that own the house rentals near us, and that Bobby does the handyman repair jobs for. When they had the little convenience store by us, they would say they were “Persian”, and most people (at least the ones around here) didn’t even associate that with Iran or Iraq. I think that it is not the race that someone is that we have to be concerned about, it is the behavior of the person , and maybe even their religious beliefs when it makes them radical.
I would have felt exactly the same Shirley I am against the wearing of the Burka, who and what lies beneath a full cover ......... ? The Burka is not worn for religious beliefs and as it is not 'our' custom, it should be banned When in Rome respect their customs and that applies to all countries
I agree with you on this. Modesty is fine if it is part of a persons religion or culture. I'm not going to get involved in it or care enough to make it my business. But to cover someone from head to toe goes against a persons personal freedom. Humans weren't designed to live like that. These women get no sun on their skin and I have read they are much more prone to get hit by cars due to their inability to see correctly. But then who cares, they are only women to these societies.
It's actually kind of good to read that some of the men are wearing them to "protest" against women being forced to wear them. I wouldn't want anyone telling me what I have to wear...I don't even like "fashion" trying to dictate what I should or should not wear so I would have a real problem if I was one of these women who are forced to wear burkas, etc. Every time I think I really hate some things that are going on here in America...I try to remind myself of what is going on in other Countries and for the most part I am thankful to live here and have the freedoms we do have. Wearing what I want to wear is just one of those freedoms I am thankful for.
He could have been any race, ethnicity or religion. It was impossible to tell with him covered in the burka. Somehow, I doubt it he was wearing it in support of women. The only reason that I can guess for him wearing it would be to conceal something. But what?
Walmart over here has Security people and it would seem that if someone walked in looking out of place...Security would be all over that (at least quietly). Since I didn't know men were wearing the burkas in support of women's rights until I did a little "snooping" after reading your post I would have felt the same way you did. But thinking about it after I read the article I can see how it could be possible for some men to to this...lots of men wear pink for Breast Cancer awareness, etc. I'm sure some of the younger men do not agree with women being forced to wear burkas, there are people everywhere taking a stand against what they believe is wrong and I hope that the "guy" wearing the burka in Walmart was just one of these people. No matter what the reason...it would have caused me some anxiety to see what you saw @Shirley Martin and I definitely would have gotten out of there as fast as possible.
I'm pretty sure Walmart security had him covered. They have cameras that record you from the time you get out of your car until you get back in it and drive off. But, if he was a shooter or bomber, what good would that have done?
I don't think it matters what someone is wearing in determining if he's going to do something bad or not...most shooters or terrorists have been in regular clothes...maybe carrying a backpack etc.
It is clear that this really shook you up Shirley. I'm really sorry about that. If Security does record things like you say they do...then they would have stopped that man (person) from going in the store if they felt there was anything "off" about that person. Are you kind of anxious about going back to that Walmart because of this incident?
You know it's even possible that he was a transgender. If he was, wearing a burka would get him killed in his Country...but in America just about anything is okay.
In today's PC world, they would not have been allowed to stop him. That would have been an invasion of his religious rights. I am always aware the shootings and bombings can happen anywhere. It's not always ISIS but could be any nutcase who wants to make headlines. It pays us to be constantly aware of what is going on around us. I won't hesitate to go back to that store but I will notice what is going on around me and be prepared to run. Or duck.