Over the years media has reported several controversies around the choice of Muslim women wearing a burqa. Politicians have only escalated the debate with their demands to ban this particular sartorial choice stating it curtails ‘freedom’. On the other hand there are those who have even harassed women for not wearing burqa.
The latest addition to these absurd remarks over the choice of Muslim women is by a Twitter user named @amitbehere who wrote, "Burqa is as much free will as Sati was. Don't confuse social conditioning with free will, a****les."
What is Sati?
A largely historical practice found chiefly among Hindus, in which a widow sacrifices herself by sitting atop her deceased husband's funeral pyre. It was due to the efforts of social reformist Raja Ram Mohan Roy that Lord William Bentick abolished Sati system in 1829 by declaring it an offence.
Twitter fumed over the statement and ‘burqa’ became one of the top trending topics on the micro blogging site.
One user wrote, "You just compared one of the most disturbing practice of human history with the attire of some women."
Another commented, “It baffles me that you had to club the wearing of modest clothing with the self-immolating practice of Sati. This is messed up. Kindly, do not insult the judgement of millions of Muslim women worldwide who wear the Burkha/Hijab/Niqab as a symbol of worship to their Creator."
Here are some of the reactions.
Earlier this year, Pakistani-Canadian author Tarek Fatah, raising questions on Muslim women’s' participation in anti-CAA demonstrations, said that before seeking freedom from the new citizenship law, they must seek freedom from the veil (burqa) first.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh also stoked controversy by demanding a ban on burqa. In an apparent reference to protest by women against CAA in the Shahjamal area in Agra, the minister had said that burqas were being used by 'terrorists' to conceal their identity.
He had said that the trend of wearing a burqa started in Arabian countries and is not an Indian custom. He added India should ban its use and pointed out that even Sri Lanka had banned it after a series of bomb blasts ripped the country last year, leaving many dead and injuring scores of people.
He further said that 'Surpanakha' had worn a burqa to hide her face after Laxman cut off her nose. "Only descendants of Surpanakha wear burqa," he added.
