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If the burqa is a form of oppression, then so are bikinis?

Ignoring the small percentage of women who are forced to wear the burqa (it's illegal to force someone to wear it in the UK) surely the argument that the burqa is a form of oppressing women can also be applied to the bikini? One is extremely covering, one is extremely revealing. Yet people seem to think that the bikini is somehow more acceptable than the hijab or the burqa or the niqab.

What do you guys think?
(edited 7 years ago)

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I'd say it's true. Burqa = Bikini in terms of oppression imo
Original post by scarlett1975
I don't think the two can compare.
When I ask most girls why they wear it they say things like :....to be modest....to not attract men... etc etc. Why doesn't it's religion teach that both men and women have to wear it.. if women and men are equal? Why do women have to cover up their bodies in order to stop "temptation" from men? Why would god give women body parts like boobs, hips and curves if he wanted them to be covered up? Why make them exist in the first place.??
A women wears a bikini at the beach because it's hot and it allows their body to cool down quicker. Just like how a man wears shorts.
P.S CRAZY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE, DON'T REPLY TO THIS AND GET ANGRY AT ME, I 100% LOOOOOOOOOOVE EVERYONE :smile:.. I WOULD NEVER PLACE MY OPINIONS ON OTHERS. I JUST WANT A RATIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS TOPIC.


Surely you could use that to argue that men shouldn't wear underwear because why would God give men penises if he wanted them to be covered up?
Reply 3
I don't get your point.

Looking at the history of the two garment proves you incorrect. The bikini was part of the sexual revolution and embodies freedom.

The burqa was used as a form of control and was forced upon women during the Islamic revolution.
The two are aboslutely incomparable.
Women in prodominate islamic states countries are killed, burnt,stabbed,stoned,raped if they choose not to wear the hijab/niqab/burka.
When a girl wears revealing clothes it could be number of reasons: She enjoys the apparence of it, it's hot and she wants to cool down etc...so in what way is that oppressing? Should that not be the opposite because women are taking in control of their sexuality and doing whatever they want to do. I really don't see the point you tried to make here...
Reply 5
Original post by loveleest
The two are aboslutely incomparable.
Women in prodominate islamic states countries are killed, burnt,stabbed,stoned,raped if they choose not to wear the hijab/niqab/burka.
When a girl wears revealing clothes it could be number of reasons: She enjoys the apparence of it, it's hot and she wants to cool down etc...so in what way is that oppressing? Should that not be the opposite because women are taking in control of their sexuality and doing whatever they want to do. I really don't see the point you tried to make here...


I'm talking about in non Islamic countries like the UK where women choose to wear the burqa. People still call that oppression but one could argue that bikinis have also been forced on women through TV and the media which cause women to think that it's what they are expected to wear even if they're not comfortable in it.
Original post by squish562
Surely you could use that to argue that men shouldn't wear underwear because why would God give men penises if he wanted them to be covered up?


Can you please delete your quoting of my reply, I posted. I posted it but I realised I have many religious friends who I wouldn't want to offend. :smile:
I don't believe in God haha but 'God' gave men penises for sexual reproduction. Wearing underwear is a social / human construct (men don't have to wear underwear). Women's bodies (especially their boobs/ hips...etc) are overly sexualised in our society. Hence, why they are the only ones being asked to cover up. For example, a women's butt is literally fat yet she has to cover it. Why is fat on a man's body not treated in the same way.
I don't understand your point you're trying to prove.. I'm not trying to be rude xxx
(edited 7 years ago)
Except one has a history of being used to oppress women, the other is way more associated with female liberation.
If men didn't exist, no woman would wear a burkha.

If men didn't exist, women would still wear bikinis (assuming they would wear clothes at all)
Reply 9
one thing i dont understand when people saying wear the burqa is oppression

why the f*** is it oppression when the person themselves choose to wear it
Reply 10
OP proves religion makes some people bonkers
Reply 11
Well, you can't really compare the niqab/burqa with a bikini anyway - nobody wears a bikini on a day to day basis.
And people wear the bikini mainly because they like it, while people wear burqa because of religious reasons, even if they weren't pressured into it, they are doing it out of reasons that are not completely autonomous (religion). This is why one can argue that it's oppression. Surely, if there were (religious?) laws that would require to wear a bikini, this would be oppressive as well, but those don't exist.
However, I don't support a burqa ban.
Reply 12
Original post by scblx
Well, you can't really compare the niqab/burqa with a bikini anyway - nobody wears a bikini on a day to day basis.
And people wear the bikini mainly because they like it, while people wear burqa because of religious reasons, even if they weren't pressured into it, they are doing it out of reasons that are not completely autonomous (religion). This is why one can argue that it's oppression. Surely, if there were (religious?) laws that would require to wear a bikini, this would be oppressive as well, but those don't exist.
However, I don't support a burqa ban.


How do you know that all women wear the bikini because they like it? What if they're being pressured to wear it by their friends, the media and everyone else? What if they are wearing it to look good for men? Surely that's oppression
Reply 13
Original post by Ladbants
How do you know that all women wear the bikini because they like it? What if they're being pressured to wear it by their friends, the media and everyone else? What if they are wearing it to look good for men? Surely that's oppression


No, I don't really think this is widespread.
I don't like bikinis personally, as a consequence, I don't wear them. Wouldn't be so easy if it was a religious requirement. (What I heard more about is that some people don't dare to wear a bikini because people called them fat etc. This is a problem which needs to be addressed.)
(edited 7 years ago)
Allah akbar
The way I see it is

The burqa is intended to be worn at all times in public. It (no longer) has any practical use other than being used as a tool against women

The bikini is used to get a better tan on beaches. It's not designed to be worn 24/7, just whenever you're looking to top up your melanin. It has a function, its not for daily use, and certainly not in 'public'. How often do you see women in restaurants and walking down the street in a bikini if theres no nearby water?

It's just ridiculous. The burqa dehumanises women. It's not intended as a choice. The bikini is.
Original post by Ladbants
Ignoring the small percentage of women who are forced to wear the burqa (it's illegal to force someone to wear it in the UK) surely the argument that the burqa is a form of oppressing women can also be applied to the bikini? One is extremely covering, one is extremely revealing. Yet people seem to think that the bikini is somehow more acceptable than the hijab or the burqa or the niqab.

What do you guys think?


Nah, bruv.
Original post by mkap
one thing i dont understand when people saying wear the burqa is oppression

why the f*** is it oppression when the person themselves choose to wear it


Because they don't make a free choice to wear it.They only wear it because their religous beliefs tell them they must do so.These religous beliefs were invented by men to prevent other men from looking at their 'property' lustfully.If a woman refuses to wear a burqa or a hijab then she is often alienated from the local community and put under pressure to cover up.The burqa is all about men telling women what to do.Just because it is muslim men telling muslim women what to do doesnt make it less wrong.Liberals like to ignore it by saying its just their culture.Just like they ignore gender segregation in schools.They are so terrified of being thought racist that they are now operating a sort of reverse racism.They dont hold brown people to the same standards as white people.They say its just their culture/tradition so it doesnt matter if they are sexist.We don't expect them to adhere to the same rules as white people.Why don't liberals hold them to the same standard as white people?Because of their race and skin colour.Hence racism.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 18
Original post by Robby2312
Because they don't make a free choice to wear it.They only wear it because their religous beliefs tell them they must do so.These religous beliefs were invented by men to prevent other men from looking at their 'property' lustfully.If a woman refuses to wear a burqa or a hijab then she is often alienated from the local community and put under pressure to cover up.The burqa is all about men telling women what to do.Just because it is muslim men telling muslim women what to do doesnt make it less wrong.Liberals like to ignore it by saying its just their culture.Just like they ignore gender segregation in schools.They are so terrified of being thought racist that they are now operating a sort of reverse racism.They dont hold brown people to the same standards as white people.They say its just their culture/tradition so it doesnt matter if they are sexist.We don't expect them to adhere to the same rules as white people.Why don't liberals hold them to the same standard as white people?Because of their race and skin colour.Hence racism.


ok so what about nuns then?
Idk who said it in this thread but *correction* even if men didnt exist women would still wear burqas..

And yes some people are forced to wear it, but 99.9% of the time in the UK, no one is forced, im 16 and i want to wear one, and niqaab, its part our religion, im not oppressed, i wear a hijab too, not because any one told me to, but because i want to.. for my lord.

Im not oppressed, not being forced or anything, its just what i want.

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