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[catsidhe]

Articles in Mother Jones give a picture of what it is like to be female in Iraq these days.

Al-Obeidy added that those who choose not to wear a hijab should still "respect" those who do, and should cover their heads anyway if they are in the south of the country, which is known for its conservatism. I kept pressing her on what exactly "respect" meant, and what might happen to those who were not respectful, but she declined to answer.

The answer, of course, is obvious. 'Respecting' the hijab means "wear a hijab if you know what is good for you". These are not aliens. These are not exotic Bedouin princesses or repressed slum-dwelling housewives, as if that makes a difference. These are people like you, or your sisters, or girlfriends, or mothers. These are intelligent, modern, university-educated women. And they are being forced to walk behind their men, to be silent, to let their men speak for them, to cover themselves at all times, because some people declare themselves to be offended by their ... well, their existence, really. Their existence as intelligent independant women.

Thanks largely to Bush's & Rumsfeld's & Bliar's & Howard's et al's levelling of Iraq, this is one of the results.

Getting rid of Saddam has pushed Iraq back three hundred years. Well done, guys. Well done.