Here's a photo (courtesy the
White House) from W. and Laura Bush's meeting yesterday with Pope Benedict XVI. Can you imagine the uproar if Laura donned a headscarf to meet an Islamic leader?
It reminds me of the story of Oriana Fallaci's (first) interview with Ayatollah Khomeini, which ended abruptly when she ripped off her chador, calling it a a "
stupid, medieval rag." Can you imagine what might befall someone who dared pull such a stunt on the Pontiff? (To his credit, Christopher Hitchens, who reports on the Fallaci story, would support such an action. Khomeini reportedly found it amusing.)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Can you imagine the uproar if Laura donned a headscarf to meet an Islamic leader?"
ReplyDeleteit is completely different, if Laura Bush presented herself to an islamic leader without the chador, she would be escorted out, if she was any woman, she would get beheaded.
A woman wears a veil to meet the Pope as a sign of respect, but it is a choice. You can not wear it, too.
Fallaci had to wear the chador because that was the only way to get the interview, she also had to marry the translator.