Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? - Response

This article brought up a very interesting topic of ethnocentrism. Often, as Americans we believe that our culture is far superior and therefore is the "right" way to do things. That of course is not to say that other cultures aren't just a ethnocentric towards our culture. This example shows a strong discrepancy between our American culture and the Middle Eastern culture. I thought it was really interesting what Laura Bush said about how one of the main reasons for starting the war was to "liberate" the afgani women. To me it seems that these women cover because they want to respect their family, their culture and their religion. I bet if you asked an afgani woman if she liked to wear the burka she would talk about how it is respectful to her family. I think this is very commendable. The burka might be viewed here as a restrictive, oppressive piece of clothing but in the middle east the women who wear them are high regarded. This article really hits home the point that different isn't always bad.