Feminist Looking Glass

That is a photo of Hillary Clinton at the Moghul-era Badshahi mosque in Lahore during her recent trip to Pakistan.  I am always bothered by pictures like that that show female Western officials covering their hair.  Sure, the reason is to observe the customs of Islam.  And, in fact, Clinton was praised for doing so.  For instance, the Qatar Gulf Times said “Analysts . . . praised her on-message diplomacy and respect for Islamic custom by covering her hair, visiting a mosque and handing out alms.”

But notice the men in the picture.  With one exception, every man is wearing a suit.  And here is a photo of Richard Holbrooke at the same mosque.  Is there no “custom” of dress for men?

Apparently, during this trip, Clinton only covered her hair during visits to mosques.  And she has consistently covered her hair during similar types of visits in the past.  In addition, other female Western officials have covered their hair during visits to mosques.

And sometimes the officials cover their hair at more secular sites.  In this case, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey was harshly criticized in the French press.

I obtained the photos above from this web site of the Zola Levitt Ministries.   The site also has photos of “Muslim political women,” some of whom, the site says, ” not only avoid any Islamic apparel but fit a Western standard of beauty and glamor, making a sharp contrast to those Europeans and Americans in their tatty hijabs.”  Those women appear to be in more secular settings and, therefore, are in a different situation than the women in the photos I show above.

I know that it is considered a courtesy to follow the customs of the place where a visit occurs.  For example, I remember a business trip to Israel when I visited the Old City and wore a yarmulke at the Western Wall and put on a cover over the shorts I was wearing in order to visit a mosque.  (And, by the way, the Western Wall has a large area for men and a very small area for women.)  But it seems much more controlling when a woman is expected to cover her hair when men can get away with business suits.

Since international diplomacy is very tricky, I am not advocating stopping this practice.  But it will always bother me.

Filed under: International, Politics Tagged: | Hair Covering, Hillary Clinton, Mosques, Pakistan