I was thinking about the issues surrounding the hijab yesterday

[bhikkhu]

28. That is one confused argument

The essential thing is that we all have traditions for what is appropriate in public, and what is appropriate in private. It is considered healthy, normal and functional to be able to make that distinction. Where women wear the hijab, the custom is to wear it in public spaces, and it is not necessary in private spaces. European culture had the same custom at one time - where women's hair was to be covered when in public.

The roots of tradition are cultural, though they often derive from or refer back to religious ideas. In both the bible and the koran there are minor suggestions of proper dress, which can be interpreted as requiring headcovering. Neither are particularly convincing, but they are (or were) used as an argument of authority for cultural practices.

People are allowed to chose what traditions they follow, and its nobodies business really (especially when it comes to trivial matters like how they dress) whether or how they understand those traditions. If I were to make an argument against misogyny I'd chose a different path.

In other words, I don't give a damn about the hijab, but having the right to vote, to equal protection, to divorce, to property rights and travel, etc, are much more important. The hijab an easy and visible target, but attacking cultural traditions should not be the point, and seldom arrives at anything useful.