Angela Merkel calls for widespread ban on full veil Islamic coverings

[eissa]

75. The real frightening part is how much worse it's gotten

When my family fled Iraq in the 60s, those coverings were rare. And although the culture of male dominance (not just male privilege, dominance) was the norm, it has become so much more potent. I see my in-laws from Syria, and the family that remains in Iraq, and their mindset has mirrored that of their Muslim neighbors; their views of women are nothing like those that my family held, even while still in Iraq. Coverings are the norm, and not just the hijab, but the full costume. Anyone who says it's a "choice" is delusional. The pressure from family and society, in a culture that places community expectations above individual freedom, is overwhelming. If anything, the noose around women will tighten in the west as the men try to "protect" them from "western decadence and sin."