Update Apparently Mrs Bush was wearing a black suit and the veil was a gift. Please read the comments. I apologize … for now.
Comments
Bethsays
That creeps me out.
That said, it’s just visually jarring. I’m not reading anything into it other than diplomacy and manners, for lack of a better word. Of course I would cheer if she were wearing shorts and a tank top there just as an in-your-face gesture, but hell would freeze over before she’d do that.
You know during the Gulf War, the female military that were there had to wear that crap? OUR military? They weren’t allowed to drive at all, nor could they do their jobs off-base without a military dude to “chaperone” them, and rank was beside the point. My ex had to “chaperone” his boss there, a female major when they had to do business on the economy.
So I guess this isn’t a surprise, ’cause I know how utterly f’d up Saudi Arabia is. It just sucks to see it.
Janette Striplingsays
It’s my understanding that the scarf, decorated with pink ribbons, was a gift to Mrs. Bush from the women that also appear in the photo. She wore it only briefly after they presented it to her.
I think the donning of the scarf, a gift, was simply a gracious gesture on Mrs. Bush’s part.
The more important photo, in my opinion, is the one of Mrs. Bush meeting with the Saudi king with her head uncovered. Obviously if she were really a dhimmi that would have never happened.
Faustasays
Janette, do you have a link to that one?
Bethsays
OK, apparently she only had the thing on for a few minutes when she was given it by one of the women with whom she was visiting. Apparently there are a lot of other pictures of her in Saudia Arabia from this trip where she’s not wearing it.
Bethsays
The AP report: On Wednesday, her second day in Saudi Arabia, Mrs. Bush met with breast cancer survivors in the western seaport of Jiddah. As a token of appreciation, they presented her with a long black scarf — the kind Saudi women use to cover their hair in public — with pink ribbons symbolizing the disease attached to both ends.
They then helped her wrap it around her head, even though visiting female dignitaries are exempt from Saudi Arabia’s strict Islamic dress codes for women.
“No campaigns, ads or programs would have had the kind of impact that Laura Bush’s trip has given to breast cancer awareness in the kingdom,” said Samia al-Amoudi, a gynecologist who was diagnosed with the disease in 2006.
I saw a clip on Laura Bush’s breast cancer awareness campaign and I saw her sitting with moslem women .. they in dark colors with scarves, and her bare-headed in a pink suit.
That creeps me out.
That said, it’s just visually jarring. I’m not reading anything into it other than diplomacy and manners, for lack of a better word. Of course I would cheer if she were wearing shorts and a tank top there just as an in-your-face gesture, but hell would freeze over before she’d do that.
You know during the Gulf War, the female military that were there had to wear that crap? OUR military? They weren’t allowed to drive at all, nor could they do their jobs off-base without a military dude to “chaperone” them, and rank was beside the point. My ex had to “chaperone” his boss there, a female major when they had to do business on the economy.
So I guess this isn’t a surprise, ’cause I know how utterly f’d up Saudi Arabia is. It just sucks to see it.
It’s my understanding that the scarf, decorated with pink ribbons, was a gift to Mrs. Bush from the women that also appear in the photo. She wore it only briefly after they presented it to her.
I think the donning of the scarf, a gift, was simply a gracious gesture on Mrs. Bush’s part.
The more important photo, in my opinion, is the one of Mrs. Bush meeting with the Saudi king with her head uncovered. Obviously if she were really a dhimmi that would have never happened.
Janette, do you have a link to that one?
OK, apparently she only had the thing on for a few minutes when she was given it by one of the women with whom she was visiting. Apparently there are a lot of other pictures of her in Saudia Arabia from this trip where she’s not wearing it.
The AP report:
On Wednesday, her second day in Saudi Arabia, Mrs. Bush met with breast cancer survivors in the western seaport of Jiddah. As a token of appreciation, they presented her with a long black scarf — the kind Saudi women use to cover their hair in public — with pink ribbons symbolizing the disease attached to both ends.
They then helped her wrap it around her head, even though visiting female dignitaries are exempt from Saudi Arabia’s strict Islamic dress codes for women.
“No campaigns, ads or programs would have had the kind of impact that Laura Bush’s trip has given to breast cancer awareness in the kingdom,” said Samia al-Amoudi, a gynecologist who was diagnosed with the disease in 2006.
link
I saw a clip on Laura Bush’s breast cancer awareness campaign and I saw her sitting with moslem women .. they in dark colors with scarves, and her bare-headed in a pink suit.
I don’t think she’s dhimmi at all.
IMHO of course.
I blogged about this at: Head Coverings and Cancer: Laura Bush Sells Out.