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Barbaric cultural practises
Oct. 29th, 2015 12:46 pmI have seen the assertion that the reason many people are uncomfortable with seeing a woman wearing a niqab is a relic of our primate ancestry: we want to be able to see someone's face. That we're wired that way.
This would be an argument from "evolutionary psychology". Anything coming out of that is questionable; most of its assertions are untestable, explanatory without being predictive.
Even if it's true... part of being sentient is overcoming such prejudices. Or at least working to do so.
The pernicious thing about the Conservatives' and BQ's raising the niqab as a significant issue is that it provided a positive spin on the prejudice, gave people an excuse for their behaviour. "I'm really supporting women's rights! It's not that I'm prejudiced..."
If only that supposed concern for women's rights had extended to other issues, it might be more plausible.
I'm ashamed that so many Canadians made such an issue about women wearing the niqab during the citizenship ceremonies. I had thought we were better than that.
This would be an argument from "evolutionary psychology". Anything coming out of that is questionable; most of its assertions are untestable, explanatory without being predictive.
Even if it's true... part of being sentient is overcoming such prejudices. Or at least working to do so.
The pernicious thing about the Conservatives' and BQ's raising the niqab as a significant issue is that it provided a positive spin on the prejudice, gave people an excuse for their behaviour. "I'm really supporting women's rights! It's not that I'm prejudiced..."
If only that supposed concern for women's rights had extended to other issues, it might be more plausible.
I'm ashamed that so many Canadians made such an issue about women wearing the niqab during the citizenship ceremonies. I had thought we were better than that.
