Media Moment, NY Times Article

Thank you, Simmi, for reminding me of a perfect example of having to confine to a culture's "norms." The difference here is that there is law enforcing this. Does anyone know if this ban on wearing the niqab was boycotted against in any way?

After Simmi presented in class yesterday, I found an article online that was published just this September:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/world/europe/tolerance-eases-impact-of-french-ban-on-full-face-veils.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Here is a quote I found that was echoed in the articles on Sex and the City 2. 

"A French businessman of Algerian origin, Rachid Nekkaz, has offered to pay any fine incurred for wearing the niqab. So far he has paid 412 fines totaling more than $60,000, plus $16,000 in legal fees. But many Muslim women who wear the veil simply stay home, he says, adding: “The law was meant to protect women but it has imprisoned them instead.”"

I learned in my anthropology class that everything is relative. Just because something is different than what you are familiar with doesn't make it wrong. I also learned about the term ethnocentric and I think that it is a dangerous thing. Every culture has different practices and evaluating someone's culture based on one's own standards leads to the taking away of people's voices.