two women both trapped in their cultures

I saw something the other day that really struck me. I saw two women both trapped in their cultures.

One was a young Muslim woman walking her child to school. The other was an older woman walking on the sidewalk in front of the school.

The young Muslim woman was covered head to foot in spite of the heat. She had a rather thick black scarf that covered her whole head except for her face. She was also wearing a long sleeved black coat that covered her from shoulders to feet. It barely cleared the ground. You knew she had to be hot and probably smelled to high heaven from the weight of the clothing.

The older woman was probably in her 60’s. She was wearing a tight low necked shirt and short skirt with spike heels in spite of the fact that she was too old for such an ensemble.  You knew she had to be uncomfortable, her feet probably hurt, the clothing looked extremely uncomfortable.

Both women were trapped in their cultures. Both women, if given the choice in life would probably have chosen to wear something different.

If the young Muslim woman had been given her choice, she would not have put on a heavy coat and heavy head covering in 90 degree heat. But she had to dress the way she was dressed. It was mandated by her religion and her lifestyle. If she didn’t dress that way, she could be in danger of her life, or at least ostracism from her group. So, for self-preservation, she dressed in heavy clothing in the heat.

The other woman probably viewed her self-worth as needing the short skirt and tight low-necked blouse to be attractive to men. Why else would a woman of her age ever wear something so young and uncomfortable? If she didn’t dress that way, she could be in danger of being alone with no man wanting her. So, for self-preservation, she dressed in provocative clothing in spite of her age and her comfort.

Both women trapped in a need to “save their lives.” Both lived in danger of losing those things which were valuable to them.

It is sad that both were forced, or felt themselves forced to conform to their group’s ideas of how to dress.

Since this is America, the young Muslim woman was free to dress however she wanted. Yet she was in a group that used force, mutilation and death to force their women to wear things which were not necessarily needed.

Since this is America, the older woman could have found a group to be with that didn’t depend on her “beauty.”

But both were trapped. What a shame.