Joan Ganz Cooney | 11/03/2009 1:00 pm
Joan Ganz Cooney 'Appalled' at Hillary Clinton's Head Scarf
I have to admit that I was appalled to see Hillary Clinton in a head scarf when she was in Ramallah recently on an official visit. First, I think a U.S. Government official when on government business is genderless, that it is not a woman official or a man official; just an official. Second, the head scarf is a symbol of the subjugation of women and a religious belief, at that. Would she wear a crucifix if she met with the pope? I’m sure she was told she should show respect for the culture but I have to ask why, when the culture supports beliefs that we and certainly Hillary Clinton are repelled by.
Click here to see Hillary Clinton’s picture on the Daily Beast.
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3 words; "Bio-Indentical Hormome Therapy". No, make that 4 words….add "duct tape".
I’m torn on this issue. It’s good to show respect for other cultures and traditions…but, at the same time, when those traditions are widely used to subjugate people (or for other reasons that contradict the very spirit of our nation), are we right to embrace them? I lean towards "no", particularly when someone acts specifically as an envoy/representative of the government. We would not ask that a dignitary accustomed to wearing a head scarf remove it when she visited here; shouldn’t the reverse also be true? That it is not obligatory for our officials to modify customary attire, particularly when the modified attire is largely a symbol of oppression and denied human rights?
Rachel,
Good point, but this is America, and a visitor here has freedom to wear a scarf or not wear one. Here they have choices. Although in life, some choices come with consequences, I don’t know what the consequence would have been if Sec Clinton didn’t wear a scarf. I know our own media, as well as international media would have had a field day with it and it would have become a distraction to the diplomacy. I think SeC Clinton chose the wiser form of valor.
Madeleine Albright always wore a scarf over there. Why is it an issue with Sec Clinton now?
‘I know our own media, as well as international media would have had a field day with it and it would have become a distraction to the diplomacy.’
You could be right about that. As I first stated, I was torn on this issue. :-)
"Madeleine Albright always wore a scarf over there. Why is it an issue with Sec Clinton now? "
I posted because it was mentioned, but I did try to emphasize that Sec Clinton was hardly the only one to do this. I don’t want to criticize her in particular, just the use of the scarf in general. :-)
Rachel
I understand totally. To me it is an issue of cultural sensitivity and we are classy enough to be that.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/14/17172483_6ddf5234ef.jpg
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/04/07/world/07diplo.600.jpg
http://img.wonkette.com/assets/resources/2008/04/carlabrunitunisia.jpg
You are appalled….appalled to see that Mrs. Clinton wore a headscarf. And, were you appalled when Laura Bush wore one, or Carla Bruni, or Nancy Pelosi?
Far more important to study the Statecraft behind the action..