On Wednesday, November 24, Iranian demands that female nurses don the hijab in response to Iran’s providing $1.2 million for funding of the new El Alto city hospital in Bolivia sparked a national outcry among women’s rights advocates within Bolivia. In an international teleconference in La Paz held between Bolivian President, Evo Morales, and Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to celebrate the hospital’s opening, nurses were shown wearing hijabs as part of their new uniform regulations.
This imposition of political Islamic pseudo-religious attire from another country is causing a rift within Bolivian political ranks. Even though the Morales administration is the profoundly socialist MAS party, the Iranian demand is still seen as an affront on Bolivian cultural integrity especially in a country with a Roman Catholic majority.
Lourdes Millares, the Deputy for the Democratic and Social Power Party called the Iranian hijab demand, “…an assault on the dignity of women…” and excoriated Morales for, “…submission to the rules of another government.”
Millares went on to state, “We must make clear to the Iranian government that that hospital is Bolivian territory. They have made their money is one thing but this is Bolivian territory.”
Although Millares finds it hard to believe that the hospital would willingly impose the hijab, the government run newspaper, Cambio, states that the hijab reflects, “…health, cleanliness and respect for the culture of Iran.” However, Health Minister, Ramiro Tapia, also called the new hijab regulation an, “…assault on women.” His office is under heavy demand by outraged Bolivians for an explanation of the veil, which is not an Islamic religious requirement, but a visible manifestation of aggressive Islamic political conquest much like secular clothing and colors represent gang territorial boundaries.
Started as a visual method of approval for their fundamentalist male counterparts in the early ‘70s among female university students in Egypt, the hijab had been banned in Turkey and Egypt until recently. It is still banned in Tunisia and was recently banned in public venues in France. It is not an Islamic religious requirement nor is it mentioned in the Koran or hadiths. The hijab’s sole purpose is as a political and cultural tool thereby designating it as veiling resistance.
Unfortunately, the experience of the Bolivian nurses is not unique. Even though the hijab is not universal attire within the Muslim world, it is being used to wage relentless warfare on women by forcing its wearing and thereby submission to fundamentalist Islam on moderate Muslim and non-Muslim women alike. In the UK recently a Tory Muslim Peer, Baroness Warsi, was egged by fundamentalist Muslim men for not wearing the veil as she walked in Western dress within her constituency. Christian women in France, who must travel through heavily populated Muslim sections of their towns and cities, routinely don the hijab for safety’s sake.
Source: Therealitycheck.org
Posted by Ann “Babe” Huggett
This is to easy, Just don’t work at that hospital.
The only thing i ask the Bolivian people is that, it is better to have no hospital than to bow down before Ahmadinejad and his thugs. The people of Bolivia and President Morales should kick Pseudo-President Ahmadinejad where he belongs in the trash can and stand with those who are fighting for freedom and justice in Iran.
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What I say to the Bolivian people is congratulations on your new hospital, use it in good health.
The requirement by Iran is very simple that can be worked into what the nurses have always used to wear as a hat that covered their hair.
Women having long hair know that their hair interfers with their duties and must be tied back. Because as a nurse you have to help the paitent move bend pick up and to do your work you need to have your hair out of the way.
So, by deisigning a new nurse’s hat you can do your work and also respect Iran’s wishes.
May the two countries work together against all the colonizers.
I’m Iranian, don’t let Iranian government to export their immoral ideology (that looks moral) to you.
my point:fight for your beliefs.never give up to such humiliations.that’s what WE are trying to do in iran.mr.ahmadi nejad and his adminstration has no ligitimacy or respect even in his own country or anywhere else for that matter .how could bolivians possibly keep quiet and do nothing against such obviuosly illogical and radical demand?
good on them (bolivia) for taking the money. shame on them if they accept the compulsory hijab. The fundamentalist government of Iran has no hope of survival in Irran, so they are exporting their views to the outside world. Don’t be fooled. But you should have known there is a catch!
Factory workers in Iran are committing suicide after 11 months of non-payment of their salaries, and out money is funding projects overseas.
[...] اصل خبر[لینک به بیرون] [...]
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