The Burka Habit

Last night I entered the local convenience store and saw the backs of not one, but two, heavily draped-in-black figures. The visceral response immediately arose - BURKAS!! -- a symbol of female oppression that never fails to revolt me. Whenever I see them, I am torn between wanting to run up to the women and tell them they do NOT have to wear those awful garments here in the U. S. of A. and the urge to rip the offending coverings from their hidden faces. Fortunately for my legal well being, I have yet to do either.

Then one of the figures turned around and I saw a sight familiar from my Roman Catholic parochial school girlhood - a not-so-young nun clad in the traditional "habit."

Stunned, I turned to pay for my ice cream and leave, muttering to myself, "I thought the Church no longer required that ridiculous attire. They probably CHOSE to wear the black costumes that terrorized my youth. I never noticed before how much those things look like burkas, especially from the back. I bet they are every bit as uncomfortable."

I thought about the nun who told us it would be a terrible sin if one of us had a "vocation" and failed to become a nun. And of how my 11-year old self walked home from school repeating the mantra "Please, God, don't let me have a vocation," over and over again.

Hmmm, no wonder my reaction to the burka is so strong.

Interesting after note: after I published this post, four ads for Islamic clothing appeared on my blog entry page. Now THAT was a misfire!