The CharmingBurka breaks no laws of the Koran, only taste
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Feb 7th 2008 6:40AM
posted Feb 7th 2008 6:40AM
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all I can say is...
wow.
Agreed.
I use to hate those things in Marathon... All floating around, and scaring the crap out of me.
this is just stupid. As a Muslim I can just say that this doesn't even make sense. I know this is meant to be a joke, but if the women are covering themselves in the first place they wouldn't be bluetoothing their pics...
PLUS that is AFGHANI style, not an Arabic, Middle Eastern, or general Islamic style.
yes yes women in my family don't cover up and wear whatever they want (before someone chimes in and assumes they know what goes on :P)
@john
Most moslim woment don't wear burkas, yet they wear cloth that don't show all their skin to everyone in the street as your sister does to attract more men.
wearing proper cloth is part of our culture and what our Kuran orders,love it or hate it thats not going to change anything.
I wouldn't criticize the bible. I know am limiting my "Free of speech", but its called manners.
John, you are an idiot.
in my position, i get a lot off calls about weather Muslims should wear this clothing.
and i say: fuck off, i am not muslim.
i forget what my point is.
this is silly (the comment and the gadget thingmajig)
do people still say that? i love that word.
anyway, christianity FTW!
haha. great!
This will be useful in the UK once our (current) politically-correct socialist fascist govenment declares that all British women have to wear burka so as not to "offend the muslim minority".
Socialist Facist hey? Just like Mcbane vs the CommieNazi's?
Wow, Nazis on Engadget...
Amazingly proof that I am on the right track is delivered today by the head of the Anglican church, the Arch Bishop of Canterbury, who today says that "Sharia law is inevitable and unavoidable in the UK"
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7232661.stm
It took us a few hundred years to get rid of medieval laws in the UK, but now the country is importing someone elses's medieval law system because the British system is "offensive" to a tiny section of the population.
I wonder if I can invent my own law system, and claim it is my religious duty to follow it. First law: pay no tax!
No he was merely talking about them, don't panic
@Vanillacide
Well, adopting some aspects of Sharia law may be better than having honour killings. Of course, 'normal' courts would still deal with criminal cases, and non-muslims wouldn't have to submit to the rulings of such courts. It makes sense, as long as it doesn't get in the way of our own law.
The Archbishop is a very, very smart man, he rarely says something I disagree with. I have nothing but respect for him.
Don't know if you guys remeber what happened in Denmark a couple years back. Something to do with depicting Mohammad, pbuh. One would think that the ban on depicting the Big M, pbuh, would not apply to non-muslims, since to us he's just another guy who went out into the desert an lost his wits, but think again! Sharia only applies to Muslims until that day when it applies to Non-muslims as well. Anyways, slightly less off topic, I think there is a general ban on depicting all living things. That's the reason for all those patterns and the absence of naturalist motives in Islamic art...
I'm offended by that
The problem is we live in a world that is afraid to "offend the muslim minority", They have to realize as long as they step foot in the evolved westernized world they MUST! Obey our laws and melt into our culture and ways...NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!
@Vagn Henning:
Yup, the muslim states got very angry about that. They even placed import sanctions to harm Denmark's trade.
However, for a country whose primary exports are bacon and beer, I'm guessing the effects weren't really noticed!
@ the guy who said
"...who went out into the desert an lost his wits"
and then you wonder why we go crazy! HELLO! the guy is like a father figure to us, sure you don't have to like him, but atleast don't insult!
and the denmark thing...no no country could by law ban them, since they part of WTO, so even saudi arabia didn't, actuall people them selves stopped buying danish products...it did effect, coz denmark does have a major dairy sector...of course every body forget the boycott after a month, so no harm done
Damn, that's fashionable, when do we get some girls in the USA to wear these on the beach?
American girls probably should wear them because they are obese!
When I worked in Arabia we used to go to the beach, the local men would be in speedos and the women would be in burka ... even in the sea, like big black jelly fish. The "No burning sheep on the beach" signs used to amuse us too.
I see what you did there. Nothing like a cheap shot with a stereotype about a large group of people about whom it is fashionable to hate.
Can you say Baaaa too sheep?
@tcc3
That wasn't a cheap shot, it was sharing a personal experience. The signs at the beach really did say that.
@steve:
As oppose to British girls who are so fugly?
Nice teeth BTW.
@E71
Hey! At least the yellow helps obscure the bizarre directions the teeth are pointing in. I guess national health care doesn't cover dental work (unless you're Richard Hammond).
I always thought that if you're going to live somewhere, you should make an effort to follow their rules and culture. At a minimum, you shouldn't be surprised by their existing culture, anyway.
NOT funny..
why would you laugh at other people religion clothing?
Because it's ridiculous.
Because laughing is nice (independently of which naive religion specifically you laugh about, be it islam or christianity)?
Ridiculous? Like Santa Clause? The "virgin" marry?
Hummmmm....delusional much?
How can you expect others to respect you when you don't respect them? Don't answer that. I'm not interested in your "insight". RHETORICAL QUESTION, Farley!
@NG
Because it's freaking histerical! If something is stupid and silly you should have a good laugh at it even if it's part of someone's religion.
Obviously, the oppressive and misogynistic mentality of Islam is nothing to laugh about but this "invention" is ridiculus and therefore deserves ridicule.
@Adam
1. Santa Clause has nothing to do with religion (unless your religion is consumism)
2. It's Virgin Mary, not marry (although she was in fact married!) :-)
In any case, it is perfectly legit to laugh about this, and it has nothing to do with lacking respect. As vanillacide said, if something cannot stand up to laughter then it is not robust nor "democratic".
Here you can see some of difference between the western "Christian" world and the _fundamentalist_ Islamic world: we can make fun as much as we want of Christianity without consequences. We can criticize it, reject it, make up jokes about Jesus and draw irreverent images, and people accept it as par ot freedom of speech and expression. Try making fun of Islam in an Islamic country, see what happens.
Of course, if you made fun of Christianity a few hundred years ago, you got burned at the stake... but we've grown up since then.
Because it's all part of our ridiculous desire to please gods that don't exist.
@Hlynur
It's somebody else's thing, you gotta respect it.
i dont like it more than you do, at least i don't talk about it.
A-Deca: Accepted as par with freedom of speech and expression? You may want to tell that to the Christians who protested and pretty much killed "The Last Temptation of Christ", the Catholics who boycotted and flooded forums about "The Golden Compass", and the in-bred, funeral-protesting a-holes over at the Westboro Baptist Church.
It isn't even in the koran, the burka, it's just a way for fat stupid macho arabs to suppress women.
But then, all religion seems to be into that, even buddhism.
So like can she drive wearing linus's blanket over her head?
I'm sorry but I couldn't have a chick walkin around in the office lookin like a welfare 8 year old on halloween.
@A-Deca
People haven't grown up if they chop your head off...
Because laughing is better then what the other side does, which is chop off heads.
@ dorf
thats a good point brother..lol
b/c it's sexist.
i don't laugh, i spit on it, it infuriates me.
Why wouldn't I laugh at anything to do with religions, or the people who follow them?
If a religion can't stand up to laugher or ridicule then it's hardly the robust truth is it?
One of the best comments in this thread. I agree wholeheartedly!
Well, I think a belief has to be able to stand up for itself, yeah. All major six world religions, and Atheism can certainly stand up for themselves. If someone's really comfortable in their beliefs, they should be able to take (polite) criticism. Then they're credible.
Religions that don't fall into this category; Scientology.
Religion sucks. The Truth FTW!
(waits for the obligatory "A Few Good Men" quote--for this post to get ranked down and that post to get ranked up)
do you think bible thumpers read gadget blogs?
Some, yes, but they thump their bibles digitally. :-)
The difference being that Christians won't rise up and kill people that differ with them and call it a peaceful religion.
uhm, peaceful religion? ever read history? ever seen images of americans spreading peace in iraq? and with the rest of the christians in afghanistan?
Even heard what happened in ireland?
Yeah christianity is sooo peaceful..
Let's not get silly.
@Wwhat: Since when are America and Christianity the same? (Not that I disagree with you)
Well with bush in power.. god talks to him you know.
Johnny wrote: "Since when are America and Christianity the same? (Not that I disagree with you)"
Are you serious? Christianity is drilled and injected into this country's (USA) core. Anyone who thinks otherwise is deluding him/herself. Why do you think this country has such a problem with sex/nudity? Why do you think so many voters actually CARE about a candidate's faith, when it has absolutely NOTHING with that candidate's ability to run the country? US citizens are, for the most part, a bunch of sheep. I exclude those of us reading/posting here, because we're the minority. Most people in this country are, as a matter of fact, still idiots.
I'll go on. Demographics for 2001: the US is 79.8% Christian! Only 5.2% "other religions" (Jewish, Muslim, non-denom, Hindu, Buddhist, etc). Interestingly, 15% agnostic/atheist (go team). That number was 8.4% in 1990. In 1990, the US was 88.3% Christian.
What more proof do you need?
You're being just as much a sheep by bashing Christians you know. Yes there are some you over invasive in there faith onto others and most of the time don’t truly fallow it (like err it does say not to kill in the bible yet crusades anyone?) but to be as ignorant as to call all people of a religion sheep, and dumb is astonishing. Here’s something for you, all atheists are assholes, pretty ignorant right?
Maybe one day people will realize that it is the individual who is the idiot, not the mass.
Wrong, you can make statements about groups, all mormons are mormons for instance, and so I can conclude that all religious people are either dumb or in denial or fibbing (happens a lot).
There's nothing inherently wrong with drawing a conclusion you know, even if some of the people that you draw the conclusion about don't like it.
And incidentally, the god character in the bible kills plenty and also encourages such.
And to CaptSaltyJack (who's point was proven by the votes against him): I heard several americans say they were atheist but when I probed a little deeper they say 'well yeah there was a god who created the universe of course'.
So don't get too enthusiastic about those percentages quite yet about the self-professed atheists.
Papism is an aberration of Christianity. Don't paint the rest of us with the same brush, please.
Daftest thing ever - and I don't mean the burkha
Oh, and before the flamewars start, I'll point out that nowhere in the koran does it say that women must wear burkhas, just that they (and men for that matter) should dress "modestly" - that's open to your own interpretations. And such clothing has its origins in Arab culture, not in religion i.e. Its nothing to do with Islam
Exactly, it's just an expression of one interpretation of that scripture. Of course, there are some places where this is not the individual woman's expression, but it is forced on then. I see no problem with the idea of a Burqa, but nonetheless, like many religious ideas, it still has the power to be used as a tool of oppression.
@Hardcore, how exactly do you distinguish culture from religion?
Is Christianity completely and unambiguously defined by the text of the New Testament (if so, how do you explain the many doctrines within Chrstianity?) or do interpretation and mores (a.k.a. "culture") play a major role in defining the religion...?
I'd say if someone invokes religion to support a given action or stance, then it is religion.
Sorry :-(
Right, I herewith invoke religion to max the amount of muslims in western countries to 5%, make it so.
I really don't understand the point of the Burkha. I've lived in the Middle East before and researched this, and it only says in the Qu'ran that Muslim women should dress 'modestly' - but this clearly taken rather too literally.
i'd go as far to say that those things are so dumb they are not modest
@shanoboy
Or where simply playing the role of a rape *victim* in a MOVIE is a life-threatening risk. (Kite Runner controversy)
burkas are great for covering up those unsightly black eyes and swollen lips caused by mr. big man husband.
fat chicks should have to wear that by law..
Thanx for letting us know u'r racist thoughts. lots of people around the world are gonna love that u call their moms fat chicken!
Try and be constructive not destructive will ya.
Offensive? Maybe. Racist? What are you smoking?
Mike's post might have been a joke?
lol agreed
Kay, nice tech and all - but how do i mach the tons of photos of women to the actual burka-wearing person in my vicinity??? the whole lifting-the-burka-up-to-look - isnt that what was supposed to be avoided by this?
Or "Call the Picture" -> "Hey, you really that beautiful" - "Well, youll never find out, will you.."
Takes the whole "date a fatty on the net" issue to a whole new level (and into RL), dontcha think?
Oh, Durka, Durka, Durka!
The video is from 23 days from the future, it clearly says 2008/02/30 in the beginning of the video ! The guy who took the video and edited it should really USE A CALENDER !!!
Time travel makes it all the cooler.
Seems like an invasion of privacy to be broadcasting a picture of yourself over an open frequency. That said, it's an interesting use of applying modern tech to daily life.
And considering there is not 30 days in February, it is not only from the future, but a parallel universe!
The chadoor / burka is NOT mandated in the Koran. Khadija, Mohamed's first wife was an independant and successful business woman even before she met Mohaemd. She did not wear either a veil or burkha. The problem is that Arab cultural values were imposed into Islam, and now, most Muslims do not even follow the original religion. The Burkha is a ridiculous and oppressive article of clothing that has nothing to do with The Prophet's teachings. Today the Imams and Ayatollahs enjoy repressing women, but they forget that one of the greatest Islamic scholars, AISHA BINT ABI BAKR SIDDIQUE, was a woman.
Hellsyeah Panasonic Allure!!
These people takes the Islam like something serious, now, I dont understand why you are laughing for them!!
Wow, the 'Burqas are stupid' argument's really gaining traction here. Oh well, this is the internet I suppose. Anyway, a common misconception is that the Burqa is a way of reinforcing misogynistic values. Like a woman's body is evil and corrupting and must be covered up. Well, actually plenty of women choose to wear them in the west, even though they've been brought up in relatively liberal environments; they feel it empowers them to be judged on their own merit, on the same plane as a man would be, rather than simply objectified.
I happen to believe covering up the face is excessive, and a barrier to communication, but it is their choice and only becomes a problem when a person must be identified for security reasons, much like how you would not expect to be let into a pub with a hood up. Nonetheless, this 'invention' defeats the point of the garb, but there wil always be a market for people who wish to appear devout, but don't want all those pesky drawbacks.
The women in the west who wear such clothing are choosing to wear such clothing.
"Barrier to communication"? Gee, ya think?
True, the women in the west only wear them to rub our face into their crap and our pathetic inability to stop them.
"they feel it empowers them to be judged on their own merit, on the same plane as a man would be, rather than simply objectified" so you're saying that all women who do not wear a burka are objectified and not judged on their own merit and are not on ths same plane as men.
So what about the pre-school girls I see wearing burkas in East London why are they and their pre-teen siblings doing it?
Islam says that pre-teens don't have to do the modesty thing anyway, no burka, but also no head covering, nothing.
Of course perhaps most followers of islam can't read and write and are a bit hampered in getting it because of that..
Wear them in the west?? I think you are getting that confused with the moo-moo.
I find them rather sexy... in a masochistic kind of way, can you imagine a blind date for example, take your good looking friends phone with you on a date, wear a Burka and you can be as hideous as a turkey buzzard's bottom underneath, meanwhile the muslim guy just thinks how lucky he is and buys you more soda pop and hash.
Brilliant!
Why on earth have I "got to respect someone else's thing"?
If someone's thing is paedophilia, do you respect that?
Good point. If you'd only referenced Nazism in there too, you'd have had a killer argument! Nazi Peadophilia can be compared to the world relgion of Islam, no-one can argue with that.
Haha, he could you beat and you failed to come up with an counterargument.
That's what TRUE "fair and balanced" is. You have to give equal consideration to ALL parties, whether they are reasonable or truly evil and illogical, whether they are of majority opinion or minority extremest.
That's also why TRUE "fair and balanced" has never actually been done before, and never will be. The ridiculous people and media in this country like to think that drowning out everyone else with their extreme views gives a fair and balanced picture... and all it really does is divide the reasonable, moderate majority into 2 extreme groups of "us vs. them" or "right vs. wrong" (both sides thinking they're right).
I feel inclined to make a "tits or gtfo" comment here... I mean hey, for all we know that could be a dude under there.
That's kind of the point. They don't want to be judged as an object of desire, therefore androgyny is almost completely the point of wearing a burqa.
Sorry, the point I was making here was that there's no evidence the picture even remotely resembles the individual underneath.
But androgyny could only be truly achieved if MEN wore the burqa, too.
Since it is only required of women, then we KNOW we're dealing with a woman underneath there and we're still therefore treating her like a woman. The only difference is that we can't look her in the eye or judge her facial expressions (putting us at a disadvantage) and we don't know what, exactly, she looks like.
But there's no mystery regarding her gender, so androgyny is not the goal here. At least, it cannot be a sincere one.
That is actually pretty offensive to some people. Why don't u try and get a sense of humor, that way when u speak of hate, everyone will think u are joking.
Burka's are stupid. Why must you force your women to live like ghosts?
It's funny how in more liberal countries like in Europe many of them 'choose' this 'oppression' you speak of. It has its benefits, spiritually and practically.
Practical in deliberately making westerners angry yeah, and that's the only reason they do it.
its not islamic, its more of a cultural thing....
islam requires modesty, not the specifically a burqa, its upto the women how to be modest, burqa came it to existance most probably by women themselves, who thought it to be easier to wear one large cloth, then say many different pieces of cloth, also, think of it as an overcoat of sorts, wear whatever clothes underneath, whether they are unpressed, a bit dirty or don't even match, dash to the market, and then come home, and go back to normal style, so you see, it serves many purposes
of course there are crazies who don't let them remove it even inside, but then, they also think the earth is flat, so there you go