Does the burqa symbolise oppression and the bikini liberation? Giving a different viewpoint and going against popular perception that a woman clad in a burqa is forced to do so and is oppressed, Fatima Bhutto, writer and activist from Pakistan, said that in many cases, it is a woman’s choice to be veiled. “In Pakistan, more and more women are choosing to keep their heads covered because they want to follow their custom and tradition. They are making a political statement by wearing the hijab or the burqa… the burqa is also a symbol of resistance,” Bhutto said at the India Today Conclave in the capital.
“A burqa is not representative of closed-mindedness, but just an alternate viewpoint. An interesting example is the Fulla barbie in the Middle East. She is your typical barbie doll, but wearing a hijab and full sleeved clothes. However, she has a cell phone, a hand bag, a car and a brush. And the tagline is ‘a girl’s dream doll’,” she added.
Talking about the bikini, feminist writer Germaine Greer, said: “Bikini is not a symbol of liberation. In fact I think it’s quite a disfiguring garment. Ninety-nine per cent women look dreadful in it and they know that. Females are naturally fat bottomed, but nobody looks so in a burqa!”