Should Mrs May Have Worn A Headscarf While Visiting The Saudi's?

[youngmafbog]

Personally I think she was right not to.

It is not the time to be harping about human rights we need the business and the Saudis would just ignore it anyway meaning we would only get their backs up. The idea we would tie human rights to trade deals WE want is fanciful.

So, Mrs May not wearing the headscarf is a good way of showing them how we in the West (excepting our new arrivals of course) treat women as equals. it a is a subtle and clear message to human rights.

No links, there are pictures everywhere.

[mikey4444]

I agree Sqad....lets continue to sell arms to nasty dictators, otherwise somebody else will step in and make lots of profit !

[Sqad]

mikey...agreed!

[-Talbot-]

That the great thing about having a Labour government ... we stop selling arms to to countries like Saudi Arabia.

[TWR]

Why?

[cassa333]

By wearing a head scarf she would have been sending the message that she/UK were not equal to them. No one wants to lose face or be seen as weaker (even if they are) but when you work on the world stage you cant really be seen as weak or dithering.

However I don't think this is news. Mrs May went to a business meeting with the Saudi's to talk trade would have been sufficient. ((Shrug))

[ummmm]

Do the Saudis not have TV or the internet? They know Western women are not obliged to wear head scarfs.

Saying that - I covered up when visiting a temple in Thailand and in Malta I always had a cardi in my bag knowing I couldn't go in to churches with my shoulders uncovered.

Where do you draw the line?

[anneasquith]

Nudity I think ummmm.!!

[ummmm]

Scary thought! :-)

[jno]

as long as nobody is required to go without hijab in this country, it's only fair

[andy-hughes]

ummmm - I think respect for other cultures is appropriate.

It's just a shame that some on here think that respect for other cultures does not apply when those cultures follow their dress code on UK streets.

National snobbery is never an attractive trait.

[mikey4444]

I am continually puzzled and amused, by the obsession that some of our regulars have with what women wear on their heads !

[steg]

My granddaughter says I should wear a head scarf cause I'm goin bald

[ichkeria]

Im sure if the PM had been going somewhere where the rule said 'x' she'd have done 'x'. After all she clutched Mr Trump's hand and some might say her remarks at the Trump press conference were on the greasy side of obsequious. I suspect had she worn a headscarf it would have caused a LOT more fuss, but from different quarters. Didn't we have some folk on here recently protesting about that Channel 4 newsreader?

[andy-hughes]

ichkeria - We did indeed.

I am sure you are 'British' enough to know that when Muslim women cover their heads in Muslim countries, it is because they are 'forced' and 'oppressed' - but when we try and make Muslim women uncover their heads over here, it's because they refuse to 'integrate'.

Freedom of choice does not, of course, exist in either circumstance.

[mikey4444]

We did indeed Ichy, and what a vacuous discussion that was !

[emmie]

No she shouldn't have worn a headscarf - Mrs Merkel didn't, nor some other women leaders.

[mikey4444]

Steve Bell has a view on this !

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2017/apr/04/steve-bell-on-easter-and-theresa-mays-trip-to-saudi-arabia-cartoon

[emmie]

satirical cartoons don't always work for me, and this doesn't, i understand it but like it, no.

[mikey4444]

Emmie....I rather thought that Bell had hit the nail squarely on the head here !

[emmie]

perhaps, but i still don't care for it.