Strange sight I saw today.... About This Page:

[akleos]

I took DS and DD to the Garden State Plaza - great big mall - in NJ today to try and buy some shoes. I went to Nordstrom. You all know Nordstrom, right? Big department store... great kids shoes... they have Geox cheaper than anyone else. Bad decision with all the back to school shoppers The place was packed. So I'm browsing around the sale racks in the kids clothing dept. and I turn to walk down the aisle and I see... a woman in a burka! I'm mean, a full burka with the grille over the eyes and everything. A burka. A burka. I don't know why I'm still so stunned. I just never expected to see to see a woman dressed in a burka hanging out shopping for back to school clothes at Nordstrom in the middle of Northern NJ. And a very strange range of emotions kind of fluttered through me just to see it. Once the initial stun was over I watched how others responded to her - especially the hasidic jewish women. And who knows what the burka was able to see - but there was a lot of hatred in the eyes of the people around her. I thought for a moment maybe she was a news reporter doing some kind of "undercover" story, but she had a 6 year old girl and a boy who must have been 3, so I doubt that. I just never thought I'd see a burka... it was really weird.

[Teresa]

I was startled the first time I ever saw one - or actually, it was 3!
We were in Hyde Park in London. And, they were there with their children.

It's sad that people would direct evil or mean looks towards a woman who was doing nothing but taking her children shopping. I feel so sorry for them.

[DebiDebiDebi]

I do hope that people were not harshly judging this woman who was doing what we all do this time of year; shop for clothing for our school aged children.
Isn't the world a wonderful place that we can all experience diversity and learn from one another? I have friends from many creeds, religions and walks of life, and I have learned valuable lessons from them all. We do have differences, but as my husband likes to say..."Variety is the spice of life!"
I hope that this woman has friends who accept her "differences" and enjoy her for who she is. If we all try to get along in spite of our differences, this world will be an even better place to live!!!!!

[ariel14]

Here Here Debbie (DebiDebiDebi)!!! Beautiful post!

[BelleoftheBallNV]

i dont understand the point of this post at all...i genuinely dont...you are stunned to see that someone from a culture different than yours has children that need school clothes?

im sorry, but this offended me...and thats all im gonna say about that

**edited**

offended is the wrong word, appalled is the word i mean (i had to take a different pain killer today...i meant to say appalled)

i dont know what the rules are here about saying something shocks you, or makes you sad to your core (cos really thats kinda what your post did) i read it and it hurt me....my grandfather used to get looks because of his accent, even though he fully assimilated and was even a citizen and voted every year....i hate that people cant see past outword appearances...when my friends in high school would wear their burks (they were teenagers, and only wore them because there parents made them, so thats what we called them) they never got weird looks because of it...we laughed at how oppressive parents are, but it wasnt because they were different, it was because they were the same....

i dont know....if im breaking some sort of rule, kick me off...but your post just shocked me, much like you were today i guess....

[*Pixie*Dust*]

I must say that I was shocked and a bit saddened by your post as well. She was a mom getting her kids ready for school just as you were.
I've lived in NJ for all my life. One of the reasons I love this state is its cultural diversity.
I've met people from all over the world who have made New Jersey their home and I hope I've done a better job of making them feel welcome.

[GATechGal]

I don't think that it's all that amazing or saddening that you would be surprised when you come across someone that looks (or dresses) differently from you. What is nice, though, is that the woman in the burka CHOSE to wear it as opposed to being FORCED to wear it by the local authorities. Just one of the benefits of living in the land of the free.

[BelleoftheBallNV]

Originally Posted by GATechGal

I don't think that it's all that amazing or saddening that you would be surprised when you come across someone that looks (or dresses) differently from you. What is nice, though, is that the woman in the burka CHOSE to wear it as opposed to being FORCED to wear it by the local authorities. Just one of the benefits of living in the land of the free.

honestly, it was the way she wrote it...like she was surprised that someone would wear it is Nordstroms, like only certain types of people shop at dept. stores...

and it is sad in this day and age to be surprised as an *adult* by someone who is different, and to find it strange or weird, at least it is to me, because it should be expected that there are many different types of people in the world....

[wvugrrrl]

I guess living in a university town with a medium-sized muslim population, we don't really look twice at that sort of thing here. I do always feel kind of bad when I see women wearing the full burka on a 90 degree day though. I can't imagine how uncomfortable they must be.

I did take a Poly-Sci course in Islam in college and was really interested to learn that a lot of fundamentalist Muslim countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia have more so-called mainstream "mall stores" than any other country in the world. Also, Muslims own more stock in Victoria's Secret than any other religious group. My teacher explained that they wear normal clothing (and underwear!) under their burkas, and at home.

[akleos]

Whoa. I think it's time to chill out. First of all, If you are so offended, I think a PM to me is far more appropriate.

Secondly, I wasn't appalled by anyone. I wasn't outraged. I was surprised, yeah, I had never seen a woman in a burka... and I thought it was strange, big deal. I'm not giving her dirty looks - I watched OTHERS. I really am very upset that you would A. attack me and B. assume that she is choosing to wear a burka just because she may or may not live in the US. You don't know this woman so how would you know if it is her choice? And certainly, you don't know me, so I really do not appreciate your assuming that I think Nordstrom ought to be filled with a certain type of person. If you aren't going to pass judgment on her, you shouldn't pass judgment on me, either. People should be allowed to have their own feeling and opinions. I don't need to reprimanded for allowing myself to observe behavior and then discussing it later. How do you know I wasn't trying to start a dialogue about difference? I live right outside NYC and I have seen every race, color, and creed and never have I ever thrown a judgment. Seeing a woman in a grilled burka IS strange - because I have never seen it before. I'm not saying it is right or wrong, it is different to me and I was surprised (but it was a lovely shade of blue). I'm not slandering her, or anyone else... I'm sharing an experience I had in a forum where I (used) be able to express myself openly.

[DebiDebiDebi]

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