A Case OF Faux Mocking

I dunno if I'm supposed to be outraged or what. Art, if it's good, can bring about the whole spectrum of emotions and feelings-n-stuff. Like this photo, above, from college student and Muslim hottie, Sooraya Graham (1). The photo was a project for one of her classes, little did she know it would be all controversial-n-shit.

When I look at it I get mixed feelings. First, it's kinda hot-n-sexy. It tells me that burka wearing women are...women. When I'm in angry atheist mode (which is more often as of lates) and I see a burka I automatically think oppression, sexism, fucked up shit, no no no. So is it cool that we are reminded that Islamic women are women, after all there is a human being with thoughts feeling and emotions under that garb, or should we be outraged because of all the negative stuffs (2).

Here's the controversy part. When the class project was display in a hallway, someone took the initiative and straight up took it down. A card was left in it's place. With the school administration in the middle Graham got her art piece back from the art thief. Originally they tried to make a deal with the promise that the art work not be displayed again, but somehow the administration just got it back. Obviously they were outraged by the photo, but the article doesn't say why.

Maybe it was an angry atheist, or maybe it was an angry Islamist, or maybe it was an angry any other religion. All we know is that someone representing a group is trying to censor an artist and her art. Remember, we all have freedom of speech or we do not. The artist herself says many things...

When she walks down the street in a burka she gets glances and stares. Perhaps by exposing the general public to a to the burka it will remind them that there is a person underneath there. When she see's something offensive, she does not take the initiative and take it down so others cannot view it.

So WTF. Censorship is bad, but so is sexism. On one hand if it is her choice to wear the burka, then I need to shut the fuck up. But if crimes against humanity are happening right in front of me (slavery, misogyny, etc...), then there is no way I can just stand by and watch. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression is for everyone, that is part of that secular society the mighty Atheist Blogosphere keeps talking about.

So...WTF

* Article

(1) I didn't know that "Graham" was a traditional Islamic name thingy thing.

(2) My not politically correct friend often says the stupid, "They cover up there women cause they soooo fine." What if he's right.

What if dude is right...