Laura Bush Blows Off Conservatives Who Attacked Her For Wearing Muslim Headscarf

This morning on Fox News Sunday, Laura Bush forcefully dismissed conservatives who attacked her for wearing a Muslim headscarf during her visit last wek to the Middle East. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she said, before disagreeing with one Weekly Standard columnist's claim that she had given "a tacit endorsement of Islam's subjugation of women."

"[T]hey saw this as giving me a gift from their culture," Bush said. "And it was the scarf with the pink ribbons and the pink edging on it, the breast cancer scarf, that I put on." She added later, "I think we all have these stereotypes of each other, Americans and Arabs, and it's a really good thing to be able to break those stereotypes down and get to know each other."

Watch it:

Full transcript:

WALLACE: Of course, Mrs. Bush, with a higher profile almost inevitably comes criticism. And some conservatives in this country are upset with you -- and we have a picture up there on the screen...

BUSH: Oh, you've got to be kidding.

WALLACE: ... for putting on a scarf given to you...

BUSH: Oh, really?

Story continues below

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WALLACE: ... by a Saudi doctor. And let me put up a blast, if you will, from The Weekly Standard. That she would oblige her hosts by wearing a shmata, which is Yiddish for a scarf, on her head is a tacit endorsement of Islam's subjugation of women.

BUSH: Well, I did not see it that way at all. In fact, I'd had the meeting with them totally uncovered. I mean, you saw other photographs, obviously.

WALLACE: Right.

BUSH: And they saw this as giving me a gift from their culture. And it was the scarf with the pink ribbons and the pink edging on it, the breast cancer scarf, that I put on.

I will say that I told them that I had always felt like they were closed to me, that I wouldn't be able to reach them because of the way they're covered, and one of the women said to me -- she said, You know, I may be all dressed in black, but I am transparent.

And what they were saying to me is they want to reach out. They want American women to know what they're like. And these women do not see covering as some sort of subjugation of women, this group of women that I was with.

That's their culture. That's their tradition. That's a religious choice of theirs.

Now, I did meet, on the other hand, in Kuwait, where women just got the vote in 2005, with a group of women activists, several of them who had run for office the first parliamentary election after women got the vote -- didn't win, any of them, but they made the first step, certainly, by getting in the political process.

And in that meeting, very few women were covered. And they don't feel like they have to be. But you know, I think we all have these stereotypes of each other, Americans and Arabs, and it's a really good thing to be able to break those stereotypes down and get to know each other.

Comments

[DC]

She was visiting a country and was given a beautiful scarf, not a rag as Wallace states in his poor German Dialect of Yiddish.

For a woman to cover her head has a long tradition in most all cultures. Orthodox Jewish women would never ever be seen in public without covering their heads. Instead of a scarf, one uses a wig to assure the head is covered. It is religious reverence. To each his own, but none deserve prejudice and hate mongering because of it.

As Laura B. said, "Oh, you've got to be kidding."

[Pythia]

I agree with the "you've got to be kidding" comment, but I take umbrage to the assertion wearing a head scarf is merely for religious reverence, for Orthodox Jewish women or Muslim women.

Basically, they have to cover their hair, so men won't be 'tempted'. Because men can't control themselves, women have to cover up. God and Allah, I think, can handle himself better.

There are certainly religious observations to cover the head at prayer, even I had to wear a hat or scarf as a young Roman Catholic girl. But only inside the place of worship, not so with those particularly named religions.

[HermioneGranger]

Men in these kind of uptight societies can't, in fact, control themselves. So their women should cover their heads.

When they share public space with normal women, however, it becomes a problem, I would recommend spaying and neutering.

[Birdman]

I'm no fan of any Bush, but I think she was right to show respect of another culture something the rest of us in thsi country could learn. I wonder though why did she go on Fox news rather then some other news program, kind of takes away some of the credibility of the statemtment.

[rain39]

I'm a leftie and not necessarily a fan of Mrs. Bush, considering who she is married to. However, I think she did exactly the respectful thing here as a cultural envoy from the US.

We can get a lot more global understanding started with her approach than with the neocons "invade and destroy" mantra!! Without that we are doomed to repeat our mistakes over and over again!

Go Laura!

[kristin]

Is it OK to respect a culture with head scarves
while we bomb their women and children?

[miriam525]

Uh... Mr. Wallace? "Shmata" means "rag," not "scarf," in Yiddish...­. What were you implying?

I'm no fan of Mrs. B, but think she did the right thing in this situation. Whatever happened to good manners, anyway? Oh, yeah, I remember.

[DC]

She was visiting a country and was given a beautiful scarf, not a rag as Wallace states in his poor German Dialect of Yiddish.

For a woman to cover her head has a long tradition in most all cultures. Orthodox Jewish women would never ever be seen in public without covering their heads. Instead of a scarf, one uses a wig to assure the head is covered. It is religious reverence. To each his own, but none deserve prejudice and hate mongering because of it.

As Laura B. said, "Oh, you've got to be kidding."

[janmarie]

Good for her! I am so glad she stood up for THEIR right to wear a scarf and I applaud her for speaking out against western ethnocentrism!

[godlessclif]

Not a scarf A schmata.

[Daisytoo]

Their 'right'? Saudi women have NO rights - unless you think getting the crap beat out of you &/or being murdered for showing any skin at all in public/or in front of any man outside of the family a "right".

These woman choose to conform for the sake of their very lives and do so by subjugating themselves to Islamism. They appease themselves into perpetual victimhood in a largely unconscious manner - convincing themselves of worth by calling their humiliation 'modesty'.

A good way to understand such vast compliance is to learn about the phenomena of Stockholm Syndrome. Add that syndrome to the subservience routinely demanded by plain old Islam itself and you can begin to appreciate the severe human rights violations you pass off as "free choice".

In addition to this depravation of humanity, I don't think we can talk about religious "choice" in a place where it's against Sharia law (punishable by death) for any other religion than Saudi sanctioned Islamism to be practiced.

Both you and Laura Bush are wrong to refer to this hijab wearing as "choice" or "right". At least in the case of Mrs. Bush, she probably simply made a diplomatic error; you are far more erroneous in your naivete in that your thinking is willfully common and dangerously ignorant.

[Boobaloo]

Daisytoo,

All of your SWEEPING and all consuming generalizations are wrong and incorrect.

Regards,
boobaloo

[janmarie]

kind of the same goes for the men in saudi states if they show too much flesh. besides here women show too much flesh, get raped and then blamed for the rape. women are treated kind of crappy everywhere. are you a female? try walking around topless down a dark alley some night.

[yaznaioutibia]

Thank you Boobaloo. I spent many years there and I have no doubt that there is abuse and it is certainly more difficult for women there to find an escape which is terrible; but too condemnn all Saudi men, is just plain wrong. The ones I knew were good men.

[Danny]

Is HuffPo going tabloid? If so, I'm outta here.

[Anie]

If cultural differences and any effort to bridge them, whether maligned or praised, strike you as 'tabloid' in nature, then your proposed reaction would be appropriate.

[Temperancegirl]

Laura Bush is a classy first lady. While there have been times that, in her fervor to get her husband re-elected, I have felt she hit below the belt, for the most part, she has shown wit, intelligence, and compassion.

I am a die-hard Democrat who supports Obama--hardly a centrist, yet alone a right-winger. But these attacks on Laura Bush's fashion sense, looks, etc., make me ashamed. I thought it was primarily right-wingers who made gratuitous, stupid attacks on decent behavior. Get a grip, people!

[sufi66]

Classy?

Supporting unlimited war funding while denying children health care is about as classy as a pornographic movie.

Or pretending to care about the importance of reading as library funds are being cut across the nation.

Real class!

[tsugury]

Because Arianna will never post it

Livni behind closed doors: Iran nukes pose little threat to Israel

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/916758.html

[Boobaloo]

"a shmata", yiddish for scarf, which translated very clearly into English for more Jewish hate and racism towards Muslims. I know its difficult for the hick and the racist to believe this but, not every Muslim woman sees covering up as a burden or a symbol of subjigation,except for Afghan women, most wear the Muslim covers willingly b/c its part of their culture. What we think of it is utterly irrelevant and its so nauseating listening to all the bigot Zionist neocons spew their pretentious hypocrisy when 50% of the working poor in America are Women and a woman is raped every 32 seconds in America and every day FOUR women are killed by their spouses in America.

Women are objectified, subjicated, raped and killed daily in America and no one cares but, a bunch of middle aged miserable racist, ignorant Zionist neocons are whining that a scarf supports the subjigation of muslim women.

Im deeply suspicious that their motivation is religious bigotry and political posturing, it's like a competition for who can express more hatred for muslims then the next zionist neocon.

[HermioneGranger]

There are a lot more women raped and killed in Afghanistan and Saudi-Arabia, this is why they are wearing this rag. Its the equivalent of the Yellow Star. It protects you from getting beaten up by the Gestapo for not wearing the Yellow Star.

[wry]

I agree, Hermione. It upsets me on a liberal web site when people talk about women "choosing" to cover themselves. A friend from Iran recounted a story of shopping one day with her Mother and little sister in Tehran, and witnessing a beautiful girl having her headscarf thumbtacked to her forehead by the police because it was pushed back too far and showed too much of her hair.
I don't know why it is Zionist or ethnocentric to say this. I am neither. I am a free thinking American feminist.

[SaviourMachine]

In all fairness she is right.

If you're in Japan,as a guest,do you refuse to take off your shoes before entering the house you've been invited to? Only if you want to be extremely rude.

Why is it so difficult for some,to understand the concept of being respectful to another culture and it's customs?

Oh,yeah that's right,prej­udice,bigo­try,fear and everybody has to act like Americans.

Such arrogance.

[Colmore]

Then why was Nancy Pelosi attacked for doing the same thing ??

[unclebucky]

Bingo.

Very nice. I assume you are suggesting something we should know, but please cite the incident and the critics? thx.

Ugh.

--UB.

[SaviourMachine]

Then why was Nancy Pelosi attacked for doing the same thing??
-Colmore

__________­__________­__

I heard nothing about Pelosi being criticized for wearing the scarf,maybe I missed that.

What I do remember was she was criticized for going to Syria.

[ronspri]

Machine, you are right. See responded exactly as Pelosi should have responded. As a poster on here said. Unfortunately Pelosi would have been apologizing before Wallace finished the sentence.
If women are uncomfortable with their religion they should either leave it or do what the can within the religon to change it. It is not up to others to determine what their religous traditions are. Nobody is dying from wearing a scarf.

[godlessclif]

Wearing a swastika when Lindberg visited Germany didn't do him any harm either. It was just polite.

[Daisytoo]

"Nobody is dying from wearing a scarf."

On the other hand, women will be severely punished (up to death) if not "wearing a scarf". That's the Islamist 'religion' of Saudi Arabia. Don't compare it to religios practice in the free world - it's not free - it's totalitarian.

Should Eleanor Roosevelt have donned the Iron Cross or Swastika as a mark of respect? Come to think of it, she probably would of done just that .. she was one of you guys, after all.

[abbagirl]

I am constantly surprised by the lack of civil discourse and behavior in this country and particularly on this blog. I am not a Laura Bush fan, but she was in fact being gracious and acting properly by wearing the scarf. I thought her response to Wallace was exactly right - "you've got to be kidding" - which is how I would like to respond to most of the posts on this blog. The insults are stupid, counter-productive, and undermining of any cogent argument anybody is making.

[Colmore]

If you are shocked at the lack of civil discourse on this blog, then STAY away from congress when Cheney is there.

[Ihadjellotoday]

Why the rude and gratuitous cheap shot, Colmore? You just made abbagirl's point.

[Boobaloo]

I agree abbagirl

[Checquoline]

It is not the women's choice It is the law of the land. If it is a choice they could take it off if they did not want to wear it.

[TimmySlagle]

I've NEVER seen Condoleeza Rice in a headscarf.

And do you really think the First Lady could be arrested anywhere?

[GWBushIsANitwit]

Why, no. She wasn't even arrested (or ticketed) when she blew through a stop sign and killed her high school boyfriend.

[MalloMel]

No, but she could be disrespected.

[HaveFun]

Only in KSA and a (one) handful of other Muslim countries it is. In Tunisia it is prohibited by law to wear a scarf. In Egypt, Syria, Iraq (pre- and post-Saddam), (obviously) Lebanon, and a few other countries it is not obligatory. The puritans in KS, former Afghanistan, etc, are the ones behind imposing this as law of the land.

[Daisytoo]

Exactly.

[janmarie]

It's the law in the usa that if you are female you cannot walk around topless while a man can. A woman cannot take off her top in public without being arrested, they have to wear a shirt even if they don't want to.

[mae692]

Isn't Laura giving us all an example of how to respond when the repubs start up with their asinine comments? Pelosi would have apologized before Wallace even finished the sentence.

[jmc42]

*

Laura Bush, the very last of the first ladies.

Lassie would make a better first lady.

*

[GWBushIsANitwit]

Lassie's a lot smarter, too.

[MsLiz]

It's that leg humping and tail sniffing that embarrasses the country.

[IkeChicago]

When prominent Western Women start confirming the MALE DOMINANCE OF WOMEN IN THESE COUNTIES, what is the message they are sending the women who are fighting for freedom in these countries. I say dress respectfully but don’t confirm to these Eastern stereotypes, it has always been my hope that Western Women of prominence will stop this KOWTOWING to this Eastern Male establishment.

To Laura Bush I say this - The next time you get a chance, stand your ground and look these men in the eye, then maybe they will get the message that ‘Women in this world are not meant to be dominated’.

[Boobaloo]

Clearly,you didnt read the transcript or press play and listen to the first ladys comments. It was the women who gave her the scarf and they told her they wear it willingly and they dont feel subjigated by the scarf, therefore who the hell are YOU to tell them otherwise? Are you saying they're wrong but YOU in your' infinite wisdom know better?

Im so tired of ingnorant scmucks like YOU spewing your ignorance and stupidity and laziness from your big arrogant pile of crap that you preach from.

How much easier could it be then to just press play before making a comment about 'those people' as you so eloquently put it.

STFU ilkechicago. I dont want to hear another word from people like YOU because its the ignorant and intellectually lazy that got us into Iraq and now Iran. STFU, you have no credibility.

[ethnobotanist]

This nation is becoming a den for intolerance - and it's influences are compressing from BOTH sides...on­e that seems incapable of tolerance, and the other, that will deny tolerance to those it disagrees with.

Oh, and there is distemperment too!
Bunch of Bullies!!!

What is happening to people?
Did the kool-aide made it into the tap!

Laura didn't screw-up.

The conservatives, or rather, extremists in our own backyard just showed their ugly heads.

I'd like to cover them up with something!!!

I see your point boobaloo

[Colmore]

This woman has absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever. With all the money at her disposal, she dresses like she has been trolling at the local Thrift Store. Is it because she refuses to spend "blood money"?? I doubt it, she has no reservations about travelling at taxpayer expense everywhere she goes, dragging her daughters alond.

[godlessclif]

No one complained when Martha Stewart wore the jail scarf, knitted by prisoners.

[Colmore]

That was because it was a very attractive garment. Laura looks outdated. Who gives her fashion advice, Barbara??

[wry]

Martha wore a poncho, she didn't cover her head.