Reply #12: Thank you. People don't seem to realize that Palestinian [View All]

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women used to wear shorts, even, and now are all in hijab and in sometimes even the chador.

In the University at Gaza, if my information is up to date, total segregation of the sexes is enforced along with total burkas, etc. Honor killings occur, treatment of gays is less than optimal. Reconciliation with Israelis seems difficult to imagine under these circumstances, if only because of a broad cultural dissonance.

Unfortunately, radicalization of social norms seems to be increasing elsewhere as well. This isn't just and I/P problem. I've read studies of modern Iran, and the effects of going back into the veil - it was quite devastating to women who'd had a taste of freedom. I'm concerned about similar occurrences in Iraq. There have been reports of forced veilings. We've read about the Taliban in Afghanistan. The toll on women is enormous.