On Wednesday, November 24, Iranian demands that female nurses don the hijab in response to Iran’s providing $1.2 million for funding of the new El Alto city hospital in Bolivia sparked a national outcry among women’s rights advocates within Bolivia. In an international teleconference in La Paz held between Bolivian President, Evo Morales, and Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to celebrate the hospital’s opening, nurses were shown wearing hijabs as part of their new uniform regulations.
This imposition of political Islamic pseudo-religious attire from another country is causing a rift within Bolivian political ranks. Even though the Morales administration is the profoundly socialist MAS party, the Iranian demand is still seen as an affront on Bolivian cultural integrity especially in a country with a Roman Catholic majority.
Lourdes Millares, the Deputy for the Democratic and Social Power Party called the Iranian hijab demand, “…an assault on the dignity of women…” and excoriated Morales for, “…submission to the rules of another government.”
Millares went on to state, “We must make clear to the Iranian government that that hospital is Bolivian territory. They have made their money is one thing but this is Bolivian territory.”
Although Millares finds it hard to believe that the hospital would willingly impose the hijab, the government run newspaper, Cambio, states that the hijab reflects, “…health, cleanliness and respect for the culture of Iran.” However, Health Minister, Ramiro Tapia, also called the new hijab regulation an, “…assault on women.” His office is under heavy demand by outraged Bolivians for an explanation of the veil, which is not an Islamic religious requirement, but a visible manifestation of aggressive Islamic political conquest much like secular clothing and colors represent gang territorial boundaries.
Started as a visual method of approval for their fundamentalist male counterparts in the early ‘70s among female university students in Egypt, the hijab had been banned in Turkey and Egypt until recently. It is still banned in Tunisia and was recently banned in public venues in France. It is not an Islamic religious requirement nor is it mentioned in the Koran or hadiths. The hijab’s sole purpose is as a political and cultural tool thereby designating it as veiling resistance.
Unfortunately, the experience of the Bolivian nurses is not unique. Even though the hijab is not universal attire within the Muslim world, it is being used to wage relentless warfare on women by forcing its wearing and thereby submission to fundamentalist Islam on moderate Muslim and non-Muslim women alike. In the UK recently a Tory Muslim Peer, Baroness Warsi, was egged by fundamentalist Muslim men for not wearing the veil as she walked in Western dress within her constituency. Christian women in France, who must travel through heavily populated Muslim sections of their towns and cities, routinely don the hijab for safety’s sake.
48 Responses
The point where the writer says ‘Even though the Morales administration is the profoundly socialist MAS party, the Iranian demand is still seen as an affront ‘ makes absoloutely no sense.There is no correlation between left-liberalism/socialism, which is what the MAS is, and any religion (with the possible temporary exception, through circumstance, of Latin American liberation theology), let alone an authoritarian strain of Islam.
A knowledge of the history of countries like Iran, Egypt and Afghanistan would tell you that the current wave of radical Islam only took hold in these countries once the reformist movements of the 50s and 60s (precisely like the MAS in Bolivia) had been snuffed out by US/Soviet interventions.
The way to defeat this wave of Islamic extremism, as this history is clearly telling us, is to encourage social reform movements throughout the region (just like the MAS or the Mossadegh government which the CIA and UK MI6 helped to topple in Iran in 1953).
But that means not being scared of foreigners and letting them run their own countries.
So that won’t happen.
As for the Hijabs, I’m with the Health Minister.Most Bolivians won’t stand for it either.Watch and see.
Posted on December 3rd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Ah, but there is a correlation between left-liberalism/socialism and women’s rights in that feminism is a tool of leftist ideology. It was developed to destroy marriage and the family by the Left, which saw women voters as “useful idiots” to further the socialist cause. Now that socialism has its claws into the power structure, it no longer needs women but it does need Islam to further its fight against Western freedom and real democracy. That is why the socialist Morales so happily threw Bolivian women under the bus for Iranian money.
Social reform movements in the Middle East are precisely what set off the Islamic fundamentalist movement. Until Islam itself goes through a reformation that purges itself of its violence and misogyny, nothing will be accomplished in the way of justice or progress in the Middle East. Bolivia has suffered horribly under socialism as has every other nation that adopts it. To say that reformist movements better the peoples lives when nothing comes of them but death, destruction and misery, shows an appalling lack of humanity on the writer’s part.
Quite frankly, if those two bug-a-boos of the Left, the CIA and MI6, were as deadly efficient as claimed, the world would be a far better place than it is now. Currently the US State Department is doing everything it can to further socialism in South America and has been doing so for decades. The abandonment of the Shah of Iran by the Carter Administration speaks for itself.
However, at least we can agree that the Bolivians will ultimately reject those insulting and demeaning hijabs.
Posted on December 4th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
The government of Iran is so cheap! What hypocrites! So is Evo Morales for selling Bolivian women for $1.2 million. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s selling men in the same bargain. Because the hijab, more than a symbolic and physical means of suppressing women, is a means of suppressing the whole society.
Once a government is allowed to force the hijab on women, then it will feel free to try and force whatever other arbitrary law it pleases on everyone else. That’s how it happend under Khomeini. As a result, the government has developed into a brutal, backward, and corrupt system that only cares about its own survival and power. Bolivia has enough troubles as is. I don’t wish any more bad news on its people.
Posted on December 4th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Why they didn’t think about this matter when they accepted $1.2M?
Now to me they have to listen to what these mollas are asking them.This is so outragius to accept such an amount of money from a corrupt government where every body in a right mind knows why they are spending these monies in countries who we never had any relations with///It is obvius to me that Mr. Morales is taking an advatage of the situation in Iran to get his hand on as much Iranian money as possible but what he does not know is that he is bringing a cancer cell to his country which he will pay for it sooner or later///
Posted on December 5th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
[...] developments in Bolivia. Jose Brechner passed this information in Spanish to Ann Huggett at The Reality Check who translated this news into English: On Wednesday, November 24, Iranian demands that female [...]
Posted on December 5th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Hijab is not even part of the Iranian culture. Hijab is imposed on Iranian women by the despotic fundamentalist religious clerics. Ahmadinejad is a mentally sick person hated by the entire Iranian population. As an Iranian, I feel ashamed that such an asshole calls himself the president. As you can see, he is bribing poor governments like Bolivia to gain some political support and does is so cheaply! I beg those nurses in Bolivia not to accept this contempt. Ahmadinejad is making a huge deal out of this and claims that he has exported the Islamic values to the US backyard! I don’t blame Morales who wants to attract some financial support for his people, but no human being should forget that Ahmadinejad rigged the Iranian elections, he is a killer and a criminal and any cooperation with him is against the Iranian people and against humanity as a whole. Shame on the Islamic Republic
Posted on December 5th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
[...] Source: The Reality Check [...]
Posted on December 6th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
[...] Directed by Peter Atlas, personal friend of “Safe School Czar” Kevin Jennings Iran Demands Nurses In Bolivia Wear Hijabs Keeping women in their place, especially the one who saves men’s lives Tempers Flare In [...]
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 7:32 am
[...] a new city hospital in a suburb of La Paz. Well now the Bolivian people have learned that there are some slight strings [...]
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 8:23 am
[...] December 2009 by hamerdinger This blew me away On Wednesday, November 24, Iranian demands that female nurses don the hijab in response to Iran’s [...]
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 9:13 am
The most depressing aspect of this story is how cheap the Bolivian government sold out its women for. Bill Gates could ride in there with a suitcase of cash and have all the men wearing ballerina outfits.
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 9:42 am
[...] Don’t believe it? [...]
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 10:30 am
At least we know what we have to look forward to here in the US after Obamacare passes.
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Is this what they mean by the camel getting his nose in the tent?
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
[...] Iran Demands Nurses In Bolivia Wear Hijabs and El uso de velo en un hospital iraní causa polémica en el país [...]
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Hijab is actually bajih written backwards, bajih means “let’s see how stupid the infidels are”.
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
[...] some financed by Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. More from the ScotsmanIran Demands Nurses In Bolivia Wear HijabsOn Wednesday, November 24, Iranian demands that female nurses don the hijab in response to Iran’s [...]
Posted on December 7th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
The person who pays the piper calls the tune.
Posted on December 8th, 2009 at 1:09 am
[...] policy. Lourdes Millares of the opposition Podemos party called the hijab-only policy “an assault on the dignity of women” and criticized president Evo Morales for “submission to the rules of another [...]
Posted on December 8th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Why not have the nurses wear the head gear of the flying nun, or one of the old-fashioned nurse’s hats that cover the hair pretty much and call that a hijab? Even Mickey Mouse ear hats might fulfill the letter of the Iranian demand while shoving it back in their faces.
Posted on December 8th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Let them wear the hijab….. but pair it with corset tops and miniskirts!! I’d say high heels but nurses have to be on their feet for hours at a time…….
Posted on December 8th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Wow, what a bunch of animals! WHat a joke.
RT
http://www.be-anonymous.bg.tc
Posted on December 8th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
[...] From The Reality Check.org [...]
Posted on December 8th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
[...] [...]
Posted on December 8th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Hijab is actually bajih written backwards, bajih means “let’s see how stupid the infidels are”.
that’s pretty funny if it is true
Posted on December 8th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
[...] BBC link). Only a few days before he met by videocoference with Iranian counterpart Ahmadinejad to sanction the agreement by which Iran funds an advanced hospital and Bolivian female nurses should don the hijab inside the [...]
Posted on December 9th, 2009 at 7:36 am
lolol…@ sail4evr I like it…May I use it in my conversations?
And about IRI.:..People of Iran don’t legitimize IRI’s as a government ,so they have to put pressure on some other poor country.
Posted on December 9th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I am a Bolivian-American I personally have great respect and admiration for Iran, their people and culture. But Hijabs on Bolivian women I hope not. “When you in Rome do what the Romans do” and in Bolivia women don’t wear Hijabs Bolivian women had plenty to choose from their own culture, I hope the whole think is a joke.
Posted on December 9th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
This President Morales, must be a corrupt idiot. for that amount of money, deals with the most hateful and crazy person that calls himself president that has no credibility amongst us Iranians and the entire world.!!Hijab was imposed to Iranian women by force,Tough this is just a tip of the iceberg on how they spend our oil money on abroad.
Posted on December 9th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Hijab is actually bajih written backwards, bajih means “let’s see how stupid the infidels are”.
that’s pretty funny if it is true..
Posted on December 10th, 2009 at 8:52 am
“let’s see how stupid the infidels are”.
lol
I was thinking something along these lines
Posted on December 10th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Another try: Post #26 appears to have had a “BBC link” which the moderator edited out. Could we please see a reputable link sourcing this story?
Posted on December 12th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
The link was not edited out by the Moderator, ie. me. Comment #26 was truncated automatically by the WordPress HTML editor programming because it is a ping back and I have nothing to do with it.
Here’s a BBC video link so you can hear for yourself those Muslim men taking Baroness Warsi to task for not wearing the hijab: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8387331.stm
Yes, they egged her for supporting Afghanistan too but that was not germane to my article. Also, the former Bolivian Congressman and political activist, Jose Brechner, contacted me personally and provided links to articles in Spanish alerting readers to Iran’s demands for the hijab for those nurses. You want those links too? In Spanish? Those articles quote from the Bolivian state, ie government paper, Cambio so how much more proof do you need before you end up looking like a crashing bore?
And the reason why your last post was deleted was that you started off saying that the article was a flat out lie and undocumented. I even included photographic evidence with my article but evidently you don’t trust your lying eyes. All you had to do was go to Google News and type in “Baroness Warsi” to find the BBC link yourself.
Posted on December 13th, 2009 at 11:33 am
why Iranian President do not bring some mulas and demand to change they religion as well. Iranian President did not go far enough. Because he should also tell Morales for some Islamic one and to wear some turbant, so like that it would look that Morarles is not taking ordes from Americans but requirements from some foreingn land leader, that thanks goodness we’re in 21st century,1,000 years ago or in Ayotalla’s time, the price for desovey the rules would be Morales head, do not forget that Islam means submision, whether you like or not. So well come to the sumision State of South America the price Iranian paid? 1.5 million Dollars. Is that worth it?.
Posted on December 15th, 2009 at 12:39 am
[...] Iran Funds Bolivian Hospital Here is another interesting story I found online: Iran Demands Nurses In Bolivia Wear Hijabs. [...]
Posted on January 24th, 2010 at 10:41 am
I deleted the last comment by Nicholas Karavatos because he will NOT ACCEPT any sources, including actual photos and videos (!) that I have provided and I am sick and tired of being hectored like that.
Now this is a worrying trend that I have seen from trolls and site pests on conservative boards: No matter what proof one provides, no matter how much backup research you give, NOTHING will be accepted by them. They have an agenda and they are going to push it; they have no proof or foundation for their beliefs, mind you, but they are going to bully you into submission through constant wearing down. They are True Believers in whatever cause that they espouse and, quite frankly, I am beginning to suspect that Nicholas is an Islamic convert intent on lying to the Infidel in order to further the cause of Islam.
I mean, he’s denying actual photos and videos! What type of insanity it that? Denying of reality is something liberals and Muslims do since their goals of destroying the West are one and the same. And, if Nick is both a liberal AND a Muslim, he’s a double threat!
Nick, kindly go to http://www.therealitycheck.org/?page_id=3818 and drop down to the comments where activist and former Bolivian Congressman, Jose Brechner, contacted me PERSONALLY and provided the original Spanish article, which led me to find further sources. Then go to the BBC link that I already provided and LISTEN to the men excoriate Baroness Warsi TO HER FACE for not wearing the hijab.
Posted on January 25th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
yahoo good post !
Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 6:10 am
Thank you, I regularly read your blog, I have some questions for you, let me know if you want to contact me by e-mail
Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
very postings !
Posted on March 11th, 2010 at 5:28 am
can i translate in Russian and post on my blog? )
Posted on March 11th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Yes! Please do, I’m flattered that you asked!
Posted on March 11th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Будьте уверены.
Личные сообщения у всех сегодня отправляются?
что ни говори, а афтор сделал свое дело на твердую 5-ку…
Извините, ничем не могу помочь. Но уверен, что Вы найдёте правильное решение. Не отчаивайтесь.
Я считаю, что Вы не правы. Я уверен. Предлагаю это обсудить. Пишите мне в PM, пообщаемся.
Posted on March 13th, 2010 at 4:39 am
Goodmorning
awesome post – i’m creating video about it and i will post it to youtube !
if you wana to help or just need a link send me email !
Posted on March 13th, 2010 at 5:29 am
да! настроение подня
Posted on March 14th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Вы абсолютно правы. В этом что-то есть и мне нравится эта идея, я полностью с Вами согласен.
Москва не сразу строилась.
Не могу сейчас поучаствовать в обсуждении – очень занят. Вернусь – обязательно выскажу своё мнение по этому вопросу.
Я сомневаюсь в этом.
По моему мнению Вы допускаете ошибку. Давайте обсудим. Пишите мне в PM, пообщаемся.
Posted on March 15th, 2010 at 8:16 am
[...] THAT’S THE LAND OF MY BIRTH…NOT A NEW STORY (2009) AND PROBABLY GETTING WORSE..RSK http://www.therealitycheck.org/?p=9051 Iran Demands Nurses In Bolivia Wear Hijabs Posted by Ann “Babe” Huggett On December [...]
Posted on March 16th, 2010 at 5:06 am
Только сразу не бейте
вопрос такого плана. Услышал, что щас стало модно для раскрутки типа своего сайта постить статьи, на спец сайтах для этого. Типа что-то, статейных каталогов. Я тут хочу на сайтец свой, который недавно сделал, так сказать народ привлечь. Ну типа посетителей на сайт к себе загнать. Там нужно разместить статью и народ увидит ее, прочитает и типа пойдет ко мне на сайт. Вобщем я попробовал разместить статью здесь. Не знаю, что получится, может кто знает о подобных каталогах статей, кто размещал статьи бесплатно?
Posted on March 16th, 2010 at 9:51 am
[...] squarely within a military commander’s charter to notice and analyze; others, like the Iranian demand that Bolivian nurses don the hijab in a Bolivian hospital built by Iran, might not fall within his [...]
Posted on April 29th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
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