It’s a mystery indeed how the international community got obsessed with the attire of politicians with a fervour previously reserved for only film actors.
Consequently, when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj covered her head during a meeting with the Irani President Hassan Rouhani, her head-scarf generated more interest than anything else about this two-day visit to Iran.
Reactions to the picture tweeted by Swaraj’s official account included sexism, misogyny and borderline Islamophobia.
Covering her head was in line with the predominant practice of women covering their head in Iran. Clearly, most missed the point as Swaraj’s attire became a more widely discussed topic than the actual meetings with the politicians and officials.
However, it is refreshing to see the Internet respond a little unexpectedly as it comes to Swaraj’s defence.
Matter of Choice
More Important Things Being Ignored
Inherent Sexism
Putting Things in Perspective
Covered Her Head in Gurudwara As Well
Trying to Diffuse the Tension
A significant strain of thought on Twitter disapproves of trolls and those condemning Swaraj for covering her head, while ignoring the larger issue at hand. Do you agree with them? Let us know in the comments below.