Hermus -JRG Grade 7

That's not true, Autumn. Chy researched stuff and she said you could have beads, and lace, and different colors. She found the information.

But they do have a right, they can wear different colored burqas. And they don't have to wear them; the Taliban isn't in charge anymore.

I know that pretty much all of the people in this classroom would not want to wear a burqa. I know I don't. But we don't have to, so we don't! It's our choice. They should have one too, whether it's wearing the burqa or not wearing the burqa.

It's not that WE want to. It's that THEY want to, and that should be all that matters. I don't want to wear a burqa, but I respect a woman's decision to wear it.

Yeah! It's their choice! The Taliban is no longer in power, and they aren't being forced to do anything. It's now their decision, and we can't take that away from them.

It's oppresive to make women wear the burqa, but it's even more oppresive to force them to give it up even if they want to wear it. It doesn't take away from their individuality, like Chy said, because there are lots of different colors and types. Women like black because it is traditional. And like the lady in the video said, she likes to talk to people and she has a family and a husband and she is really happy in her life. She isn't forced to do anything she doesn't want to do, and she is choosing to wear the burqa.

They feel safer because women who wear more exposed clothing are more likely to be attacked. In a burqa, the predator can't see them, and they don't know who they will be attacking.

I agree, if nuns wear their coverings, why isn't anyone protesting about that? Because we agree with that religion? Muslim people have a right to wear what they want to feel closer to God, just like Christians do.

But Autumn, they aren't being forced to wear the burqa anymore. A lot of the women are actually choosing to wear them because they feel safe and close to God. We can't just take away their religious decisions.

I think that the burqa is only oppresive if women don't want to wear it. They are allowed to take it off now, so they aren't forcing them to wear them. I think that those who don't want to take them off shouldn't be forced to. A lot of women feel safe from the rise of kidnappers in Kabul when they are hidden in their burqas. It's a sense of security in dangerous times, and it makes them feel closer to God. It's their choice, their religion, and haven't we been learning about how you should be able to believe what you want to believe? If we take away their freedom of choice, what will we have learned this year at all?