Australians will not allow their women to be subservient, anonymous or under cover!

The Australian today got stuck into veil wearing and multiculturalism, in the process discovering a surprising enthusiasm for an Australia that is "postmodern and secular". Which is interesting given that these two qualities in schools seem to drive them into a positive frenzy.

Now, the veil question is difficult, and I personally don't think much of what the veil represents. Neither do the Australian's editors.

"Just as an Australian wouldn't go to Saudi Arabia to wear a bikini on the beach and drink beer in the corner pub, those who see the proper role of women as subservient, anonymous and under cover should not expect a postmodern secular democracy such as Britain or Australia to accommodate these beliefs."

But in the course of this trenchant defence of the rights of women, we get this..

"Australians, who quite properly want their daughters, sisters, wives and mothers to be able to achieve anything, are right to feel uncomfortable about religiously mandated coverings and the limits they imply. We do not allow practices such as female genital mutilation simply because they are practiced by an immigrant "other"."

What about Australians who ARE daughters, sisters, wives and mothers? Do they have any input into what is and is not allowed? Why is the "We" we are talking about only Australian men? The women have been completely veiled out of the picture! I'm sure this was unconcious, but I reckon it shows that our beloved editors are not quite as liberated as they like to believe.