The comments on the guardian article...
"Surprise, surprise, the harasser is the problem, not the victim or what they are wearing."
"My personal hypothesis is that the more ground women cede in a society, the worse it gets. Look to Afghanistan, where women even with Burka and male company will get blamed if raped. The 'cover up more and dare less to protect yourself' thing is a game women simply cannot win"
"Harassment happens everywhere. The lesson here is that "modest dress" does not "protect". So much for all the articles (even in the Guardian) as how much "empowering" the veil was.
In fact, the contrary happens. The veil and the segregation of sexes... hyper-sexualizes women. As then any contact between sexes is seen as "sinful"/sexual. Also as the number of veils increases, the women not wearing them are seen as "asking for it".
It's time the resident feminists of the Guardian are a little more brave and consider the hijab and similar for what it is: a serious limitation on women's freedom"
"Surely the inportant point is not what women or men for that matter wear but the fact that they should be able to wear whatever they choose without being attacked . I have always thought it strange that women are instructed to wear all encompassing veils and coverings to show modesty when the emphasis ought to be on others to show modesty and respect to their fellow human beings whatever they wear.
If a man feels he has the right to harass a woman because she has chosen to dress in a way he regards as immodest then it is not her choice of clothing which is the problem rather it is the mindset which allows him to harass."
"Two things to take away from this, neither of which are surprising:
1) Modesty dress, and societies/cultures based on the idea of enforcing modesty by limiting interaction between the sexes, lead to more and not less objectification .
2) The function of the hijab, as described by the lady in the article, is to deflect mens' attention. It transfers responsibility for lecherous behaviour from the lecher, and onto the victim."