[Closed] What's annoying you currently? II

I have to say that I see more Muslim women in town wearing a scarf than I did a few years ago. 90 percent of these are wearing them hijab style that let you see the face and a bit of hair.
Very few of my female Muslim students wear a scarf in that fashion. There are two girls (in a 800 students school) that wear the scarf niqab style, covering all the hair.
The vast majority of my Muslim girls don't cover their hair at all. I know there are Muslim boys who try to put girls under pressure. There are two conservative (to say the least) mosques in town that back up such notions. To no avail so far. We teachers are watching that very closely.
I am under the impression that Muslim communities in Britain are more conservative in general than they are in Germany. I don't know for sure of course.

I can't say that she is entirely wrong.
Des Menschen Wille ist sein Himelreich. (What you think is right will make you happy.)

But that doesn't make you right. A psychopath who murders for fun will find him or herself quite content in murdering people, but that it's right in their mind doesn't necessarily make it right in any objective sense. An extreme example perhaps, and I'm not eqauting all Muslims with psychopathic murderes (although they are among their numbers), but it does rather highlight the point I think.

Also, although I understand that many moderate Muslims do find much solace in their faith and traditions, they should also be aware that the symbol they wear with pride is also a source of much suffering for many others. They do their sistren a disservice by glossing over this in the name of liberalism.

I would tell Ninja's to take their masks off but I've never seen one.

Again: it's nit the practicality. It's the principle of the thing
No, it's not Apartheid, or Tutsis and Hutus murdering each other.
But "one specific segment of the population being structurally exempt from law or rules or benefitted socially based on nothing but a specific cultural trait" seems pretty damn clear and disturbing to me...
But I'd love an explanation on how this is not discriminatory.
(And for the record, which unfortunately seems to be required: had the case in point been a yarmulke vs. a baseball cap I would have been just as irate)



Spare me those old and really tired chestnuts, Captain.
The fury is hardly irrational, as it is explained, analysed, re-evaluated and rechecked time and time again, even on this very board. To call it irrational simply because you disagree seems...well....irrational!

And racism? Really, Captain?
I would love for you to explain that one, if it isn't that old 80s/90s kneejerk reaction to simply gag anyone you disagree with by painting them with the broadest 'poisoning the well' paintbrush possible! In fact I'm surprised you haven't hit me with the classic other Poisoned Well Of Evil yet, by painting me a fascist!



... and thar she blows.



Really, Captain?
Forcing people to be free leads to Fascism?
Howzabout current day Affirmative Action? Or the Emancipation Act in the States? Women's Vote? Just go name three HUGE leaps forward that build on that very idea?
All outright dangerous?

Yes, of course there is a risk (as I pretty much already stated in my previous post, right?), but dismissing the concept completely is foolhardy.

Let us be weary of the tone of the debate, as I would paraphrase Huey Long in suggesting that "when Fascism comes, it will be under the guise of anti-Fascism".

It's probably true that this direct approach won't change many minds (though there have been times had someone said to me "You're being an idiot" it might have helped... perhaps we should give people a little more credit, perhaps they're not all as sensitive as we envisage). But I think you're conflating the idea of encouraging people and societies how to think with what to think.

Perhaps less so with the hijab, but certainly with a niqab/burka, if a woman has never been encouraged to scrutinise the reasons for wearing it, I think it's imperative that they are. It is not arrogant to ask someone to think for themselves, or at least to consider a different perspective, particularly since we know that this form of sexually repressive, patriarchal oppression does not produce happy societies.

Anyway. This is a different -though parallel- track to my initial complaint, lest the two become confused.

Well, in school any "effective" approach is next to impossible. I personally don't wish for any such measures but I guess we won't coincide here.

You have to know in Germany there are no class uniforms. There never was a big tradition in that regard, not even 1933-1945, but since '45 anything remotely resembling a uniform in class is obsolete. This goes so far that there is no written dress code whatsoever. Not for pupils or students nor for teachers. That goes for schools and universities alike. There is a common understanding that everyone is supposed to dress decently but that's it. Only very few teachers wear ties. Most principals do though. So it's handled rather casualy. If a girl seems to dress too revealing or some punk or goth student cultivates an outfit that scares the younglings, some teacher will address the issue in a confidential way and mostly that will be the end of it.

So, as I said in my school there are but a hand full of Muslim female students that don a scarf. That's remarkable because out of seven "a-level-high-schools" in town mine is the one with the highest amount of Muslim students.

Obviously this has to do with education. We are factually the high school of choice for the Muslim middle class. Most of my Muslim students were born in Germany. Their parents or grandparents came from Turkey, the Maghreb, or Bosnia. If you look at schools that are "below A-level" you will find much more Muslim girls wearing a scarf.

So, education is the key.

If a girl suddenly turns up with a hijab there isn't anything you can do about it. We very recently had a court ruling in Germany to the effect that female Muslim teachers have a right to wear a scarf (showing their face), if they choose to do so.

If direct measures are out of the question indirect measures must be considered.

As you might know my teaching subjects are German Literature and Philosophy. Since we don't (jet) have Islamic Religious Education in public schools Muslim students are required to attend Philosophy. A few of them actually opt for Catholic RE rather, which I find interesting. Catholic and Protestant RE are regular teaching subjects in Germany. Some students will attend RE and Philosophy but that is not always possible.

Now, a big part of my curriculum deals with the philosophy of enlightenment. Quite often we will discuss questions concerning reason and religion coming into conflict. It is my experience that there are two kinds of Muslim students. There are those who will take a liberal position. They take part in these discussions quite actively. Others - the minority - won't take part in such discussions at all, no matter what.

So, that's it. Studying the philosophy of the age of enlightenment will hopefully slowly but surely show some effect. Enlightenment is man's release from his self-incurred tutelage. (Kant) Everyone has to walk that path on his own. Hopefully he will find guidance and encouragement. Yet no one should be forced on this path for no good will come of it.

Volker

Is this the 'religion' thread?

Look at the title, now look at me. Now back to the title.

Of course it's the right thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0neB1b29l8

Yes, a tiny little and easily-ignored button has appeared on my taskbar too. (I didn't ignore it though, I clicked on it and reserved Windows 10.)

I had it too. And had to uninstall the relevant update to remove the icon (and the associated files related to securing your copy of Windows 10).

The various files were contained in the Windows Update KB3035583*. I went into the Windows Update window on my PC and listed all the installed updates and scrolled down to the relevant update. Right clicking on this update allows you to uninstall the update. I always manually update windows so I was able to go back into Windows Update and then hide this update when the Updater tells me that it's ready again to install. Not sure what you would do if you update windows automatically.

*Just confirm yourself that this is the update containing GWX.exe and associated "GWX" files before removing it. I take no responsibility for messing up any computers as a result of following my recommended course of action.

Lets not call it malware.

I look forward to Windows 10. Should be a big step forward, but as always, I have reservations too and will lookout for reviews as well.

For me, it's a big deal. In fact, I used a particular program to install the old and original interface when I got my Windows 7. I've basically had the same interface since the late 90s, because I think it's superior to all the "busy-button" interfaces that have followed since.

So yeah -- while I might be interested in checking out W10 just to see what the deal is, I will not install it on my computer. Hence this inescapable icon that stares me in the face every time I log on, is annoying and FEELS like malware (even if it isn't).

In any case: Thanks for the tip, Alan. I have automatic updates, but I will check to see if I can edit and uninstall this thing.

Well, I realized I didn't want to remove the latest windows update altogether, as there might be other important things there that I need.

However, I found this by googling around:

http://www.askvg.com/how-to-remove-get- … m-taskbar/

Quite cumbersome process if you want to remove the app altogether (like I do), but I made ut using this tutorial.

ClassicShell / Classic Menu?
They already have an update for Windows 10 available.
(I use it as well)