Back in Their Burkas Again

April 7, 2010 By Guest Contributor 9 Comments

A beautiful rendition of a song telling women to take off those oppressive burkas.

The song was written by Helen Kagin and Edwin Kagin and performed at last weekend’s American Atheists convention:

Just in case you want the lyrics (PDF):

They’re back in their burkas again
Women obeying their men
No other man should ever see
Her eyebrow or her knee
They’re back in their burkas again

Women are wrapped up by men
Protecting their bodies from sin
Women must comply
And not tempt some lustful eye
So they’re back in their burkas again

The wrap must be shared with a friend
With sister and cousin and kin
It costs far too much
With accessories and such
But they’re back in their burkas again

A woman can’t leave her pen
While the burka is still out on lend
So in her house she’s trapped
‘Till in that horror she is wrapped
‘Till she’s back in her burka again

The burka’s a smothering affair
No garment can even compare
It gets so hot in there
She can barely breathe the air
They’re back in their burkas again

Covered head and eyes and nose
Down their thighs right to their toes
They’re back in their burkas again

But sometimes under there
They wear sexy underwear
They’re back in their burkas again

Everybody will finally win
When women aren’t wrapped end to end
Law is a disgrace
When it hides a pretty face
And puts women in burkas again

Freedom can only begin
When women can show off some skin
That law will have to go
When all women just say “No”
“We’ll not wear those burkas again”

And on some happy day
They will put those laws away
And never wear burkas again
And on that glorious day
They will throw those rags away
And never wear burkas again

You can also see video of Edwin performing a Debaptism ceremony, complete with certificate, “communion wafers” (Triscuits), and “sacramental wine” (Root beer).

(Thanks to Cambridge for the link!)

Filed Under: General, Humor 9 Comments
  • muggle

    They need to start burning their burkas, for sure!

    I fear they’ve got a long, long way to go under the Taliban before they can do so without fear of being thrown on the fire. God, I hate religion.

  • Judith Bandsma

    These were practically naked. Hands were ungloved, legs and feet were showing. This is blasphemous even in pants and shoes…it left the opportunity for skin to show.

    And they SANG! Music is forbidden, forbidden, forbidden. They even broke the law by READING the lyrics.

    {sarcasm}…in case you can’t tell.

  • BoomerChick

    What happens when a menopausal woman gets a hot flash?! Believe me; you can’t strip your clothes off fast enough.

  • Judith Bandsma

    Are women in burkas allowed to live to be menoapausal?

  • BoomerChick

    Good point Judith.

  • Arctic Ape

    Recently in some European countries there has been fuzz about banning “burkas” (actually any face veil, commonly called niqab) in public places. While I think that wearing niqab outside Talebanistan is a sad result of religio-cultural brainwashing, it should be protected by freedom of expression. This is also quite frivolous discussion, since wearing niqab is very rare among Western muslims.

    The proposals of “burka ban”, which began in France, are a classic example of right-wing emotico-political noisemaking. Allowing niqabs supposedly gives up the message that we accept direct oppression of women (as in forcing someone to wear a niqab). Also, in the cases where women are actually coerced into niqab, the solution is supposedly to fine them.

    Other rationales I’ve seen on web forums include: Covering your face on the street is somehow deeply offensive towards other people and local dressing codes. Any expression of extreme islam should be illegal because otherwise “they” know they’ve won. It is somehow crucial for public safety that people can be identified all the time (seriously, and how about sunglasses?). Face veil somehow enables hiding of explosives under your clothes (really?). Covering of the face is already illegal for non-muslims (it isn’t).

    Sorry for the rant. I’m just bored. I’m all for encouraging muslim women to take off their veils, as long as they’re free to not do it.

  • http://twitter.com/JmnyCrikit Kacey Carter

    Yeah because it’s so much better to see the young girls in bikinis that are riding up their behinds, gyrating their hips while grinding on EACH OTHER! But then, I’m sure you LOVE that, right? Especially when it’s your own daughters, right dad’s? Yes, better for them to be sluts than decent young women.

  • http://twitter.com/JmnyCrikit Kacey Carter

    “But sometimes under there
    They wear sexy underwear
    They’re back in their burkas again”

    I suspect that Atheist fathers love the idea of their daughters wearing thong underwear or partying, getting wasted, at the beaches with their bikini’s up their behinds, grinding their hips on other girls and shaking their ass’s for the pleasure of ( or to get the attention of )  guys. At least I know who’s daughters THOSE girls are! Good job dad’s!!

  • http://twitter.com/JmnyCrikit Kacey Carter

    This “song” is ignorant.