Snapshot

Genre: persuasive essay

Purpose: to persuade Americans and other modernized cultures that the veil is not a symbol of oppression, rather a key part of the Muslim family and culture.

Central Message: Western culture should not force itself upon changing the kinship system of the Muslim countries and Feminism should not be shoved down their throats, rather it should be left well enough alone and the issue should be focused on defeating the oppressive fundamentalist mentality that would cause these veils to be unjustly forced upon women who may not want to wear them.

World View and Assumptions: The author believes that all cultural practices have their roots based in a beneficial and or logical system. The author also assumes that those from the western culture see the veils as a symbol of female oppression. The author believes that behind every symptom there is a deeper problem.

Tools and Evidence: (I’m not really sure what these tools are, but here goes nothing). The author uses an appeal to reason and a logical comparison as he shows us the start of the fundamentalism in Egypt and uses this to explain how these veils are not a symbol of submission. The writer uses the cultural past and overall view of family in the middle east to support his claims that the veils serve a logical purpose. The author uses concession or gives the opposing side credibility when he speaks of the injustice of the Taliban to force the veils upon the women,.