I discovered that wearing the veil is not suitable for a woman who wants to work in activism and the public domain. People need to see you, to associate and relate to you. It is not stated in my religion to wear the veil; it is a traditional practice, so I took it off.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of visibility and engagement in activism over traditional practices like wearing a veil.
Tawakkol Karman reflects on her decision to remove the veil as a necessary step for her involvement in activism and public life. She believes that to influence and connect with people, one must be visible and approachable, challenging the notion that traditional practices should dictate personal choices in the pursuit of social change.
In practice
In a speech about women's rights, this quote can illustrate the struggle between tradition and modern activism.
I would like the world to know that Yemeni women are strong, and if empowered, they can achieve. The world needs to look beyond stereotypes and dress code. In our hearts, we are just human beings who want to live a dignified life. Is that too much to ask for?
I want a future where my children feel safe and appreciated and proud to be who they are. My heart is one with all the Arab Spring heroes, no matter how small they think their role is. I know they believe, like me, that we are working for a world whereby an Arab can live with the other in a respectful and dignified way.
I have always believed that resistance against repression and violence is possible without relying on similar repression and violence. I have always believed that human civilization is the fruit of the effort of both women and men.
But the main point is that soldiers, after fighting for some time, are apt to be like burned-out cinders. They have shot off their ammunition, their numbers have been diminished, their strength and their morale are drained, and possibly their courage has vanished as well. As an organic whole, quite apart from their loss in numbers, they are far from being what they were before the action; and thus the amount of reserves spent is an accurate measure on the loss of morale.
I promised never to let the Rwandan Genocide die because I knew the Rwandans didn't have much power internationally and certainly didn't have the resources. I felt it was my duty having witnessed it, and having stayed to witness it, that I had to talk about it and keep it going.
I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.
There is so much history of this racist violence that simply to bring one person to justice is not going to disturb the whole racist edifice.
There are few things more liberating in this life than having your worst fear realized.
As a kid growing up, I didn't want to tell any of my classmates I did figure-skating because I knew they'd be like, 'Oh, you're a skater, you're gay, blah blah blah.' So I kept it to myself. Once I started getting to more of an elite level, I didn't really care what people thought, though.
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