The Statue of Liberty is a fixture that symbolizes the principles America was set up on. It is a donation from the French in 1886 to mark the American Declaration of Independence. It illustrates liberty, opportunity, and freedom of the states' citizens (Khan 8). The statue is located at the center of a wide and deep river, Hudson. The location is next to the customs ports where poor immigrants passed through to find a better living condition. Liberty is a woman, and the artist's idea was creative because a woman is perceived to be sympathetic and always willing to give a hand in case a problem arises. The woman faces the ocean welcoming those who visit the land of opportunities, America. The statue of Liberty with burka on represents the Islamic community. Some Muslim groups felt that the Statue of Liberty is offensive and wanted to form the Sharia Law in the United States. They, therefore, covered the Statue of Liberty with a burka the same way their women do (Heath 286). The two statues show that they have different meanings to different people in the society and some religious groups.
The time the Statue of Liberty was made, people used to flee to America because they faced persecution and others were disappointed with the living conditions they had in their previous homes. America was a land of opportunity to them hence, enabling them to start a new life. These people viewed the woman, as a person who would free them from their poor state of living. The statue stands for more than an emotional call. She symbolizes the relationship French and America have and their common objectives (Khan 33). It shows that these two countries have collaborated for many years. Despite the public thinking that it is a symbol of friendship between the countries, there could be a different reason as to why France offered the gift to America. However because we have learned the history of the statue as we grew up and in school, we still believe the statue was a gift to show freedom and liberty in the United States.
The statue visual representation raises ideas based on her good personality (Hess 32). Her good morals are from her will to welcome and guide those in the globe into America. The torch she carries symbolizes enlightenment. She has a goodwill personality, as she is ready to share it with the whole world and historically beckons hope to the public. All people who view it say it gives them hope for a better future. The belief that America is a land of opportunity leads to the American Dream. The dream shows that people can achieve what they want as long as they work for it. The woman holds the torch high for all people from every corner of the globe to symbolize freedom. The statue was placed in Ellis Island a time when most countries did not have freedom hence acted as an encouragement to many people from other countries.
The statue with burka on illustrates the culture of the Muslim community and their expectation that people should follow their religion (Heath 286). They do not respect other people's cultures. People in France want to ban the statue because they believe a burka shows oppression of women and most of all in this century. They also believe that those who wear burkas can increase the risk of the country facing extremism because one does not see the identity of these women. The Muslim community, however, says it shows obedience and that a woman's body should not be exposed if she is to be regarded as a respected person in the society. The Islamic community disregards worship of idols, and they feel that the public venerates the Statue of Liberty.
The social issue is from the way the Muslims changed the Lady of Liberty by adding a burka on the statue. The community claim that the origin of the statue was Islamic therefore the statue has to have an Islamic look. It was to be a gift to Egypt however; political interference from Egypt's ruler that time stopped the transportation. The ruler claimed that construction costs would be too high. The color of the statue has changed over the years. The statue's copper color has turned green due to its exposure to environmental factors. It symbolizes the perseverance people should have to achieve their goals. The statue has been placed there for years, and it is still strong and currently a renowned tourist attraction site.
The statue today gives hope to many people due to its rich history. Both images have however brought conflict among the public and the Muslim community because they claim the statue needs to have burka on it. Some politicians have made their way to support the burka statue for their self-interest in politics. Other countries such as France have rebelled the statue with burka on, and they are planning to ban it in their countries. The statue of liberty has a tone of freedom and liberty while the one with burka on shows an Islamic woman and her culture. An analyst who was trying to show their difference and history created the photos. The colors of the photos have some effect on a viewer. The one with a burka seems more recent than the one without.
The photos are targeting all people around the globe with different cultural values. The statue with burka on however is based more on the Islamic culture. The placement of the photos indicates that the left photo is older than the one on the right. The statue with burka on is recent compared to the one without. There is fallacy in the stories behind these photos. The Muslims feel that the statue should have burka on to show respect for the woman in the society. However, they do not respect that people have different cultural values, and not all of us will follow what their laws state. The choice of the Statue of Liberty is a perfect choice for the photographer. The statue is a historical monument and most people in the world recognize it. Therefore, it will be easy to pass information as a photographer using a fixture globally recognized than the ones that are not common to many.
In conclusion, the Statue of Liberty shows a rich history of America as a state that became independent from the seventeenth century, unlike other states that took longer to be independent. It, therefore, encouraged other states to fight for their freedom. The statue with burka on was an idea from the Muslim community that claimed the woman should be dressed according to their Sharia laws. This idea has however brought conflicts among some nations, and they have stated that they will ban it in their country because the Muslim community does not respect their culture when they fight to have the statue have burka on it. The photographs show two different cultural values. Each culture should be allowed to practice what they want in other countries but should respect natives' culture in those countries.
Works cited
Arzamasova, Tatiana, Lev Evzovich, Et Al. New Liberty. N.D AES & F. Photograph. 2015. Print.
Heath, Jennifer. The Veil: Women Writers on Its History, Lore, and Politics. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008. Print.
Hess, Debra. The Statue of Liberty. New York: Benchmark Books, 2003. Print.
Khan, Yasmin S. Enlightening the World: The Creation of the Statue of Liberty. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2010. Print.
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