My first experience at a mosque

These past few days on our trip, we have constantly been debating the issue of oppression of women here in the UAE. Many of the speakers we have discussed this with have mixed views. When we visited the famous mosque on the 21st, we were forced to cover ourselves from head to toe in the Abaya. This immediately brought up the issue of oppression. Did I feel oppressed by having to wear it? To be honest, I did not. For me it was more about respect than anything else. We were outsiders trying to get a better understanding and appreciation of the Muslim culture, and we were asked to be respectful by dressing modestly. I would expect the same if a group of tourists were entering my place of worship. I did not hesitate to comply, as I understand that the religion has rules and traditions that must be respected, as do most other religions. This one may happen to be more extreme than others, in that we had to completely cover ourselves. However, it was a new, enlightening experience, and I certainly welcome any more that I may have on this journey.