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The millions of reasons to see Islam in a new light

http://society.guardian.co.uk/comment/s ... 95,00.html

Simon Fanshawe
Wednesday November 15, 2006
The Guardian


This is a conversation I had recently with a young Muslim woman. It started off at a conference in front of an audience of youth workers and continued on the phone. I know few practising Muslims. Which is hardly surprising. After all, they constitute only 3% of the population. She has profoundly opened my mind about her faith.
Simon Fanshawe: If we were on the radio and I said to the listeners that you were wearing the hijab, they wouldn't see in their minds who I see in front of me now. (This is because she is wearing a bright pink hijab, a white jacket, pink flowing skirt and jewelled slippers).

Isra Jawad: I know. My friends and I call ourselves the Hijabi Barbies.

SF: That's the first Muslim joke I have ever heard.

IJ: Yes, it's been a bit dull since the 16th century.

SF: And that's the second ... What does the hijab mean to you?

IJ: I can't remember a moment when I decided to wear it. I often say it grew over my head. As I got older, and I know this sounds stupid, I realised how much we are judged by how we look. I know I am gorgeous, that I have a beautiful body. It's the bit of me that is clever and caring that you can't see. The hijab in a way makes you naked.

SF: Do you have lots of different coloured hijabs?

IJ: I think I have more hijabs than knickers. Sometimes I think that's going against what I am saying. But I don't claim to be a perfect Muslim. I rationalise that I am living in a western country, so do in Rome and all that. It's my way of bridging the gap. If I am sitting on a train, I am far less threatening to someone sitting next to me than someone covered from head to toe.

SF: What is your relationship with the Muslims we so often see in the news?

IJ: I feel towards them the same as I feel towards the BNP [British National party]. I recognise that we share some things. With them [Muslims] I recognise that we have our faith in common. With the BNP that we live in the same country and watch the same TV programmes. But both groups are making my life really difficult.

SF: How?

IJ: These groups are making me into something I am not. When the radicals are aggressive about this country and the way of life, I feel very different. I have made this my country and I would die for it. Their actions are limiting me.

SF: I sense that you might find it difficult to criticise other Muslims in public?

IJ: Lots of Muslims want to change Muslim behaviour. But part of me still feels extremely defensive. When these debates happen in public I feel pulled in two directions. There is a certain amount of friction in public, which is damaging to Muslims when we are so misrepresented in the media. I wish more people would just say that there are millions of different Muslims because all of a sudden we became the same thing - associated with sects in Pakistan. I don't know what a madrasa [Islamic school] is!

SF: Do you find it difficult to criticise your leaders in public?

IJ: What they have done is important. Getting Muslim organisations into the mainstream is a way of bridging the gap. At the same time, do they represent me? They sure as hell don't sound like they do.

SF: Now you've graduated, what do you want to do?

IJ: I want to work for an NGO [non-governmental organisation]. I went to a recruitment agency and it said I should make some of the stuff on my CV look less Muslim. So I've changed things like the International Forum for Islamic Dialogue to IFID - I don't want to be unemployed for ever!

SF: When I write this up how shall I refer to you?

IJ: I think as Ms I Jawad. I have a funny thing about seeing my name written down. I'll finally be Isra Jawad when I write The Hijabi Barbies: The Muslim Update of the Bridget Jones's Diaries. Isra Jawad is a member of Forward Thinking, an independent charity that is registered in the UK, founded to address the growing social isolation of the Muslim community in Britain and to promote a more inclusive peace process in the Middle East.

· Simon Fanshawe is a writer and broadcaster.

Below is a comment to an article on the BBC website on why a British Lady wears a Hijab. I thought the comment quite interesting:


I am not a Muslim. I am actually a member of a Heathen religion, that of Hellenic Traditionalism. However, I wear hijab. I don't wear it because my religion says I have to (it doesn't). I don't wear it because any male in my life has told me to (they haven't). I chose to wear it because I came to the realisation that I wanted my body to be my own business. I wanted to be able to walk down the street and not have people staring at my "assets". I wanted to not have to spend all that time in the mirror getting ready to go out, just to have the wind and weather destroy all I worked to create. In hijab, I am truly free to be myself and truly give reverence to the body the Gods have given me. Hijab can be, for some women (Muslim or not) one of the most liberating experiences of their lives.
N. Jakobsen, Denmark

Full article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/3110368.stm

Cheers,
Shafique

Hmm.. wearing a hijab is actually an expression of freedom? I wonder what the ladies in the forum will say about that..

I am not wearing hijab. I've asked muslim ladies who were my mates during our university days, they said it's more on modesty & comfort zones.

The topic of women's dress has been covered many times. At least I don't have anything more to say about the topic.

asc_26 wrote:I am not wearing hijab. I've asked muslim ladies who were my mates during our university days, they said it's more on modesty & comfort zones.

I find it interesting how the hijab etc are becoming the focus of so much discussion. Women wearing full coverings have been a common sight in the UK since the 70s.

The hijab, reading the articles, has gained in popularity with the perceived Islam bashing of the past few years.

All this from a piece of cloth!

Cheers,
Shafique

interesting approach. if i was still at home id probably say its bullshit, being covered no way in hell can be equal to freedom. but since im here ive noticed a couple of things.
anyway 1st of all, i do understand why being covered can feel like being liberated, free, etc. for ex, if ur pants just dont want to look good on u that day, u cover them and thats it. if u didnt have time to wash ur hair, cover it, nobody will see.if generally speaking u feel unconfortable with ur body, u cover it and unperfection will be less visible. in western societies many things are almost only about looks. i myself never go out on the street without any make up. the majority of women have at least some dozage of narcisism. and its good. if a good looking guy shows up, u wanna look good, if a beautifull woman shows up, u wanna look good again. being covered i would say that women dont feel that constant presure from other women, men and themselves to constantly look good.
but than again, like i said i have noticed a few things since i arrived to dubai. muslim women with abaya care just as much about their looks as us europeans. since they cannot or will not wear "normal" clothes, they put all the attention on the face and perfume. smtimes we go around with Nick smiling or "badmouthing" those women who have so much make up on their face, that they look as if they have a mask on. oh and the perfume...thank god i love heavy oriental parfumes, but many of these chicks are a walking poison
i know im kinda contradicting myself, but at the end of the day, is it really that eliberating being covered, or just places the attention of women and men from round ass and flat belly on face, expressing eyes?

p.s.: its been nice writing on the forums after such long time

been good readin one of ur posts after such a long time mami...



well to me .. da way women wear there abaya's in this country just makes u want to look more .. an it actually sparks ur imagination .. cause u start tryin to see through it all an wonder what they packin .. but when they aint wearin u see it straight up an u just go like mmmmmm okay ... but that abaya da way most women here wear it .. mmm it rocks more .. sepcially them tight one's

See, men will always be interested in checking out a woman, no matter what she is wearing.

kanelli wrote:See, men will always be interested in checking out a woman, no matter what she is wearing.

That’s true..


There are women wearing the abaya for cultural traditional reasons i guess..there are women wearing it simply for modesty. No heavy makeup no tons of perfumes. just simple n modest.

kanelli wrote:See, men will always be interested in checking out a woman, no matter what she is wearing.

No argument there, in fact some people use this as a justification for modest dress ---- oooh, I'm have a sense of deja vue

I think the crux of the matter is your intention - you are not necessarily a floozy just because you dress like one, and you are not necessarily modest because you wear an abaya. But both clothings do send out different messages to us poor 'small brained' men

cheers,
Shafique

most of women here wear abaya by force. the abaya being worn here creates more temptation. This is not what the Hijab what Islam is saying (I suppose).

definition of Hijab varies from one islamic country to another. Some nationalities only cover their hairs and rest of their beautiful body is on display.

I have seen here in Dubai that lots of pros wearing Abaya. This has became a fashion.

In some Asian countiries pros wear this Abaya to protect themselves from Police and hardliners.

I had a delegate from USA. He is Chief Executive of a pharmacutical company. During dinner he was asking some questions abot Islam. He asked why Muslims keep their women covered. I replied coverless women attracts men and cause vulgarity in the society and women is a very much precious thing of the planet and should not be a point of discussion for strngers. He said do you mean that women are only your property. I replied I didnt mean this but can you reply is it a public propery? he was silent then.

abdalrasheed wrote:most of women here wear abaya by force. the abaya being worn here creates more temptation. This is not what the Hijab what Islam is saying (I suppose).

definition of Hijab varies from one islamic country to another. Some nationalities only cover their hairs and rest of their beautiful body is on display.

I have seen here in Dubai that lots of pros wearing Abaya. This has became a fashion.

In some Asian countiries pros wear this Abaya to protect themselves from Police and hardliners.

i dont know anyone who is being forced to wear the abaya...

your statements on the middle eastern culture shock me, to be honest.

you state that the most abusive men belong to the middle eastern culture in one of your posts and here you are saying most of the women wear it by force...i would like to know where you are getting this information.

common now girl .. we all know the majority of the girls down here rockin the abaya by force ... no question on that


an as far as the abuse goes ..well .. yea no doubt a majority of them men down here is abusive .. in the middle east i mean .. but other communities an parts of the world got that too.

Jamal wrote:common now girl .. we all know the majority of the girls down here rockin the abaya by force ... no question on that


an as far as the abuse goes ..well .. yea no doubt a majority of them men down here is abusive .. in the middle east i mean .. but other communities an parts of the world got that too.

no not really. i dont know any girls, personally, that wear it by force. even me, i dont wear the abaya by force. i wear it for my brothers sake, but he doesn't force me to wear it.

also, i acknowledge the fact that abuse goes on here in the middle east and with arabs, but i mean, i dont think we are the most abusive. i havent seen anything proving that we are...so please, show me.


nice try though J, but I need a little more evidence to be convinced.

shafique wrote:

kanelli wrote:See, men will always be interested in checking out a woman, no matter what she is wearing.

No argument there, in fact some people use this as a justification for modest dress ---- oooh, I'm have a sense of deja vue

I think the crux of the matter is your intention - you are not necessarily a floozy just because you dress like one, and you are not necessarily modest because you wear an abaya. But both clothings do send out different messages to us poor 'small brained' men

cheers,
Shafique

That's true, it is the intention and actual behaviour that is important. When it comes to women's dress, hopefully men can learn to switch brain function to the big brain and not let the little brain rule.

bushra21 wrote:

Jamal wrote:common now girl .. we all know the majority of the girls down here rockin the abaya by force ... no question on that


an as far as the abuse goes ..well .. yea no doubt a majority of them men down here is abusive .. in the middle east i mean .. but other communities an parts of the world got that too.

no not really. i dont know any girls, personally, that wear it by force. even me, i dont wear the abaya by force. i wear it for my brothers sake, but he doesn't force me to wear it.

also, i acknowledge the fact that abuse goes on here in the middle east and with arabs, but i mean, i dont think we are the most abusive. i havent seen anything proving that we are...so please, show me.


nice try though J, but I need a little more evidence to be convinced.

u an i both know wats going on mami ... nuff said

Jamal wrote:



u an i both know wats going on mami ... nuff said

care to elaborate

bushra21 wrote:

abdalrasheed wrote:most of women here wear abaya by force. the abaya being worn here creates more temptation. This is not what the Hijab what Islam is saying (I suppose).

definition of Hijab varies from one islamic country to another. Some nationalities only cover their hairs and rest of their beautiful body is on display.

I have seen here in Dubai that lots of pros wearing Abaya. This has became a fashion.

In some Asian countiries pros wear this Abaya to protect themselves from Police and hardliners.

i dont know anyone who is being forced to wear the abaya...

your statements on the middle eastern culture shock me, to be honest.

you state that the most abusive men belong to the middle eastern culture in one of your posts and here you are saying most of the women wear it by force...i would like to know where you are getting this information.

I did not mean that men are forcing women to wear Hijab. Yes in some cases it is right but not with every one. But I meant the society, the tradition, the culture are forcing them to wear it.

This is very commonly known in Iran that after the Shah's regime women were forced to be coverd. Also in Saudi Arabia there are different stories behind this Abaya. But can not provide proof of these things. These things I get from the people who have met with these situations.

bushra21 wrote:
no not really. i dont know any girls, personally, that wear it by force. even me, i dont wear the abaya by force. i wear it for my brothers sake, but he doesn't force me to wear it.

also, i acknowledge the fact that abuse goes on here in the middle east and with arabs, but i mean, i dont think we are the most abusive. i havent seen anything proving that we are...so please, show me.


nice try though J, but I need a little more evidence to be convinced.

For the sake of Brother? Your brother like you to wear Abaya? This is also some sort of one type of very polite and decent way of forcing.

abdalrasheed wrote:

bushra21 wrote:
no not really. i dont know any girls, personally, that wear it by force. even me, i dont wear the abaya by force. i wear it for my brothers sake, but he doesn't force me to wear it.

also, i acknowledge the fact that abuse goes on here in the middle east and with arabs, but i mean, i dont think we are the most abusive. i havent seen anything proving that we are...so please, show me.


nice try though J, but I need a little more evidence to be convinced.

For the sake of Brother? Your brother like you to wear Abaya? This is also some sort of one type of very polite and decent way of forcing.

no not really. i cannot wear it if i feel like it.

if you go to iran,you wont see so many women wearing the abaya by the way...