Shahla Haeri: Changing Perceptions

{Shahla explains that she specifically wanted to present “educated, professional, upper-middle class women who have all along been very important in the society, engaged in various institutions of power, have been participating in the public domain and trying to influence some change.” }

while i can understand her desire to do that, i question this statement of upper-middle class women trying to influence some change. is it her belief that only upper-middle class women can influence change? and these women can engage in various institutions of power precisely because they are upper-middle class. i question whether it is only up to those in such `institutions` who can and do influence change because i think that is a rather elitist way of looking at the picture.

Laila,

There are times I have to accept the views of people like you. It is great, the pakistani women have achieved so much that many man in pak society perceived them as a threat to the usual male domination. That is why hoodood was created, that is why samia sarwar was not prosecuted and finally that is why the great mushy invited the father of samia sarwar to assure him that he will not be prosecuted.

Wake uo, laila, listen to the cries of help. look at reality in its face, do not live in make belives, do not become an pologist like the tahmeds and ylhs for the stench of pak society. No amount of eu di collogne can remove the stench of a skunk, the stench of TNT and the creation of collaborators.

There is an exhibit in the Islamic section of American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan called ``The Women of Islam``. This exhibit comprises of 5 mannequins shrouded in, what the exhibit calls ``20th century Islamic dresses for women``. There is one maaequin dressed in an old and haggard `punjabi` dress. Then there is another dressed in what i thought were rags - the museusm called it ``north african dress``. And of course, the kicker was a mannequin dressed in head to toe burka. The burka seemed to be unwashed and dirty.

I wrote an email to the director of the museum, with the pictures of my mother and sisters dressed in fashionable shalwar-kameez attached, assuring him that there ARE muslim women who dress fashionably. In fact, there are quite a few of them. And that it was about time that the museum updated its exhibit, and stopped presenting ``women of Islam`` in peasent dresses of most ragged kind.

Zain Malik

Hello Laila Kazmi Sahiba

About time something is written about the much forgotten, educated Pakistani Women:) Will try to find a copy of the book. Do you by any chance think you can interview Noor-ul-Huda Shah? Take care.
Faiza Hussain

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Laila:

...thanks and continue with your jehad:)

lve,

t

ps: time to get asra here?...will write to her presentlyl

``most literature on Muslim women has concentrated on the veiled, poor, peasant or oppressed women. Leaving out the educated professional women from literature has contributed to the stereotypes of most Muslim women being oppressed or helpless.``

If women are veiled, why are they seen as `uneducated` or `oppressed`? Even though hijab is a matter of personal choice, and like all other acts of religion, this too should not be forced upon women, but why is it viewed as entrapment? Ask a girl who opts for hijab. It`s in actual fact, completely the opposite.

“When I went to Pakistan, on one level I found it liberating, in the sense that I didn’t have to wear the veil. But in another sense I found it very oppressive. ``...even though I was always dressed in shalwar qameez, if I were to walk out on the street [by myself], I would always be stared at… Karachi is a little bit different, in Karachi it was ok but Lahore was very oppressive on some levels.”

I guess Shehla Haeri`s treatment with and without the veil, proves the freedom covered women enjoy. It totally negates the fact that walking without hijab means liberating a woman. Although, it can`t be completely generalised that women are better off in hijab, due to strong favortism towards those who`re not veiled, but just because a woman`s dress covers her whole body does not mean she`s illetrate, weak or handicapped.

i will look for this book, and i hope we`ll get to see a book about the lives of those women that were left out of `no shame for the sun.`

Writer,

Excellent piece! Thank you for bringing Ms. Haeri to my attention.

No Shame For the Sun should be a good contribution to a growing discourse on the lives of South/Central Asian women. Anyone familliar with the social science field knows there is a great deal of scholarship and research conducted on various working poor communities on the subcontinent; we need a well rounded understanding of stability and success in the middle and upper classes as well.

A phenomena I`d like your input on is one that we see often on Chowk:

Often, criticism of feminist theory/practices and South Asian women is centered around the following claims:

1. Professional women are ``aping`` the values of Western culture and are therefore suspect
2. Any successes achieved by professional desi women are irrelevant because there are millions of women who do not have these options to succeed.

Some time back, I read her book `The Law of Desire` - the concept of Temporary Marriage in Islam. It was probably her Phd thesis. A very interesting book.

`Mutha` or temporary marriage requires that a man and woman agree to get married for a specified period and for a specified amount - from half an hour to 90 years; and the man pays the bride money to the woman. `Mutha`, according to her, is quite prevalent in Iran.

No witnesses or paper work is required. It is just two persons agreeing to get married.