Study in Black

I propose an interesting exercise to the author and to any other women who wonder about those of their sisters who don the burqa -- try it. Its a very simple exercise and to truly understand how these women may feel, good or bad, liberated or suffocated, all you have to do is put yourself literally in their shoes and give it a good go. And I don`t mean for a day, give it at least a few weeks. Everytime you step out of the house just throw one on. Once you`ve experienced it yourself as a part of your daily life then you may be qualified to form an opinion as to it.

I propose this because for about 28 years of my life growing up in the US I dressed like most other Paki-American women and cringed at the idea of hijab. I couldn`t wrap my mind around how women could subject themselves to it. Until I did it myself. I began taking hijab when my little girl, who I sent to an Islamic school, one day grinned at me and asked why I didn`t wear one like her teachers. So I thought I would make an effort...and an effort it was for a bit. Until one day it became effortless and today, two years later, I feel incomplete and vulnerable without one. I enjoy the comfort and feel of an abaya and feel dignified when dressed in a manner that others identify me as a Muslim woman, and a modern, intellligent, educated one at that.

Bottom line, don`t knock it till you`ve tried it sisters :)

Rabia

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Saminasha #161

Ah, I go out so rarely that a ticket should be charged on my appearances; or not. But be that as it may, since I come out rarely I miss some messages [for instance, I saw Sameer`s greetings to me, I want to respond but do not know where to find his felicitations, if they were, indeed, that, that is!].

I saw your response [I had seen it earlier but then I had gone to the hospital mall; on my return I couldn`t find its location. Luckily, I found it today and concluded that it must be the brevity and concise terseness that kept your comment hidden!]; in any case, I saw your response. Thank you. You are very kind. And very collegial.

Bina-

I love the usage of Hoothafeese, really cute.

It`s a great article, I love how you used the dream as your introduction.
Growing up in Saudi Arabia gave me a different appreciation for the burqa, and I, just like you, still have mixed feelings about it. In the end I suppose its not about men wearing white and woman wearing black, its not about oppression or depression. Its about what we as woman want to do about our situation. Putting on a black burqa does not make us any dumber or any less beautiful. Placing a veil on our face doesn`t shelter us from the world, but lets the world be sheltered from us.

I really believe that most woman that wear the burqa, that I have known are by no means forced to do so, but rather prefer to do it as a means by gain respect. But friends, respect is given to you to the way you carry yourself, the tone of voice you use, the clothes you wear and the attitude you keep. Respect is more than just wearing a hijab or a burqa.

Once again, you did a great job attacking the idea of burqa. Well done.

#162 by S.P.Wakil
>>
You are not planning to visit Pakistan in the foreseeable future, are you? I hope not.
Like the idea of trashing non-relevant institutions. I am currently in Canada. Would you like to get together? Get in touch.
<<<

Professor, i belive we have talked on ur yahoo group. Remember `Sayyed Ahmed Khan`? I will send u an email once i get ur email address from somehere.

rgds

Dear Mr. Wakil,

My name has always been Bina Aisha Shah. I am not married nor ever have been but would not change my name even if I were.

The society where burqa clad women drive cars is none other than our beloved Pakistan, which is where I live and work.

I wrote this article ages ago but from what I recall my motivation was to simply observe and be as non-judgemental as possible, while recalling the judgements that are made by others (and myself in the past) on the subject, both ways.

Hoothafeese

Bina Shah: I shall make a comment on your essay in time when I have read in its entirety. I have read about 1/3rd of it so far and
I have a question. i do this because I know I should not be able to proceed any further till, that is, I know the society in which
women drive cars clad in burqa`a?

On another, related matter:

Since post #158 is immediately below this box, I read the poster`s name. It is Saminasha. I gather that it is to be pronounced as Sami`nasha, b`r wazan-é "N`tasha``. Do please correct me, Professor Saminasha, should I be wrong in my supposition.

Bina Shah, from a very old communication, which I assume was from you, I seem to recollect that you too changed your name thusly.
Or, it may have been from a née to a married -- or vice versa -- name. Please inform on the board, or personally, should you so choose.

Of course, it could also be pointed out to me -- by either one or both of you -- that it is none of my business, which certainly is true
since it is not.

In that case, ciao, happy ram`zan [ramadhan]. Enjoy both ends of it!

Wakil Sahib,

You are incorrect. :)

Bina Shah: I shall make a comment in its time when I have read your essay in its entirety. I have read about 1/3rd of it so far and I have a question. I know I should not be able to proceed any further till, that is, I know in which society do women drive cars clad in burqa`a?

On another, related matter:

Since post #158 is immediately below this box, I read the poster`s name. It is Saminasha. I gather that it is to be pronounced as Sami`nasha, b`r wazan-é "N`tasha``. Do please correct me, Professor Saminasha, should I be wrong in my supposition.

Bina Shah, from a very old communication, which I assume was from you, I feel that you too changed your name thusly. Or, it mav have been from a née to a married -- or vice versa -- name. Please inform on the board, or personally, should you so choose.

Of course, it could also be pointed out to me -- by either one or both of you -- that it is none of my business, which certainly it is not. In that case, happy ramazan [ramadhan]. Enjoy!

REf: moidalam #154

You are not planning to visit Pakistan in the foreseeable future, are you? I hope not.

Like the idea of trashing non-relevant institutions. I am currently in Canada. Would you like to get together? Get in touch.

And, Bina Shah, although I just said that I shall comment on your essay after I finish reading it, still, in light of Moidalam`s missive it seems a good idea to accept his advice, that is, not to tinker with the existing structures but to start all over again, in the name -- or for the sake -- of relevance, cogency, efficiency, equality and -- who knows! -- equanimity in our societies.

Rest later when I hear more. Till then,

Arrivederci.

The Journey

The journey of my life
begins from home,
ends at the graveyard.
My life is spent
like a corpse,
carried on the shoulders
of my father and brother,
husband and son.
Bathed in religion,
attired in customs,
amd buried in a grace
of ignorance.

-Atiya Dawood, Sindhi Poet, Pakistan

Bina, nice work!

I think its pretty clear as various interactors have pointed out that the enforcement of burqa wearing whether it be by law or social pressure is an attempted exercise at the demonstration of power. You can dress up the burqa in whatever religious mumbo jumbo you want, it is the psych/physical/soc manifestation of claiming the wearer as the property of her father, husband, brother.

In addition, female coercion of burqa wearing is no different-and we last witnessed this kind of pressure in Kashmir where young women were threatened by other women with acid if they did not comply. Women CAN comply with patriarchial extensions of female domination.

Shandana,

That bit about the women of Naga- being injected with blue dye-compelling.

Hamid, Omar1974
Keep up the good work!

Farangi Kush Sahib,
I see you have reemerged from whence you came. As a previous interactor has written, I believe you have some previous issues to address....

Would it not have been better if the writer had made herself familiar with the opinion of women observing hijab. She may realize that ther eis no homogeneous group out there.

One category belongs to women who do it willingly.

Another group observe it since it forced by other family members, males & females alike.

There is another group who observe it selectively,i.e. they wear the burqa only when entering a muslim dominant locality ( usually their residences). as soon as they enter the public transport they do away with it. so here we actually observe two value systems. when they are within their community they want to preserve their community identity, it ould be a result of merely social pressure, rather than the lady`s conscious decision of whether or not to observe hijab.

The current genre of muslim women in india is faced with several conflicting situations. On one hand she has to keep pace with her peers, who may be from varied communities. while on the other hand, she is made to feel responsible for maintaining the so-called `identity`. where do this muslim girls go? where do they have the role models, whom they can look upto? is hardcore feminism an answer to this? esp. today when issues like communalism are not yet solved. when the question of basic survival are threatened, can they think of better status?

Let me end with a positive note. I very much empathize with the author, yet i would rather welcome a change from within the community.b yes, no doubt a conducive environment is to be provided, they require all the encouragement to put forward their opinions vocally.

Excellent work

hi

it is my frist post on this `wondersful` article.

I am sick and tired of so-called liberals and feminists who think that they can re-interpret Islam to support their modern tohughts. who r they befooling? not me and not you, just themselves.

It so happens that all religions, created centuries ago, have been and are used to protect the status quo. Islamic laws were intended to

protect male-dominated societies. period. If u belive that Islam protects equal sex rights in marriages, inheritance, etc, then may be u should create a new sect, or re-write another holy book of ur liking. Things would be more thresting then, rather than being `hilarious`, because of their weird interpretaion of Quran.

Quran was mostly about a male-dominated society at that time. It was and have never been in the context of a society in which women are educated and socio-economically independent. A woman`s right to good sex was never discussed in it, but regulations have been discussed for such men`s right. Whenever the topic of women are discussed, it is often in the context of resolving men`s conflicts over women. Just like material property. The soora Nisa is all about that thing.

It is high time, that Ms. Bina Shah, and her like-minded, so-called feminist friends see the light of the day. Leave the task of distorting Quran to so many sects that Islam has. Lets adopt a rational and realistic approach towards Islam (and other religions), and trash them away.

while in india, i read a short story entitled ``the library girl`` about the change in a young girl when she received her burqa.

i can`t find the author or a source in the US to buy this story. can you help?

bw