In the Name of Allaah, The Most Gracious, The Most Kind
It is late
in the afternoon at the University of British Columbia and I have been
cooped up in this library for hours, trying to compose a thesis for my
American Literature term paper. Deciding that a break would help clear my
thoughts, I leave the confines of the library to sit outside, only to hear
a female voice come up
from behind me to ask: "Just how is it that you
can live with yourself from day to day wearing that THING on your head and
letting THEM control your life?" Granted, it is an original line, a
creative way to break the ice, yet why the code words? Only because I've
been yelled at in public before for reasons connected to my appearance do
I know what this woman means.
Code word # 1: "head thing"= 30inch
X 30inch yellow and maroon flower patterned polyester belend, a piece of
cloth I happen to be wearing to cover my head and neck; Code word #2:
"them"= all Muslim men who, sinister like with their dark beards, heavy
accents, and hidden Uzi's get a rush out of making women their life-long
slaves.
Having deciphered all this quickly, I turn to face the
stranger-a cross looking thing-I smile politely and signal to the empty
chair beside me: "Would you like to have a seat?" HIJAB, the head to ankle
covering that leaves only the face, hands and feet visible in public, has
made me a very patient Muslim woman. The brave individuals who have
mustered the courage to verbally express their opinions about my scarf
havent been the most trying. There are many who cant formulate words
coherant enough to communicate their disapproval, and so, rely on simple
gestures and sign language. Walking through downtown Vancouver, I've been
fingered,
spat on, scowled and cursed at. Stepping into an elevator, I
onve traumatized a man who could do nothing but shuffle into the corner of
the empty lift and mutter "What the f---? WHAT THE F---?!?!?!?!" I have to
take the agitation, the horror, even the hatred in stide. But never will i
be silent about it.
I can ignore the flagrant distortions no more
than i can deny the fact that i am a Muslim living in Canada. Who I am and
what popular culture thinks i am, has become a tug-of-war--competition of
who can explain the status of the Muslim hijab-wearer convincingly. The
media tells the public that I am a weak freak of nature who has been
forced to subjuct herself to the tyranny of Muslim fundamentalists.
Catherine Meckes asseses that wearing hijab is "some kind of twisted
logic" beacause it entraps women like animals in a cage. The Muslim dress
code, she argues, is a form os hiding from society so that I dont have to
deal withthe realities of my "natural habitat." Ms. Meckes seems to be
familiar enough with the Western culture to know that women are constantly
objectified, used as commodities, tools to sell beer and boost sales for
the next football season. Sadly enough though she views women who wish to
distance themselves from this commercial degredation with fear. She finds
women who cover "disturbing" and wished that she didnt have to confront
them on their "home turf."
Pardon my feeble-mindedness, I've
pinned my scarf on too tight and squeezed reason out of my brain....just
WHO is running away from the truth? I have chosen to set myself apart from
millions of Canadians, placed myself in the way of ridicule by a society
that demands women to conform to certain ideals, I have refused to hide in
the crowded university hallways and malls by looking the way Cindy, Cosmo,
or Calvin Klein think I should- all because I'm a spinless caged
rodent?!?! I have rejected the hip-hugging jeans, the breast-enhancing
halter tops, the poofy hair and made-up face, and accepted hijab so that I
can be appreciated for my intellect and personality rather than my figure
or fashion sense. When i face a classmate or colleague i can be confident
that my body is not being scrutinized , my bra-strap or pantyline visible.
I have repudiated the perverted values of our society by choosing to
assert myself only through my mind. I understand my "natural habibtat"
very well thank you.
I fully comprehend the distorted image of the
"ideal woman", but the difference between me and the Catherine Meckes's of
the world is that I am NOT afraid to defy those standards. Islam liberated
me from THAT prison.
Perhaps hijab is so misunderstood because it
is prescribed by a religion that makes bold, shocking statement: Women are
precious creatures who have the right to be valued for who they are, and
not what they can juggle. When i decide to start wearing hijab, my mother
pulled me aside and posed this question: "If you found a
diamond that
was exquisite in every way, would you show it to all your friends, let
them gawk at its dazzle, caress it, or would you covet the stone and
protect it by preserving its natural splendor?" Once you bear something
for all to see, the second you display something for its beauty, you
objectify it and diminish its value.
because its worth is bulit on its
ability to attract, when it no longer elicits awe from onlookers it
becomes worthless. Is it a wonder that neck lines keep plunging every
year?- more cleavage means women wont bore oglers, the commercial
industries, and the rest of society for awhile. But when will those skirts
quit
shortening?? For how long will women remail sex
objects??
Islam tells us that every woman is a jewel and when she
respects herself enough to preserve her beauty for herself and her loved
ones, she rejects being objectified by a society which does NOT value her.
Only the dearest pple in my life know me without hijab beacause they love
me enough to value ALL of me. John and Jane Doe dont love me or care for
me, so why must I meet their notions of an "ideal woman" if they are
meaningless to me? It is the desire to please popular culture that makes
15 year old girls want to fit Kate Moss's jeans by sticking their fingers
down their throats and wretching three times a day . It is the
unattainable Perfect Body society has conjured that make "fat", "ugly"
girls splatter themselves on sidewalks because theyre just "not thin and
pretty enough". AND THEY TELL ME ISLAM OPPRESSES WOMEN??
I am
thankful that I am not suicidal or psychologically unbalanced because i
can't meet the demands of my culture. I am fortunate that my concerns and
goals in life lie on a higher plane than the dictates of a pretty fashion
industry. I am quite content with my religion, for it values my power to
achieve great things through my mind, not through my body. Whether I am
physically beautiful or not, you have no clue. Perhaps this fact is
disturbing for
Catherine Meckes and the library stranger because they
are not ready to meet a woman who can get by without her looks. Then
again, perhaps it is because they are just ignorant of the (WHAT IS IT?)
facts. Either way, I dont need anyone's sympathy, I am not really that
scary, and your anger does me no harm.
I
am not under duress, or a
male-worshipping female captive from the barbarous Arabian
deserts.
I'VE BEEN LIBERATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Author
unknown......
It is late
in the afternoon at the University of British Columbia and I have been
cooped up in this library for hours, trying to compose a thesis for my
American Literature term paper. Deciding that a break would help clear my
thoughts, I leave the confines of the library to sit outside, only to hear
a female voice come up
from behind me to ask: "Just how is it that you
can live with yourself from day to day wearing that THING on your head and
letting THEM control your life?" Granted, it is an original line, a
creative way to break the ice, yet why the code words? Only because I've
been yelled at in public before for reasons connected to my appearance do
I know what this woman means.
Code word # 1: "head thing"= 30inch
X 30inch yellow and maroon flower patterned polyester belend, a piece of
cloth I happen to be wearing to cover my head and neck; Code word #2:
"them"= all Muslim men who, sinister like with their dark beards, heavy
accents, and hidden Uzi's get a rush out of making women their life-long
slaves.
Having deciphered all this quickly, I turn to face the
stranger-a cross looking thing-I smile politely and signal to the empty
chair beside me: "Would you like to have a seat?" HIJAB, the head to ankle
covering that leaves only the face, hands and feet visible in public, has
made me a very patient Muslim woman. The brave individuals who have
mustered the courage to verbally express their opinions about my scarf
havent been the most trying. There are many who cant formulate words
coherant enough to communicate their disapproval, and so, rely on simple
gestures and sign language. Walking through downtown Vancouver, I've been
fingered,
spat on, scowled and cursed at. Stepping into an elevator, I
onve traumatized a man who could do nothing but shuffle into the corner of
the empty lift and mutter "What the f---? WHAT THE F---?!?!?!?!" I have to
take the agitation, the horror, even the hatred in stide. But never will i
be silent about it.
I can ignore the flagrant distortions no more
than i can deny the fact that i am a Muslim living in Canada. Who I am and
what popular culture thinks i am, has become a tug-of-war--competition of
who can explain the status of the Muslim hijab-wearer convincingly. The
media tells the public that I am a weak freak of nature who has been
forced to subjuct herself to the tyranny of Muslim fundamentalists.
Catherine Meckes asseses that wearing hijab is "some kind of twisted
logic" beacause it entraps women like animals in a cage. The Muslim dress
code, she argues, is a form os hiding from society so that I dont have to
deal withthe realities of my "natural habitat." Ms. Meckes seems to be
familiar enough with the Western culture to know that women are constantly
objectified, used as commodities, tools to sell beer and boost sales for
the next football season. Sadly enough though she views women who wish to
distance themselves from this commercial degredation with fear. She finds
women who cover "disturbing" and wished that she didnt have to confront
them on their "home turf."
Pardon my feeble-mindedness, I've
pinned my scarf on too tight and squeezed reason out of my brain....just
WHO is running away from the truth? I have chosen to set myself apart from
millions of Canadians, placed myself in the way of ridicule by a society
that demands women to conform to certain ideals, I have refused to hide in
the crowded university hallways and malls by looking the way Cindy, Cosmo,
or Calvin Klein think I should- all because I'm a spinless caged
rodent?!?! I have rejected the hip-hugging jeans, the breast-enhancing
halter tops, the poofy hair and made-up face, and accepted hijab so that I
can be appreciated for my intellect and personality rather than my figure
or fashion sense. When i face a classmate or colleague i can be confident
that my body is not being scrutinized , my bra-strap or pantyline visible.
I have repudiated the perverted values of our society by choosing to
assert myself only through my mind. I understand my "natural habibtat"
very well thank you.
I fully comprehend the distorted image of the
"ideal woman", but the difference between me and the Catherine Meckes's of
the world is that I am NOT afraid to defy those standards. Islam liberated
me from THAT prison.
Perhaps hijab is so misunderstood because it
is prescribed by a religion that makes bold, shocking statement: Women are
precious creatures who have the right to be valued for who they are, and
not what they can juggle. When i decide to start wearing hijab, my mother
pulled me aside and posed this question: "If you found a
diamond that
was exquisite in every way, would you show it to all your friends, let
them gawk at its dazzle, caress it, or would you covet the stone and
protect it by preserving its natural splendor?" Once you bear something
for all to see, the second you display something for its beauty, you
objectify it and diminish its value.
because its worth is bulit on its
ability to attract, when it no longer elicits awe from onlookers it
becomes worthless. Is it a wonder that neck lines keep plunging every
year?- more cleavage means women wont bore oglers, the commercial
industries, and the rest of society for awhile. But when will those skirts
quit
shortening?? For how long will women remail sex
objects??
Islam tells us that every woman is a jewel and when she
respects herself enough to preserve her beauty for herself and her loved
ones, she rejects being objectified by a society which does NOT value her.
Only the dearest pple in my life know me without hijab beacause they love
me enough to value ALL of me. John and Jane Doe dont love me or care for
me, so why must I meet their notions of an "ideal woman" if they are
meaningless to me? It is the desire to please popular culture that makes
15 year old girls want to fit Kate Moss's jeans by sticking their fingers
down their throats and wretching three times a day . It is the
unattainable Perfect Body society has conjured that make "fat", "ugly"
girls splatter themselves on sidewalks because theyre just "not thin and
pretty enough". AND THEY TELL ME ISLAM OPPRESSES WOMEN??
I am
thankful that I am not suicidal or psychologically unbalanced because i
can't meet the demands of my culture. I am fortunate that my concerns and
goals in life lie on a higher plane than the dictates of a pretty fashion
industry. I am quite content with my religion, for it values my power to
achieve great things through my mind, not through my body. Whether I am
physically beautiful or not, you have no clue. Perhaps this fact is
disturbing for
Catherine Meckes and the library stranger because they
are not ready to meet a woman who can get by without her looks. Then
again, perhaps it is because they are just ignorant of the (WHAT IS IT?)
facts. Either way, I dont need anyone's sympathy, I am not really that
scary, and your anger does me no harm.
I
am not under duress, or a
male-worshipping female captive from the barbarous Arabian
deserts.
I'VE BEEN LIBERATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Author
unknown......
but I am a sister 
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