Tuesday, October 13, 2009

What women (don't) wear

A CNN article today reported on a declaration by an Egyptian cleric that women will NOT be allowed to wear an all-covering veil (niqab) anymore in areas of universities frequented only by women, eg, female dorms or all-female classes.

There is no specific reason given for this other than the speculation that it's meant to counter extremism. Also, the article mentions that there have been protests by women who choose to wear the niqab and are now being denied this right.

I for one don't understand why anyone has to dictate what a woman should or shouldn't wear. Although, you might play devil's advocate and ask if it would bother me if at the opposite extreme some women (or men) chose to attend university in the nude. I would personally find this distracting, though I don't think it would offend me as long as no one lingered in my "personal space" (which I assume would be of a much larger radius in this situation).

For now we will just satisfy ourselves with this quote from a cleaning lady who was apparently interviewed for this article:

"The niqab should be worn under two circumstances... A very beautiful woman should wear it to prevent men from fighting over her, and an ugly woman should wear it to hide her face."

4 comments:

  1. Historical Islam does promote modest dress including headscarves (and baggy pants for men)- as a cultural norm this is fine and dandy. A covered face, however, cuts us off from one another, prevents communication of facial expressions or identity.
    To protect and promote a sense of community, I am in favor of restrictions on masks/veils in many if not most settings.

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  2. I think this makes it easy for students to wear the ''niqab'' in the Egyptian universities because you can't tell who is really wearing the ''niqab''. I believe the best solution for the ''niqab'' in Egyptian universities is to make seperate universities for women; thus, making it easier to identify every female student from apart.

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  3. I don't think the government should tell women what they should or shouldn't wear. I'm more opposed to women being forced to wear a niqab when they don't want to, just so men can control their urges!
    I do think that for practical reasons women should try to wear clothing that is not too distracting (e.g. super short skirts, super low cut pants) in certain settings (conferences, job interviews, etc.) especially if they wish to be taken seriously. But this falls more under the category of we are already behind in terms of being taken seriously, so try to present yourself as a serious professional. When I can see your navel ring or your underwear during your presentation, I find myself distracted even when you have a very nice stomach. In these situations I always wonder if I should tell the person or not.

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  4. I will approach this from two dofferent points of view. First, in this specific case, there is a completely practical reason: If a woman is wearing a garment that covers all her body and face, how can you tell it is her taking the exam and not someone else? It makes cheating way too easy.

    On another note, though: I am from Turkey, where it is forbidden to wear islamic clothing (headscarves, etc) in schools. I do believe that this is unnecessary in places like the US, where respect for free speech and democracy has been ingrained in the culture for centuries, and where one religion does not dominate to the extent of over 90%. I do hope that Turkey will reach that point, as the culture of democracy and secularism (established in Turkey in 1923 after many centuries of being governed by an emperor who was also the Khaliph, the equivalent of the Pope) becomes a stronger part of the culture throughout the country. Currently, however, it is much easier to force women to wear clothes that cover more and more of their bodies than to give them the space that allows them to wear what they want. In a neighborhood that is very "devout", for example, if you walk without a headscarf, you will be taunted, shouted at, and who knows what else. You would fear for your safety. It does not go the other way around: You can walk in nikab in a street in the most liberal neighborhood, and the most you will get is some stares (probably not more than if you were walking there in a very short skirt, for that matter). So it is important to claim certain places, such as educational institutions and courts for example, as "sanitized areas" from such divisive influences and pressures. Also, remember that many of these women do not wear headscarves because they want to, but because their families or environments force them to. Education and time are the only things that will make it truly a woman's choice to wear Islamic clothing in school or anywhere else, without pressuring other people to be like themselves. This type of regulation can allow the time it takes for both sides of this spectrum to tolerate each other.

    I just wanted to say that these things are far from black and white.

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