What are your thoughts on this article?
“The West interprets veiling as repression of women and suppression of their sexuality. But when I travelled in Muslim countries and was invited to join a discussion in women-only settings within Muslim homes, I learned that Muslim attitudes toward women’s appearance and sexuality are not rooted in repression, but in a strong sense of public versus private, of what is due to God and what is due to one’s husband. It is not that Islam suppresses sexuality, but that it embodies a strongly developed sense of its appropriate channelling – toward marriage, the bonds that sustain family life, and the attachment that secures a home.
Outside the walls of the typical Muslim households that I visited in Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt, all was demureness and propriety. But inside, women were as interested in allure, seduction and pleasure as women anywhere in the world.
At home, in the context of marital intimacy, Victoria’s Secret, elegant fashion and skin care lotions abounded. The bridal videos that I was shown, with the sensuous dancing that the bride learns as part of what makes her a wonderful wife, and which she proudly displays for her bridegroom, suggested that sensuality was not alien to Muslim women. Rather, pleasure and sexuality, both male and female, should not be displayed promiscuously – and possibly destructively – for all to see.
Indeed, many Muslim women I spoke with did not feel at all subjugated by the chador or the headscarf. On the contrary, they felt liberated from what they experienced as the intrusive, commodifying, basely sexualising Western gaze. Many women said something like this: “When I wear Western clothes, men stare at me, objectify me, or I am always measuring myself against the standards of models in magazines, which are hard to live up to – and even harder as you get older, not to mention how tiring it can be to be on display all the time. When I wear my headscarf or chador, people relate to me as an individual, not an object; I feel respected.” This may not be expressed in a traditional Western feminist set of images, but it is a recognisably Western feminist set of feelings.
I experienced it myself. I put on a shalwar kameez and a headscarf in Morocco for a trip to the bazaar. Yes, some of the warmth I encountered was probably from the novelty of seeing a Westerner so clothed; but, as I moved about the market – the curve of my breasts covered, the shape of my legs obscured, my long hair not flying about me – I felt a novel sense of calm and serenity. I felt, yes, in certain ways, free.”
by Naomi Wolfhttp://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/behin…
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What A Western Feminist Says About Muslim Women And The Veil?
Posted on May 23, 2012.
Muslim women have had their minds corrupted by their supposed god. Everything they believe is false.
I feel sad that people might actually think that “God” cares how much or how little that people wear. If there is a force out there, that created life how much time do you think ‘it’ would spend dictating to others what their fashion sense would be?
Nope it’s human made, clothes shouldn’t have this much affect on the human condition.
Edit: Metallic it is not my problem that you view people in such restrictive terms. Also not my problem that you believe clothes make a person who they are. You are entitled to believe it if you wish. But don’t tell me it’s the truth because it’s not.
It surprising that a feminist would say that sort of a thing. She’s probably the rarest of the rare.
All I wanna say is, different cultures have different ideologies and beliefs and let it be that way. Let’s not f*ck with other cultures and impose our beliefs on them.
If Muslims wanna live that way, let them do. We have no rights to tell them how to live.
I don’t believe that. I don’t believe what this woman is saying; what I believe is, she’s being brainwashed. Now; how do I know this? I’m an American Muslim who used to cover; not any more. When it comes down to you have to sit in a hot car because your husband doesn’t have the wherewithal to tell the driver to leave the windows down that’s where I draw the line. It was expected of me to suffer. No damn way in Hell! What was taking place is they had to talk to the border guards about a visa (the Saudi Bahrain border) and they were gone up to five to ten minutes. When we got home I ripped it all off and cut it all with scissors and into “file 13” it all went and I haven’t covered since.
Over half of those men you think are watching you probably aren’t, however, if you’ve been brainwashed to believe they are you’re going to act accordingly.
Eloka D: Clothing is indeed important. That is what separates a whore from a madonna!
It’s a great article, that shows people the World isn’t as 1-Dimensional as especially Westerners like to pretend it is.
Well, in my experience, any person who embraces a religion allows themself to be brainwashed into making excuses and explanations for the laws which they are required to adopt.
I do not respect someone because she wears a headscarf – how can that protect her from the gaze of evil men?
I’d rather be free to upbraid a man for disrespecting me than being forced to wear, under punishment, a garment that inhibits my sight and freedom of movement.
Each to their own but please, don’t make it sound as though all men are evil and that all women are victims of evil men. Most of us are decent, hardworking people, who don’t feel the need to prove their subjugation to either God or man.