One in particular is a young Palestinian woman, @madeinnablus . My heart is with the Palestinian people, and she offers me much hope, despair, and reasons for prayer.
She posted an image today that ought to make us all pause and think.
I don't think that most of the people who level insults against Islam care one bit about the rights of women. Of course there are some Islamic societies where women are legitimately oppressed, but these are because of culture and politics, not religion. As a matter of fact, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was ardently for the rights of women in his day and in his culture, and indeed, the lot of many women improved as Islam began to become established.
Not all Muslim women veil, and different women veil a variety of ways. Some only cover their hair, while others will cover everything but their eyes. It is not a symbol of oppression, but a symbol- a symbol- of modesty, both religious and cultural. I grew up in a "Christian holiness" sect, but I've never seen the cause of "holiness women" championed to the detriment of pentacostalism and other holiness sects.
We must, as people of faith, lead the way in tearing down the walls of ignorance and intolerance. If we don't do it, who will?
Pax et bonum.
Having spend several years int he Middle East--Namely Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain--I agree with you to an extent...ALOT of the veiling is very seeped in traditional culture, and because of that women's rights often get trampled upon..Turkey for example has much better record of women's rights then say Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. Saudi for example women cannot leave the house unless they have a male member of their household accompany them. And of course cannot drive a car. When women protest the veiling like in afghanistan ANY man can "correct" you, anywhere for beatings to acid being thrown on you to worse. And you male relatives can treat you even worse. We are starting to see "honor killings" in the US because a young lady would dare be SEEN with a young man that her parents did not approve of.
ReplyDeleteYes--alot of it is cultural..if women want to dress a certain way that is one thing....but when their menfolks INSIST they dress a certain way, a disobedience is SERIOUS reprocussions,--all based on a NARROW interpretation by an uptight cleric, then basic human rights are being violated.
Yeahs--some of th euptight baptist and pentecostals I know would preach hellfire and damnation if you skirt showed your ankles or you wore the wrong shade of lipgloss--but you weren't going to get beaten severely or killed or thrown into jail because of it...and that is the big difference..
Sara
On the upside, I heard on Public Radio recent that the King of Saudi has allowed women to work in shops selling women's intimate apparel now. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis is a very touching post.
ReplyDeleteAnd the more I think, the more I come up with...
ReplyDeletepolygamy (Saudi especially), arraigned marriages to teen and pre-teen girls, squabbles concerning dowrys and marriage and family gifts, "downgrade" status inthe family if woman does not give birth to a son--(which circles back to the dowry situation--daughters are expensive to provide dowry for), and in Africa genital mutilation, yes again alot of it tribal or culturalor regional, but often in the name of Islam..
Sara
Basic human right to wear symbols of faith BUT my own experience of seeing women wearing the full hijab in Morocco this year left me feeling very uncomfortable, set as it was against the cultural and male oppression of many women in general in their culture and the other reasons given against above I pretty much agree with- that does not mean I do not respect the muslim faith !
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Morocco which is not as oppressive as other muslin countries in the capital city of Casablanca, although it is pretty cosmopolitan , there were many tea and coffee shops where I was the only female present amongst 30 or so men. I was told the majority of women are at home because they are not encouraged to go out or can only do things with their husbands permission.
If definitely depends on where one lives.
ReplyDeleteI have a Facebook friend who converted to Islam, and wears a hijab, but Western clothes. She can do so because she has the freedom to make that decision for herself.
Interestingly, Muhammad's first wife, Khadijah, proposed to him and was a woman of wealth. Many later followers of the Prophet deny it, but it's true...
Did not Our Lady Mary, the Mother of God, wear the veil?
ReplyDeleteDavis--she indeed wear a veil, which was traditional costume for Jewish women in the day. It was considered immodest for a woman to show her hair..and why you often see many artwork of Mary Magdelene with her head uncovered. That was scandalous.
ReplyDeleteJust because our wonderfeul Blessed Mother wore a veil--traditional clothing in her day--please don't make me put on the pioneer clothing and bonnets of my great great grandmother...
Sara
Sorry--that last comment came out a bit witchy...
ReplyDeleteBut if anyone would like me to wear a head covering to Mass I'll oblige by wearing my Western cowboy hat..white straw with a pheasant feather.. :)
After all--I AM in the American West :)
Sara
Sara - just pointing out that for her as for her society, it was a recognised custom, just as you may prefer to don a ten gallon hat. Thank God for the freedoms we do possess and pray that those freedoms of expression may spread.
ReplyDeleteThoughtful comments, all. Thank you.
ReplyDelete