Behind the Veil: Don’t Oppress Me By Stripping Me of My Right to Wear the Veil

By: Farheen Fatima

Below are my reflections on the recent call to ban niqab in Canada.

I hear and read of all the commotion going on in Europe, Middle East, and now Canada, about people having a problem with a simple piece of harmless cloth I choose to wear on my face. The problem arises from either ignorance about the matter or differences with it.

I decided to wear the veil at the age of 18. Thank you very much, but it was out of my own choice. Neither was I married nor did my family encourage it. I was the first amongst my family members to adorn the niqab. I feel very comfortable wearing the veil. I have attended university and used public transit while wearing the niqab. I feel my veil enhances my identity instead of hiding it. You may ask how so? The niqab has given me the opportunity to express myself without men, in particular, judging me or treating me based on the way I look. I don’t have to worry about looking good for people who see me walking down the street. I choose to be known for my inner voice, my personality and intellect. In the comfort of my home or private gatherings, I confound to a different dress code. I am happy in my own shoes. I don’t force people to start wearing the veil, and likewise, I don’t wish for people to force me out of my shoes.

A woman in Canada can go outside in a bikini. Just as she can choose to be almost fully naked, it only makes sense that I have the right to be almost fully covered. Covering the face is not something uncommon in our society. We cover our faces with thick scarves on cold, winter days. Nowadays, more and more people are covering their faces with masks to protect against viruses, such as the H1N1 virus.

I am not asking to vote or cross borders while wearing my veil, or to have my driver’s license photo taken with my veil. All I am saying is that I should have the right to wear a niqab wherever I so desire. If I need to reveal my face temporarily for identification purposes, I am willing to do so.

The niqab is not a threat. Niqab wearing women do not bite. We are not criminals. There hasn’t been a history of niqabis committing crimes. A woman should be given the choice to wear the niqab or not in this country, for the sake of freedom of choice and religion.

A niqabi studying at a university campus lounge.

Farheen is a free lance writer living in Canada. You can reach her at enquiry@islamicgems.com with “Niqabi” in the subject line.

Last year Allah blessed me with the chance to play a minor role in organizing MISTNY 2009. MIST is a Muslim Interscholastic Tournament for high school students. It is a combination of fun, educational, interactive program of competitions and workshops. These workshops and competitions aide the students in developing leadership, communication, and other creative skills while gaining a deeper understanding of Islam and Muslims. The below excerpt is taken from the facebook group “Im MISTified”

MIST. If you’ve ever gotten MISTified by the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament, you belong in this group.

If you don’t know what it means to be “MISTified,” then it’s okay…publicity initiatives like these are here specifically for deprived individuals like yourselves!

I believe they got it point on. It is an indescribable feeling to spend 3 days from morning til night with the Muslim youth of America. To see them work together and excel in writing, debate, islam, sports and the arts. I was so happy to see so many Muslim youth excelling in the arts, i saw art work that i would see walking the halls of my college, Fashion Institute of Technology. It was exhilarating and exciting especially since it is an area of knowledge which is looked down upon by so many Muslim parents. It is an untapped or at least not fully tapped area for Muslims. By the end of the three days. You are left awed and inspired by these youth. I was definitely left MISTified.

Now i am looking forward to the upcoming months, preparations have begun for MISTNY 2010, and I’m ready and willing to be MISTified again!

For more information on MIST visit:

http://mistny.org

http://www.getmistified.com/

http://twitter.com/mistny

Please remember me in your duas and Inshallah I will continue in my humble effort to help the Muslim women cover elegantly.

-ISLAMICGEMS

RIYADH: Saudi beauty queen Aya Ali al-Mulla trounced 274 rivals to win a crown, jewelry, cash and a trip to Malaysia, and all without showing her face, Saudi media reported on Friday.

With her face and body completely covered by the black head-to-toe abaya mandatory in the conservative Muslim kingdom, 18-year-old Mullah was named ‘Queen of Beautiful Morals’ late on Thursday, newspapers said.

There was none of the swimsuit and evening gown competitions and heavy media coverage of beauty pageants elsewhere when the contest was decided in the eastern city of Safwa.

Instead, the winner and the two runner-up princesses had to undergo a three-month test of their dutifulness to their parents and family, and their service to society.

This included a battery of personal, cultural, social and psychological tests, Al-Watan reported.

It was unclear exactly what Mullah did to pip her rivals in the huge field, but Al-Watan reported that the high school graduate had good grades and hopes to go into medicine.

She raked in a 5,000-riyal (1,333-dollar) prize, a pearl necklace, diamond watch, diamond necklace, and a free ticket to Malaysia with her win.

The 20-year-old first runner-up, one of triplets, had already won an education ministry-sponsored ‘I love you, my country’ competition.

The second runner-up, a high school student aged 15, was cited for taking care of her home and family during the week because her mother works far from home and can only return on weekends.

Beauty contests focused on physical beauty are non-existent in segregated Saudi Arabia, where women can not mix with unrelated men, and must appear in public completely covered - even in photographs.

Miss Moral Beauty pageant organiser Khadra al-Mubarak kept the focus on inner beauty, as defined by Islamic standards of Saudi Arabia.

‘The real winner in this competition is the society. The winners represent the culture of the society and its high Islamic morals,’ Mubarak said, according to Al-Watan. – AFP

Read Article Here

This has me VERY excited, especially since i <3 Dior!!

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/06/john_galliano_carolina_herrera.html

Last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said full-body veils, like burkas some Muslim women wear over their clothes, are “not welcome” in France. Four days later, the George V Hotel in Paris hosted a fashion show consisting entirely of designer abayas. John Galliano designed the abaya worn by the red-haired model who opened the show by riding down the runway on a white horse. Twenty models followed wearing abayas by Nina Ricci, Blumarine, and Alberta Ferretti, among others. The first batch of abayas, ranging from $5,500 to $11,150, will be given as gifts to Saks Fifth Avenue’s most faithful Saudi clients. Ready-to-wear versions of the robes will hit the sales floor in Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia in September, retailing for around $2,500.

Dania Tarhini, the general manager of Saks in Saudi Arabia, organized the show after she realized women were running around all day with their lovely designer clothes hidden by plain black abayas. “It is an obligation to wear the abaya there, but let them feel good about it,” she tells the Telegraph.

Ms Tarhini, a Lebanese who has lived in Saudi Arabia for the past seven years, acknowledged “it wasn’t easy” to convince designers to take part in the project.

At first, “they couldn’t imagine how to make a designer abaya,” she told The Associated Press in an interview. “I explained to them the concept is to (make women) look good and also to promote their brands … Then they accepted.”

Most of the abayas in the show were suitable to wear in Saudi Arabia — black and floor-length with a built-in head covering or matching veil. A few translucent styles, like the bell-sleeved gown by Carolina Herrera embroidered with yellow flowers, are meant to be worn over evening gowns.

In December 2007, over 2,000 American Muslims were asked what they wished they could say to the world. This is what they said.