Saturday, October 07, 2006
Wearing nothing at all
Feeling rather more balanced today.
Been contemplating this niqab thing. An interesting interview with a couple of covered women on Newsnight last night. One took the standard religious stance, about which I have no comment (read the standard and unoriginal "Religion is silly and harmful" rant in here if you like). The other reflected the reason why, I suspect , more and more young Muslim women are covering up. She didn't want to have to interact with her appearance every time she went out.
For every young woman who buys and wears clothes with pleasure there are at least one, and probably more, who find the whole process stressful and demeaning. Fashions like drop waisted trousers are designed for slim, tall women yet everyone is expected to wear them. Make-up is obligatory, expensive, and difficult to get right. You are required to look as if you intend to look attractive even if you don't want to attract anyone and then you are conscious of being judged, not so much by boys as by the other girls, to see if you have succeeded. For every gossip mag's article about celebrities looking good there are two about them looking bad; too fat, too thin, too hairy, not smiling, grimacing, cellulite; whatever they are is judged as wrong. That's the message taken away; not o much that everyone should try to look as good as the latest model but that everyone, however hard they try, is vulnerable to claims that they have failed.
A significant number of girls find ways to opt out. The enduring success of Goths is, I suspect, the simplicity of the dress and makeup options. I took to kaftan and bright green polyester flares during my late teens. Not even I could claim that it looked good but I knew damn well that it was so far outside the norm that I was safe from the accusation of trying and failing. I'd rather be considered crazy than inept.
A niqab is a brilliant way of opting out. The minor inconvenience of a full head and body covering is nothing compared to the relief of not having to try to work out what it is you are meant to be wearing and how. To be able to meet the gaze of the world knowing exactly what it is that they see, knowing that they aren't judging your shape, clothes, make-up, shoes, acne. Wonderful!
It's a really bad idea, of course. What we need to do is to develop a sufficiently thick skin not to care (or a mental disorder that has an interesting side effect of convincing us that we look wonderful regardless of what we actually look like). But it seems that many women never do that; hence the huge industry in anti-ageing products.
Maybe most of these women will regain their confidence, safe behind their black. Maybe they will feel able to be seen again when they get past the ages of maximum pressure.
I like Jack Straw's idea that you can ask other people to dress in a way that assists you to work out what they are thinking. Maybe removal of the trousers for men might help in certain situations? (or then again, maybe not)
Been contemplating this niqab thing. An interesting interview with a couple of covered women on Newsnight last night. One took the standard religious stance, about which I have no comment (read the standard and unoriginal "Religion is silly and harmful" rant in here if you like). The other reflected the reason why, I suspect , more and more young Muslim women are covering up. She didn't want to have to interact with her appearance every time she went out.
For every young woman who buys and wears clothes with pleasure there are at least one, and probably more, who find the whole process stressful and demeaning. Fashions like drop waisted trousers are designed for slim, tall women yet everyone is expected to wear them. Make-up is obligatory, expensive, and difficult to get right. You are required to look as if you intend to look attractive even if you don't want to attract anyone and then you are conscious of being judged, not so much by boys as by the other girls, to see if you have succeeded. For every gossip mag's article about celebrities looking good there are two about them looking bad; too fat, too thin, too hairy, not smiling, grimacing, cellulite; whatever they are is judged as wrong. That's the message taken away; not o much that everyone should try to look as good as the latest model but that everyone, however hard they try, is vulnerable to claims that they have failed.
A significant number of girls find ways to opt out. The enduring success of Goths is, I suspect, the simplicity of the dress and makeup options. I took to kaftan and bright green polyester flares during my late teens. Not even I could claim that it looked good but I knew damn well that it was so far outside the norm that I was safe from the accusation of trying and failing. I'd rather be considered crazy than inept.
A niqab is a brilliant way of opting out. The minor inconvenience of a full head and body covering is nothing compared to the relief of not having to try to work out what it is you are meant to be wearing and how. To be able to meet the gaze of the world knowing exactly what it is that they see, knowing that they aren't judging your shape, clothes, make-up, shoes, acne. Wonderful!
It's a really bad idea, of course. What we need to do is to develop a sufficiently thick skin not to care (or a mental disorder that has an interesting side effect of convincing us that we look wonderful regardless of what we actually look like). But it seems that many women never do that; hence the huge industry in anti-ageing products.
Maybe most of these women will regain their confidence, safe behind their black. Maybe they will feel able to be seen again when they get past the ages of maximum pressure.
I like Jack Straw's idea that you can ask other people to dress in a way that assists you to work out what they are thinking. Maybe removal of the trousers for men might help in certain situations? (or then again, maybe not)
# posted by Louise H @ 9:48 am 
Comments:
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There's a wider social issue here though. Why should I have to go to all the trouble of carrying a sandwich around with me just so men can indulge in their culturally driven fetish for trouser wearing? Isn't it reasonable to expect them to make an effort to communicate?
To be honest, I dont agree people are wearing Niqab just to opt out of tedious processes.
Yes wearing Niqab signifies modesty. But many of these women when they go to parties with fellow friends, then i'm sure some of them wear make up and take care of themselves.
I think we all need to have a dialogue, and discussion about things exactly like the Niqab.
Dont feel intimidated by the Niqab, maybe try to have a chat with a person in Niqab! They dont bite!
But we deffinitely gotta learn about eachother, and benefit the community. Deffinitely as a Muslim, we dont want no go areas. We want to be part of the community, and benefit the community. But at the same time we want to practice our religion!
But believe it or not, our religion doesn't come in the way of becoming part of the community, it helps.
It's just sad that the media always gives a negative potrayal of Islam, and therefore some people feel intimidated.
regards.
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Yes wearing Niqab signifies modesty. But many of these women when they go to parties with fellow friends, then i'm sure some of them wear make up and take care of themselves.
I think we all need to have a dialogue, and discussion about things exactly like the Niqab.
Dont feel intimidated by the Niqab, maybe try to have a chat with a person in Niqab! They dont bite!
But we deffinitely gotta learn about eachother, and benefit the community. Deffinitely as a Muslim, we dont want no go areas. We want to be part of the community, and benefit the community. But at the same time we want to practice our religion!
But believe it or not, our religion doesn't come in the way of becoming part of the community, it helps.
It's just sad that the media always gives a negative potrayal of Islam, and therefore some people feel intimidated.
regards.
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