Mohja Kahf, author of The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf, has a piece in The Washington Post’s ‘Outlook’ section, a weekly compendium of op-eds and editorials. In it, she argues that Muslim women are—and have been—freer than their Christian counterparts in many regards. She points to the political, social, and economic freedom they enjoy under Islamic law, but also notes that many Muslim women still suffer under oppressive, misogynistic social regimes where people have confounded traditions and culture with Islam.
It’s a provocative piece, to be sure, and a little too ‘rose-colored glasses’ for my taste. What she says is certainly true, but also untrue. The life she paints is accurate, if Islamic law is interpreted in a just-so way and all Muslims behaved in an ideal manner. But not all Muslims agree with her on her major points. Even more certainly, not all Muslims live lives in perfect accord with those principles. Still, the piece is worth reading.
Spare Me the Sermon On Muslim Women
Mohja KahfCrimson chiffon, silver lamé or green silk: Which scarf to wear today? My veil collection is 64 scarves and growing. The scarves hang four or five to a row on a rack in my closet, and elation fills me when I open the door to this beautiful array. Last week, I chose a particularly nice scarf to slip on for the Eid al-Fitr festivities marking the end of the month of Ramadan.
It irks me that I even have to say this: Being a Muslim woman is a joyful thing.
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October:05:2008 - 08:47
These pieces always amuse me and recite the same talking points.
To go over them:
1. “A billowy sack is perfect for maintaining my modesty.” Um…modesty is a state of mind. A woman can be perfectly naked and perfectly modest at the same time if she is not obsessing over whether someone else is looking at her. Of course, most societies have evolved to the point where men don’t get inflamed by lust by the mere sight an inch of skin.
2. “I have 64 scarves which shows I am free.” Again, number of scarves have to do with how much money you earn. Nothing to do with freedom. Really. I know I don’t feel oppressed when I am looking through my 10 cheap tank tops wondering which one I can still wear in public without getting a ticket from the fashion-police.
3. “Medieval muslim women could divorce their husbands, medieval Christian women could not, therefore we are more advanced.” It is true that medieval muslim women could divorce their husbands, a right Christian women did not have. But then, medieval Christian women did not have to worry about husband bringing home 3 other wives because he was pissed or unhappy at home. Because medieval Christian man could not divorce his wife (unlike medieval Muslim man), on the whole, medieval Christian wife was more likely to be in a lasting marriage no matter how much her husband wanted to get out of it. So, I don’t see how the medieval Muslim woman had more rights or security in her marriage.
4. “Our marriage is a contract where the rights of women to enter into it are protected.” Ok. I am sure that is why the news is littered with stories of 10 year olds being married off, without their knowledge and consent, to 70 year olds who use their marriages for social security fraud. And forced to stay in the marriage by the courts.
I am sure that is why the Fatima and Mansour were forcibly divorced on the say so of her half-brother. Because, y’know, a Muslim woman has so much rights in the marriage contract.
5. “Muslim women owned property and donated so much.” Read history lady. Women in all religions and across the world have owned property and made huge donations. And ruled nations. I am sure Queen Elizabeth was mightily oppressed.
6. “Other societies don’t put rapists to death.” Strangely, other societies have big scruples about state sanctioned murder and possibility of error. And are humble enough to admit that there is no foolproof system to prevent innocent men from winding up in the death row. But then, other societies don’t sentence the rape victim to flogging as well.
It is the typical puff piece of a self-entitled princess who wants an excuse to talk about her great collection of scarves.
October:05:2008 - 08:47
Accelerated Links For 5th October 2008…
Crossroads Arabia on comparing the reality of women in the Muslim world and in the west….
October:05:2008 - 08:47
Bernard-Herni Levi was on NPR’s Brian Lehrer recently. I don’t agree with everything (to say the least) that Levi says, even though I consider myself a liberal.
He conflated the niqab with the hijab on the program — at first defending the French public school policy (that bans the HIJAB) and explained it by saying he thinks masking the face is a human rights violation — which is not what the French schools are addressing. He made it worse by saying he saw no problem with Orthodox Jewish women wearing wigs, because that’s just a mode of dress, but decrying the head scarf.
HOWEVER, on the point of the niqab I agree completely with how he put it: the face veil is an attempt by one category of human being (men) to “neutralize” the “provocateur” category of another group of human beings (women). The women are the temptresses and it’s not the men who must control themselves. That is ultimately what we’re talking about here: women are the provocateurs and must be neutralized. That is a violation of universal human rights values, period.
I am less critical of hijab, because I — like Levi suggested — think the covering of the face is a profound stepping over the line of human rights.
All this talk about head scarves and robes and whatnot — it really to me clouds the issue. To me the niqab, the full burka, face skrims, and perhaps any enforcement of “baggy clothing” are the real issues.
And then, on the other hand, you have the issue of personal “choice.” I happen to be very skeptical about free will (true free will) — it either doesn’t exist or it’s highly limited by our experience and what we know. (It would be impossible for me, for example, to completely reverse my views and opinions at this very moment by “willing it”.)
I do not think it’s right to say “oh, these women have been brain washed and it’s our job to de-program them.” I really think that everyone is “brain washed” into believing what they believe which comes from what’s been ingrained in them and what they’ve learned and what their dispositions are — ergo one individual woman’s choice — as long as it’s truly a choice — is no less valid than another woman’s choice.
To me, the mask is over the line, and can be regulated by one simple rule: no masks in public places — a rule, by the way, that already exists but is not enforced whne a Muslim woman wearing niqab shows up because nobody wants to deal with the hysterical self-righteous indignation should she be asked no to enter a mall completely disguised. It’s not worht the bother, so they’re allowed to break a social contract as a part of “religious freedom” — even though the Qur’an says nothing — NOTHING — about wearing a mask and in fact says the opposite and is very clear about what women should wear — somebody might come up with some Hadith, but as far as I’m concerned I’m only obligated to be inclusive in what pertains to the Qur’an (ie don’t offer pork to Muslims, etc.) not what some Hadith says that Muslims can’t even agree on which is not my problem or the problem of other non-Muslims.
But banning the hijab I think is also over the line, regardless of whether one thinks it’s coercive.
October:05:2008 - 08:47
This woman seems very happy living as a MUSLIM in the good ole USA a NON MUSLIM COUNTRY!!!!
She said, “she didn’t pick up the idea from reading Cosmo or from the “liberating” influence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. It’s simply what a lot of women in early Muslim history did, in 7th- and 8th-century Arabia.”
To this woman in this article I have this to say, “I have lived the hard life the “real life” (at least what people tote as the real Muslim life…in the Holy Land of Prophet Mohammad and I didn’t have a choice as to what type of scarf I wanted because my guardian had that control over me and I had no one to turn to help me other than to say it is my duty to obey my guardian) as a Muslim in a Muslim country and you need bitch slapped for your above statements.. Sorry about that John but that is how I feel….
Being in Arkansas is such a privilege because you have the choice of so many scarves but in Saudi it is a different story for so many women. How fortunate you are to have escaped such a shitty life in a Muslim country in return for a better one in a non Muslim country.
Oh and might I add any of the stipulations in a Muslim marriage contract are non-enforcable if the man forgoes them. The only right you will get out of it is a divorce. Like if you put a stipulation that your husband has to allow you to work and he chooses not to…one cannot FORCE him to allow you to work. All that stipulation does mean is that you have a right to end the marriage contract without having to GIVE THE STUPID gift he gave you in return for him to have complete control over your life and in effect taking the place of your parents as your legal guardian.
October:05:2008 - 08:47
Also the writer has no clue what it means to have to fight for her rights…about breatfeeding…I am not even going to get into that story with you because it is personal but all I can say people are going to burn in hell for a situation I encountered and Allah already started punishing them in this life so I can have the satisfaction of seeing it!
People like you need to make Hijra to the Muslim countries since you are so convinced things are great…why would you choose to live in a Non Muslim country?????????????????
October:05:2008 - 08:47
While this woman is looking for her poka dot scarves and thinking about her next big orgasm…I will keep calling Saudi Arabia checking on my friend’s case and following up with my last hope of justice a kind hearted princess.
This is a case of a mother who cannot see her children! I will be doing this with my own resources.
Happy Scarf hunting in the USA! ! !
October:05:2008 - 08:47
Writing a letter to the Washington Post may be more effective than venting here. (Keep in mind, however, that getting a letter published in the Post is a matter of who you are as well as what you write, so be sure to include your background and current status in your letter.)
October:05:2008 - 08:47
The only thing is Solomon2 is that I am looking to have a decent life and that does not entail being published in the Washington Post and labelled a pathetic person…(by the many who might think that)
If they would accept anonomous maybe I would consider it but, I have to keep something for myself and that is a little privacy!
I like venting here…I actually enjoyed getting revved up by this article too. Until I receive monetary compensation for speaking my mind on such critical issues,I have to look out for myself and that is limiting my associations to a degree until perhaps I am more established in a career and have a steady and reliable source of income. I am still young and want to start a career in Finance. I don’t want to be known ONLY as the woman who speaks up concerning injustice in Saudi Arabia….
I do want to be known for making a positive impact on those around me including myself. You know what Sully, that is the blue guy is Monster Ink, could be a nickname for Solomon2 if you don’t mind. If you do mind I will call you Solomon2. I seriously thought about giving up and forgeting everything about Saudi Arabia and then I thought about John. I said here is a guy who really states the facts and has a little heart behind it or a lot of heart because I believe that. I said to myself if John has been out here since 2004 then I am going to stick to it too.
I think that people reading this article are going to hate Muslims more if they already had such an existing pre-disposition.
October:05:2008 - 08:47
Also Miss Tangerine Scarf and her book about scarfs…that is all she could talk about in the first part of her editorial is the different types, shapes and feeling of scarves. I bet you that she has her own line of scarves she is selling if not only a novel about them.
All she needed to say, “Is buy my flippin book…so I can make more money” talking about how wonderful and orgasmic it is to think about all the scarves there are in the world.
GIVE ME A BREAK
October:05:2008 - 08:47
head scarves don’t bother me one way or the other my wife covers her hair and wears modest clothing (she is ortho jewish) but burkas, and full face covering give me the creeps (and yes i have seen them in chicago) because it says the wearer has no desire to become American and more than likely hates me and mine.