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Tuesday, November 21, 2006
It All Depends On How You Choose To Look At It
Hijab is just a piece of material. It's a scarf. Scarves were the fashion once - I remember my mom wearing them in the 60's. She just tied it a little differently and took it off in the house.
Of course hijab makes a statement regarding one's religion. And it brings a sense of modesty. Some see it as aiding in a certain kind of freedom from being seen as a sexual object. Others see it as taking away freedom. It all depends on how you choose to look at it.
If a Muslim woman dresses modestly, besides a hijab, she will wear long sleeves (all year long), and her clothes will not be form-fitting. Being in a hot-flash time of life, I find the long sleeves to be challenging. HOW DO YOU GET AIR???
I identify tooooo much with my hair. I had a hard time having no hair showing. I LIKE hair.
I felt a little claustrophobic with the scarf around my face. I know that that is something I could get used to over time. Not too big of a deal.
On Sunday, when I wore the hijab, my friend and I went into a card store. We had a lot of fun reading the cards and listening to the 60's, 70's and 80's tunes on the musical cards. My friend was born and raised in the U.S. She is not of Middle Eastern descent. She converted to Islam decades ago. She knows American music - at least the old stuff (I don't know the new stuff, either). A man standing nearby joined in on our talk about the different music from the different eras. He had on a jacket that had the words "U.S. Army, Ft Carson" on the back.
Two women in hijab talkin' music of the 70's with a veteran. Ya just never know...
After my shopping trip, I feel hopeful, because the people that I saw demonstrated respect and friendliness. I also have a nagging worry that comes from the training that our soldiers receive which aids them in their ability to kill. I have deep concerns about the fear that our leadership tries to instill in us so that we will support them in their goals. I hope that we will educate ourselves and think for ourselves. After all, it all depends on how you choose to look at things.
I welcome input from people of the Muslim faith. Educate us! And I welcome input from non-Muslims on their feelings about hijab.
Of course hijab makes a statement regarding one's religion. And it brings a sense of modesty. Some see it as aiding in a certain kind of freedom from being seen as a sexual object. Others see it as taking away freedom. It all depends on how you choose to look at it.
If a Muslim woman dresses modestly, besides a hijab, she will wear long sleeves (all year long), and her clothes will not be form-fitting. Being in a hot-flash time of life, I find the long sleeves to be challenging. HOW DO YOU GET AIR???
I identify tooooo much with my hair. I had a hard time having no hair showing. I LIKE hair.
I felt a little claustrophobic with the scarf around my face. I know that that is something I could get used to over time. Not too big of a deal.
On Sunday, when I wore the hijab, my friend and I went into a card store. We had a lot of fun reading the cards and listening to the 60's, 70's and 80's tunes on the musical cards. My friend was born and raised in the U.S. She is not of Middle Eastern descent. She converted to Islam decades ago. She knows American music - at least the old stuff (I don't know the new stuff, either). A man standing nearby joined in on our talk about the different music from the different eras. He had on a jacket that had the words "U.S. Army, Ft Carson" on the back.
Two women in hijab talkin' music of the 70's with a veteran. Ya just never know...
After my shopping trip, I feel hopeful, because the people that I saw demonstrated respect and friendliness. I also have a nagging worry that comes from the training that our soldiers receive which aids them in their ability to kill. I have deep concerns about the fear that our leadership tries to instill in us so that we will support them in their goals. I hope that we will educate ourselves and think for ourselves. After all, it all depends on how you choose to look at things.
I welcome input from people of the Muslim faith. Educate us! And I welcome input from non-Muslims on their feelings about hijab.
.
posted by Carol at 5:50 PM
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