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Egyptian Women Begin to Un-Veil!
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by René | July 13, 2008 at 02:03 pm
469 views | 7 Recommendations | 4 comments
...a growing trend in Egyptian society of women deciding to remove the hijab, despite the social and family pressure to keeping it on.The growing phenomenon includes students and fresh graduates as well as grown middle-aged women, who may have donned the veil for over 15 years.
Lifting the Veil of Silence on the Hijab, DailyStar.
A controversial Islamic author Gamal El Banna argued in a highly controversial book titled “The Hijab” that, in addition to the lack of proof to support the belief that the veil is a religious obligation, the headscarf is impractical and can be an obstacle for women who wish to pursue certain careers.
He also says that a woman’s hair was never seen as a temptation the way many male chauvinists believed.
Four young women quoted in the story give varying reasons for unveiling. From being marginalized and pushed to the side at conferences and in government, to using the veil as a camouflage, as a defense from harrassment, but they no longer see it as a true sign of piety. Many unveil to improve career chances.
I see this as hopeful
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (4)
at 22:41 on July 13th, 2008
René, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Western Nations used to wear Veils until the 1950th!
In some areas of the World the Veil and the turban are climate related. I always wore a turban in the Sahara and would not recommend for any one to go without, a hat is just not enough in the Dessert!
Farmers in Eastern Europe still do wear Veils and other protective closing since they still work by hand and not with big air conditioned machinery like in North America. The Veil did in part disappear in Western Culture because we work less out side and yet our cancer rates are going up since we do expose our self's more to the sun! There are two sides to this story!
In some areas however the veil is in deed used as a tool to oppress and that needs to be condemned. Just do not out law the veil though for I need it a turban and my wife a veil as do my children, beats cancer!
By the way no woman would wear a veil inside in the large majority of Moslem countries, only out side!
Same for Man, wearing a turban! Thank you for bringing it up Rene!
at 22:50 on July 13th, 2008
Many Mexican workers in Southern Arizona wear a type of veil, white to reflect the sun, when they work in the fields. Both to protect themselves from the sun and from the pesticides used on the crops. but it is just while they work in the fields... Not to hide their identity or from the gaze of men. And definitely not black, which would burn them up. Black Burqas are inhumane in those desert countries.
at 23:08 on July 13th, 2008
Rene, I do actually agree with you on this one, why I am glad you writ about it!
I always wore black or rather dark Blue back in Niger, Man as well as Woman, the reason is simple though, Blue is the colour of the Tuareg, like Red, Blue and W, are the Colours of the US... The Dye used coloured our skin blue as well, why the Tuareg are also called the Blue People! It is more need combined with culture and tradition, some traditions are not always good though! Most Moslem though would never cover up in a house or in front of Guest as long as they are in a house. And in most Cities Woman barely cover up or at least used to! The Veil made a come back in part as an anti Western Statement! It seems to me at least to be more Political than rational in both cases, at least at times.
Turky just had that debate again as well and so did France, and the way I look at it, every one needs to calm down a bit and look at it more rational and more objective! Yes in some cases such as Saudi Arabia it is patetick at best, what Woman are being put through and those need to be condemed.
at 05:31 on July 14th, 2008
René, I like this story. It's good stuff.