Today's topic....the veil...(I wish I could be all dramatic and add some scary music here for kicks...lol)
I think the whole covering thing is misunderstood from both sides of the discussion. In the west, it is common for people to misunderstand by thinking that women are being "hidden away" or that "they must be ugly" or that they are being "opressed". And here in Saudi many people believe that covering the face is a religious must.
But, before I get into the above, allow me to explain the garments that are worn by women here in the "land of sand" (my nickname for Saudi Arabia). ;)
The main garment is called an abaya and it is worn over the body almost like a long robe. Some are plain, and some have designs. This is up to the woman wearing it. Some styles button in the front, others slip over the head, and some are open (these are a pain because you have to sort of wrap it and hold it with your hand). Here is an abaya with a little bit of bling...
Next, is the head scarf. The style worn by the majority of women here in Saudi is an oblong shape and is referred to as "shayla" or "tarha". These come in a huge selection of designs, you can even find one to match your abaya. Here is an example of a shayla...
And finally we have the famous (or infamous, depending on what you've heard) niqab, which is the veil or face cover. These come in a variety of styles as well. Some are one layer and simply tie around the head, some have more layers offering more coverage. And some have velcro closures instead of ties. This one below is a three layer niqab. It has a sheer piece that is flipped up and rests on the head. If the woman feels the need she can pull this layer down over her face to cover the eyes.
I write about this topic under "Saudi Sundays" because this is more of a cultural dress than a religious one. In Islam, woman are not told to wear black abayas, with black scarves, and with black face covers. In Islam, women are simply told to protect themselves by covering everything but the hands and face when in the company of men that are not closely related to them. So while this is the dress of women here, this is not the official dress among Muslim women outside Saudi. I, for example, wear clothing of my choice (but with a more conservative style) and a head scarf when outside Saudi Arabia. Here however, I have to wear the above, all women do. Allow me to elaborate a bit...
The abaya is ensuring that all women are appropiately covered. I've said before that perhaps this is a bit extreme, but it is what it is. I actually don't mind wearing the abaya because it allows me to wear whatever I like, conservative or not. And when it's time to go out, I just slip the abaya on and go. Think of this, if you're sleeping in a cute little Victoria's Secret number and the doorbell rings, do you answer in just that? Or do you slip a robe overtop for a little bit of extra coverage? It's kinda-sorta the same idea.
The scarf is a Muslim thing, the shayla a Saudi (or even a Gulf region) thing. Muslim women around the world enjoy wearing different sizes, colors, and styles of scarves. It's only in some countries, such as Saudi, where women only wear black oblong ones, I image to match their abayas. :)
Now, onto the niqab, the face cover. I am very blunt in my opinion of this. I hate it. It gets hots, it causes me headaches, and it's just...in my way. Now, if a woman believes she should wear this, by all means, knock yourself out. But I do not believe this is a mandatory religious thing and based on the fact that most Muslim women around the world don't wear niqabs, I think many Muslims agree. I believe that people have been mistaught about the niqab. And I challenge any man who says this is a "religious must" to wear one for one week, ONE WEEK, and he will change his mind. ;)
Personally, I wear niqab because when I moved here 7 years ago things were much more conservative (Riyadh is known for that, but things are changing). Hubby and I both thought it was better for me to blend in rather than stand out. So, now that things are slowly opening up around here, there are times when I don't cover my face. I don't cover in the car, when I'm eating out, when we take walks, and in some other situations as well. Hubby, who is very open-minded, told me to analyze the situation and determine for myself if it's okay to uncover or not.
So onto the misconceptions I first mentioned...
Is this a religious must in Islam (to cover the face)? No.
Are women being hidden away? No. Women are out in society everyday; going to work, to school, and shopping the heck out their wallets. Believe me, they are not hidden.
Are women covering because they're ugly? Heck no. First, I think this is soooo rude to even ask, but believe it or not I've read this comment several times. The truth is that you will find some of the most beautiful women here.
Are women covering because they're oppressed? Now, no. I do know that there are some insecure, sexist men who will not except their sisters and wives to uncover their faces. But there are definitely a lot of men who are educated and open-minded. There are also men who tell their wives to uncover, by she wants to stay covered. You can also find women outside Saudi who want to cover their faces. It's a personal choice. I wear a niqab most of the time here. And believe me, I am not oppressed. You will find beautiful, intelligent, talented women under the niqabs. Women who enjoy a full life. Are there bad stories? Of course. But do those bad stories represent the majority? No, not at all.
During my image searching, I came across this page from a magazine article. This is a Saudi princess who is (or was) studying in CA. If you zoom you can actually read the short interview she did about fashion. I like this article because honestly and truly, it represents what is under the abaya, under the scarf, and under the veil in Saudi. Take my word for it. I live here. ;)
P.S. Although I did start this on a Sunday. I didn't get to post it until Monday. :)
Clothing images via here. All other images via Yahoo Image search.
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