[Reader-list] reader-list Digest, Vol 48, Issue 23
MRSG
mrsg at vsnl.com
Mon Jul 23 18:43:47 IST 2007
Tapas Ray and similar apologists for Islamic fundamentalists would like to trivialise the issue by bringing the issue of Hindu women covering the heads. Though that is not similar to wearing criminal looking black burqua where you do not know what is inside that, putting the cloth on the head by the hindu women is equally bad. Secular Pratibha Patil does that, Communal Sushma Swaraj or Semi-communal Mamata Bannerjee do not. But how that comes into this discussion. No one supported that. Also the issue is not what Pratibha patil has said, the issue is how the the support for islamic fundamentalism is done through intellectual discourse and now also how it is suported by their apologists.
----- Original Message -----
From: ratnesh shukla
To: reader-list at sarai.net
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 4:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] reader-list Digest, Vol 48, Issue 23
It is beyond my comprehension how can one justify a burqa covered woman feeling liberated.Burqa indeed obstucts liberty of a woman's self expression.So far as non-discriminatory nature of burqa is concerned which abolishes class and other such identities I hope Mr Y Sikand would be similarly supporting such uniformities in other walks of life like housing , food etc.Life is an extremely diverse thing in every field including clothing.Advocacy of uniformity in any field is advocacy of fascism.
On 7/23/07, reader-list-request at sarai.net <reader-list-request at sarai.net > wrote:
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Today's Topics:
1. Kashmiri filmmaker Arun Kaul passes away (Aditya Raj Kaul)
2. Brouhaha Over the Veil (Yogi Sikand)
3. Re: Brouhaha Over the Veil (MRSG)
4. Re: Brouhaha Over the Veil (Ateya Khorakiwala)
5. Re: Brouhaha Over the Veil (Vedavati Jogi)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 21:20:52 +0530
From: "Aditya Raj Kaul" <adityarajkaul at gmail.com>
Subject: [Reader-list] Kashmiri filmmaker Arun Kaul passes away
To: reader-list at sarai.net
Message-ID:
<e7e803a30707220850m44659b22l987ca2cb7efb6dc4 at mail.gmail.com >
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
*Kashmiri filmmaker Arun Kaul passes away*
New Delhi, July 21 (PTI): Noted Kashmiri filmmaker and screenplay writer
Arun Kaul died here today after a prolonged illness.
Kaul, 74, is survived by his wife and two sons. He breathed his last at the
All India Institute of Medical Sciences this morning after being
hospitalised for nearly a month.
Kaul, who was running "Vyeth" (Kashmir name of river Jehlum) Television,
shot into fame when his film "Diksha" won the best film award for the year
1992.
He has been a screenplay assistant of veteran film maker Gulzar for the
films 'Lekin' and 'Ijaazat' besides having written the screenplay for the
film star-studed "Chandni" of Yash Chopra.
He has also produced a film named "Ek Adhuri Kahani" directed by Mrinal Sen.
His television documentary "Dharma Kshetra" won the NFDC Award in 1986.
In mid 1990s, his production house, Vyeth Television, started "Kashmir File"
on Doordarshan in which the excesses committed by militants were
highlighted.
The programme was closed after its anchor reporter, Saiuddin Shafi, was
gunned down by militants in broad daylight for raising voice against the
terrorists.
*--
Aditya Raj Kaul
Blog: www.kauladityaraj.blogspot.com
Website: www.adityarajkaul.tk*
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:58:27 +0530
From: "Yogi Sikand" < ysikand at gmail.com>
Subject: [Reader-list] Brouhaha Over the Veil
To: reader-list at sarai.net
Message-ID:
< 48097acc0707221228t33f04cb3y4a1180f2a075755d at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="WINDOWS-1252"; format=flowed
Brouhaha Over the Veil
Yoginder Sikand
The controversy surrounding recently-nominated President Pratibha
Patil's hotly contested statement on Muslims and the veil clearly
illustrates how Muslim women's dress has become a central trope in
contemporary discourses about Islam. Critics see the veil as
'obscurantist' and 'patriarchal', while its defenders regard it as
protecting women from the oppressive male gaze. In this brouhaha over
the veil, the fact that there is no single definition of it, that it
has different meanings for different people and that what is
considered to be normative Islamic women's attire varies across
different Muslim ethnic groups and social classes is completely lost
sight of. Further, the important distinctions between the veil, the
burqa, the naqab and the hijab, all different forms of Muslim women's
dress, are overlooked.
Interestingly, the Quran does not lay down any particular form of
clothing for men or indeed for women. It does not require Muslim women
to cover their faces completely and remain confined at home, this
being a custom that Muslims later took over from the Byzantine
Christians. Instead, it talks about the need for both men and women to
dress modestly. Modest appearance means that erogenous parts of the
body should be covered suitably. This modest dress, or hijab, meant
both for men and women, has been historically understood in diverse
ways in different Muslim communities.
In medieval India, it was the general practice of Muslim elites, like
their Hindu counterparts, to veil their women and keep them concealed
behind the four walls of their homes. But, then, as now, this was not
the custom among the poorer classes, whose womenfolk were forced, by
sheer economic compulsion, to work outside. They donned different
forms of 'modest' Islamic dress other than the veil and did not
observe strict purdah. In large parts of rural India, for instance,
Muslim women wear the shalwar kameez and dupatta, which serves the
same function of 'modest' dress as the veil, at the same time as it
allows them to work in the fields.
A few decades ago, shuttle-cock like veils were a common sight in
India, covering women from head to toe like billowing tents. This,
however, is rare now. Instead, new forms of the hijab have emerged,
often influenced by fashions elsewhere in the Muslim world. Far from
necessarily constraining Muslim women, they often facilitate them to
enter the public space and to go in for higher education and careers
that their mothers would never have considered. Many Muslim parents
feel comfortable letting their daughters go outside their homes to
study or work if they wear loose gowns that do not necessarily cover
their faces. Many Muslim women would feel more comfortable dressed
that way, regarding this sort of attire as protecting them from
unwanted male attention. This way of dressing is also a social
leveler, erasing class differences to a great extent, in terms of
external appearance. As many young Muslim women who voluntarily choose
to don this form of hijab see it, it saves them the trauma that many
other women have to suffer when they feel compelled to 'look good' in
public, thanks to the overbearing and relentless assault of the media
that projects Western women's clothing styles and the accompanying
add-ons—cosmetics, hair-styles, hair colours and so on—as defining the
parameters of feminine beauty.
Although some Muslim clerics consider the face-covering burkha as
normative for Muslim women and insist that they should stay cloistered
in their homes, many others differ. These new perceptions are
reflected in the writings not only of Muslim 'modernists' but also of
a significant section of the madrasa-trained ulema, a number of who
have even started schools for Muslim girls. And it is not that all the
ulema would insist that Muslim women should necessarily dress in plain
black gowns. Interesting innovations are now being made with this
simple dress in terms of colours, shapes and styles, catering to a
clientele that seeks an Islamic approach to modernity.
Personally, I find women dressed in the demure Muslim gown more
dignified than skimpily-dressed ones who blindly follow every Western
fashion and consider their own cultural traditions as 'primitive'. Far
from being regarded as shackling, many Muslim women who choose to
dress the Islamic way see their attire as liberating, allowing them to
preserve their modesty, as prescribed by Islam, as well as affording
them mobility outside their homes. However, in the heated debate about
Muslim women's dress it is often forgotten that the Quran also insists
on suitably modest dress for men. It is an indication of the
patriarchal nature of the debate that this crucial aspect is almost
forgotten, as Muslim women come to be seen as bearers of Muslim
cultural authenticity by critics as well as defenders of the veil.
The author works with the Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia
Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
--
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:41:58 +0530
From: MRSG <mrsg at vsnl.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Brouhaha Over the Veil
To: Yogi Sikand < ysikand at gmail.com>, reader-list at sarai.net
Message-ID: <002d01c7ccd7$3c9f5b60$b2c641db at MRAY>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8";
reply-type=original
The write up shows how islamic fundamentist ideology of subjugating women
forcing women wearing hijab can be supported under the veil of intellectual
discourse.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Yogi Sikand" <ysikand at gmail.com>
To: <reader-list at sarai.net>
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 12:58 AM
Subject: [Reader-list] Brouhaha Over the Veil
> Brouhaha Over the Veil
>
>
>
> Yoginder Sikand
>
>
>
>
>
> The controversy surrounding recently-nominated President Pratibha
> Patil's hotly contested statement on Muslims and the veil clearly
> illustrates how Muslim women's dress has become a central trope in
> contemporary discourses about Islam. Critics see the veil as
> 'obscurantist' and 'patriarchal', while its defenders regard it as
> protecting women from the oppressive male gaze. In this brouhaha over
> the veil, the fact that there is no single definition of it, that it
> has different meanings for different people and that what is
> considered to be normative Islamic women's attire varies across
> different Muslim ethnic groups and social classes is completely lost
> sight of. Further, the important distinctions between the veil, the
> burqa, the naqab and the hijab, all different forms of Muslim women's
> dress, are overlooked.
>
>
>
> Interestingly, the Quran does not lay down any particular form of
> clothing for men or indeed for women. It does not require Muslim women
> to cover their faces completely and remain confined at home, this
> being a custom that Muslims later took over from the Byzantine
> Christians. Instead, it talks about the need for both men and women to
> dress modestly. Modest appearance means that erogenous parts of the
> body should be covered suitably. This modest dress, or hijab, meant
> both for men and women, has been historically understood in diverse
> ways in different Muslim communities.
>
>
>
> In medieval India, it was the general practice of Muslim elites, like
> their Hindu counterparts, to veil their women and keep them concealed
> behind the four walls of their homes. But, then, as now, this was not
> the custom among the poorer classes, whose womenfolk were forced, by
> sheer economic compulsion, to work outside. They donned different
> forms of 'modest' Islamic dress other than the veil and did not
> observe strict purdah. In large parts of rural India, for instance,
> Muslim women wear the shalwar kameez and dupatta, which serves the
> same function of 'modest' dress as the veil, at the same time as it
> allows them to work in the fields.
>
>
>
> A few decades ago, shuttle-cock like veils were a common sight in
> India, covering women from head to toe like billowing tents. This,
> however, is rare now. Instead, new forms of the hijab have emerged,
> often influenced by fashions elsewhere in the Muslim world. Far from
> necessarily constraining Muslim women, they often facilitate them to
> enter the public space and to go in for higher education and careers
> that their mothers would never have considered. Many Muslim parents
> feel comfortable letting their daughters go outside their homes to
> study or work if they wear loose gowns that do not necessarily cover
> their faces. Many Muslim women would feel more comfortable dressed
> that way, regarding this sort of attire as protecting them from
> unwanted male attention. This way of dressing is also a social
> leveler, erasing class differences to a great extent, in terms of
> external appearance. As many young Muslim women who voluntarily choose
> to don this form of hijab see it, it saves them the trauma that many
> other women have to suffer when they feel compelled to 'look good' in
> public, thanks to the overbearing and relentless assault of the media
> that projects Western women's clothing styles and the accompanying
> add-ons—cosmetics, hair-styles, hair colours and so on—as defining the
> parameters of feminine beauty.
>
>
>
> Although some Muslim clerics consider the face-covering burkha as
> normative for Muslim women and insist that they should stay cloistered
> in their homes, many others differ. These new perceptions are
> reflected in the writings not only of Muslim 'modernists' but also of
> a significant section of the madrasa-trained ulema, a number of who
> have even started schools for Muslim girls. And it is not that all the
> ulema would insist that Muslim women should necessarily dress in plain
> black gowns. Interesting innovations are now being made with this
> simple dress in terms of colours, shapes and styles, catering to a
> clientele that seeks an Islamic approach to modernity.
>
>
>
> Personally, I find women dressed in the demure Muslim gown more
> dignified than skimpily-dressed ones who blindly follow every Western
> fashion and consider their own cultural traditions as 'primitive'. Far
> from being regarded as shackling, many Muslim women who choose to
> dress the Islamic way see their attire as liberating, allowing them to
> preserve their modesty, as prescribed by Islam, as well as affording
> them mobility outside their homes. However, in the heated debate about
> Muslim women's dress it is often forgotten that the Quran also insists
> on suitably modest dress for men. It is an indication of the
> patriarchal nature of the debate that this crucial aspect is almost
> forgotten, as Muslim women come to be seen as bearers of Muslim
> cultural authenticity by critics as well as defenders of the veil.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> The author works with the Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia
> Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
>
> --
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> subscribe in the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:50:16 +0530
From: "Ateya Khorakiwala" < ateya.k at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Brouhaha Over the Veil
To: reader-list at sarai.net
Message-ID:
< b23971c80707222020t7616ef3qc4550e781fb14c5e at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="WINDOWS-1252"; format=flowed
This statement :
"Personally, I find women dressed in the demure Muslim gown more
dignified than skimpily-dressed ones who blindly follow every Western
fashion and consider their own cultural traditions as 'primitive'."
The whole point is that women's bodies and what they wear is not for
you to judge, its not for you to decide what women look dignified in,
'dignity' is eventually just another word used to control women's
sexualities
On 7/23/07, MRSG < mrsg at vsnl.com> wrote:
> The write up shows how islamic fundamentist ideology of subjugating women
> forcing women wearing hijab can be supported under the veil of intellectual
> discourse.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Yogi Sikand" <ysikand at gmail.com>
> To: <reader-list at sarai.net >
> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 12:58 AM
> Subject: [Reader-list] Brouhaha Over the Veil
>
>
> > Brouhaha Over the Veil
> >
> >
> >
> > Yoginder Sikand
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > The controversy surrounding recently-nominated President Pratibha
> > Patil's hotly contested statement on Muslims and the veil clearly
> > illustrates how Muslim women's dress has become a central trope in
> > contemporary discourses about Islam. Critics see the veil as
> > 'obscurantist' and 'patriarchal', while its defenders regard it as
> > protecting women from the oppressive male gaze. In this brouhaha over
> > the veil, the fact that there is no single definition of it, that it
> > has different meanings for different people and that what is
> > considered to be normative Islamic women's attire varies across
> > different Muslim ethnic groups and social classes is completely lost
> > sight of. Further, the important distinctions between the veil, the
> > burqa, the naqab and the hijab, all different forms of Muslim women's
> > dress, are overlooked.
> >
> >
> >
> > Interestingly, the Quran does not lay down any particular form of
> > clothing for men or indeed for women. It does not require Muslim women
> > to cover their faces completely and remain confined at home, this
> > being a custom that Muslims later took over from the Byzantine
> > Christians. Instead, it talks about the need for both men and women to
> > dress modestly. Modest appearance means that erogenous parts of the
> > body should be covered suitably. This modest dress, or hijab, meant
> > both for men and women, has been historically understood in diverse
> > ways in different Muslim communities.
> >
> >
> >
> > In medieval India, it was the general practice of Muslim elites, like
> > their Hindu counterparts, to veil their women and keep them concealed
> > behind the four walls of their homes. But, then, as now, this was not
> > the custom among the poorer classes, whose womenfolk were forced, by
> > sheer economic compulsion, to work outside. They donned different
> > forms of 'modest' Islamic dress other than the veil and did not
> > observe strict purdah. In large parts of rural India, for instance,
> > Muslim women wear the shalwar kameez and dupatta, which serves the
> > same function of 'modest' dress as the veil, at the same time as it
> > allows them to work in the fields.
> >
> >
> >
> > A few decades ago, shuttle-cock like veils were a common sight in
> > India, covering women from head to toe like billowing tents. This,
> > however, is rare now. Instead, new forms of the hijab have emerged,
> > often influenced by fashions elsewhere in the Muslim world. Far from
> > necessarily constraining Muslim women, they often facilitate them to
> > enter the public space and to go in for higher education and careers
> > that their mothers would never have considered. Many Muslim parents
> > feel comfortable letting their daughters go outside their homes to
> > study or work if they wear loose gowns that do not necessarily cover
> > their faces. Many Muslim women would feel more comfortable dressed
> > that way, regarding this sort of attire as protecting them from
> > unwanted male attention. This way of dressing is also a social
> > leveler, erasing class differences to a great extent, in terms of
> > external appearance. As many young Muslim women who voluntarily choose
> > to don this form of hijab see it, it saves them the trauma that many
> > other women have to suffer when they feel compelled to 'look good' in
> > public, thanks to the overbearing and relentless assault of the media
> > that projects Western women's clothing styles and the accompanying
> > add-ons—cosmetics, hair-styles, hair colours and so on—as defining the
> > parameters of feminine beauty.
> >
> >
> >
> > Although some Muslim clerics consider the face-covering burkha as
> > normative for Muslim women and insist that they should stay cloistered
> > in their homes, many others differ. These new perceptions are
> > reflected in the writings not only of Muslim 'modernists' but also of
> > a significant section of the madrasa-trained ulema, a number of who
> > have even started schools for Muslim girls. And it is not that all the
> > ulema would insist that Muslim women should necessarily dress in plain
> > black gowns. Interesting innovations are now being made with this
> > simple dress in terms of colours, shapes and styles, catering to a
> > clientele that seeks an Islamic approach to modernity.
> >
> >
> >
> > Personally, I find women dressed in the demure Muslim gown more
> > dignified than skimpily-dressed ones who blindly follow every Western
> > fashion and consider their own cultural traditions as 'primitive'. Far
> > from being regarded as shackling, many Muslim women who choose to
> > dress the Islamic way see their attire as liberating, allowing them to
> > preserve their modesty, as prescribed by Islam, as well as affording
> > them mobility outside their homes. However, in the heated debate about
> > Muslim women's dress it is often forgotten that the Quran also insists
> > on suitably modest dress for men. It is an indication of the
> > patriarchal nature of the debate that this crucial aspect is almost
> > forgotten, as Muslim women come to be seen as bearers of Muslim
> > cultural authenticity by criticsas well as defenders of the veil.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > The author works with the Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia
> > Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
> >
> > --
> > _________________________________________
> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > Critiques & Collaborations
> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > subscribe in the subject header.
> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
--
Ateya Khorakiwala
Research Fellow,
Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture
www.ateya.blogspot.com
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:37:55 +0000
From: Vedavati Jogi < vrjogi at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Brouhaha Over the Veil
To: MRSG <mrsg at vsnl.com>, <reader-list at sarai.net>
Message-ID: <BAY126-W36AB26DA6098DBDE5FC7D2C0F70 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"
Yogi Sikand & his likes are Supporting muslim fundamentalism under the pretext of preserving secularism/liberalism/pluralism etc. etc.
Vedavati> Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:41:58 +0530> From: mrsg at vsnl.com> To: ysikand at gmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Brouhaha Over the Veil> > The write up shows how islamic fundamentist ideology of subjugating women > forcing women wearing hijab can be supported under the veil of intellectual > discourse.> > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Yogi Sikand" < ysikand at gmail.com>> To: <reader-list at sarai.net>> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 12:58 AM> Subject: [Reader-list] Brouhaha Over the Veil> > > > Brouhaha Over the Veil> >> >> >> > Yoginder Sikand> >> >> >> >> >> > The controversy surrounding recently-nominated President Pratibha> > Patil's hotly contested statement on Muslims and the veil clearly> > illustrates how Muslim women's dress has become a central trope in> > contemporary discourses about Islam. Critics see the veil as> > 'obscurantist' and 'patriarchal', while its defenders regard it as> > protecting women from the oppressive male gaze. In this brouhaha over> > the veil, the fact that there is no single definition of it, that it> > has different meanings for different people and that what is> > considered to be normative Islamic women's attire varies across> > different Muslim ethnic groups and social classes is completely lost> > sight of. Further, the important distinctions between the veil, the> > burqa, the naqab and the hijab, all different forms of Muslim women's> > dress, are overlooked.> >> >> >> > Interestingly, the Quran does not lay down any particular form of> > clothing for men or indeed for women. It does not require Muslim women> > to cover their faces completely and remain confined at home, this> > being a custom that Muslims later took over from the Byzantine> > Christians. Instead, it talks about the need for both men and women to> > dress modestly. Modest appearance means that erogenous parts of the> > body should be covered suitably. This modest dress, or hijab, meant> > both for men and women, has been historically understood in diverse> > ways in different Muslim communities.> >> >> >> > In medieval India, it was the general practice of Muslim elites, like> > their Hindu counterparts, to veil their women and keep them concealed> > behind the four walls of their homes. But, then, as now, this was not> > the custom among the poorer classes, whose womenfolk were forced, by> > sheer economic compulsion, to work outside. They donned different> > forms of 'modest' Islamic dress other than the veil and did not> > observe strict purdah. In large parts of rural India, for instance,> > Muslim women wear the shalwar kameez and dupatta, which serves the> > same function of 'modest' dress as the veil, at the same time as it> > allows them to work in the fields.> >> >> >> > A few decades ago, shuttle-cock like veils were a common sight in> > India, covering women from head to toe like billowing tents. This,> > however, is rare now. Instead, new forms of the hijab have emerged,> > often influenced by fashions elsewhere in the Muslim world. Far from> > necessarily constraining Muslim women, they often facilitate them to> > enter the public space and to go in for higher education and careers> > that their mothers would never have considered. Many Muslim parents> > feel comfortable letting their daughters go outside their homes to> > study or work if they wear loose gowns that do not necessarily cover> > their faces. Many Muslim women would feel more comfortable dressed> > that way, regarding this sort of attire as protecting them from> > unwanted male attention. This way of dressing is also a social> > leveler, erasing class differences to a great extent, in terms of> > external appearance. As many young Muslim women who voluntarily choose> > to don this form of hijab see it, it saves them the trauma that many> > other women have to suffer when they feel compelled to 'look good' in> > public, thanks to the overbearing and relentless assault of the media> > that projects Western women's clothing styles and the accompanying> > add-ons—cosmetics, hair-styles, hair colours and so on—as defining the> > parameters of feminine beauty.> >> >> >> > Although some Muslim clerics consider the face-covering burkha as> > normative for Muslim women and insist that they should stay cloistered> > in their homes, many others differ. These new perceptions are> > reflected in the writings not only of Muslim 'modernists' but also of> > a significant section of the madrasa-trained ulema, a number of who> > have even started schools for Muslim girls. And it is not that all the> > ulema would insist that Muslim women should necessarily dress in plain> > black gowns. Interesting innovations are now being made with this> > simple dress in terms of colours, shapes and styles, catering to a> > clientele that seeks an Islamic approach to modernity.> >> >> >> > Personally, I find women dressed in the demure Muslim gown more> > dignified than skimpily-dressed ones who blindly follow every Western> > fashion and consider their own cultural traditions as 'primitive'. Far> > from being regarded as shackling, many Muslim women who choose to> > dress the Islamic way see their attire as liberating, allowing them to> > preserve their modesty, as prescribed by Islam, as well as affording> > them mobility outside their homes. However, in the heated debate about> > Muslim women's dress it is often forgotten that the Quran also insists> > on suitably modest dress for men. It is an indication of the> > patriarchal nature of the debate that this crucial aspect is almost> > forgotten, as Muslim women come to be seen as bearers of Muslim> > cultural authenticity by critics as well as defenders of the veil.> >> >> >> >> >> >> > The author works with the Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia> > Millia Islamia, New Delhi.> >> > --> > _________________________________________> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.> > Critiques & Collaborations> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > > subscribe in the subject header.> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > _________________________________________> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.> Critiques & Collaborations> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header.> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
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