Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The shroud of mysticism

We see the Burkha as a very symbol of Islam, but women interact with this piece of clothing in myriad ways, mostly to shield, often to mask and sometimes to camouflage. Whatever the motivations in deciding to wear the hijab, a woman makes a statement about herself as much as about society she lives in.
Rahul Irani has a story to tell about photo ops he undertook, and here are some of the excerpts Arshi Khan a student at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi says she wears the Burkha to please Allah, but manages to keep her fashion quotient high with a shocking pink contrast bag. Sebha Jafri a former convent school teacher in Bhopal says she is as modern as any other 28 year old girl and wears expensive lingerie and shorts to entice her spouse within the four walls of her room, but wears the burkha when she steps out of the house like a typical Muslim housewife. Gul feels her burkha makes her feel more secure during her early morning jogs, though it is not comfortable while running. Even women in Burkha feel targeted all the time, but get used to it, Gul feels her security blanket, ironically makes her stand out in a crowd and spends a lot of time in a gym to battle this sense of vulnerability. For Nidhi, the burkha is not a religious diktat, it is the perfect foil. It assures her anonymity, it is an equalizer, and she is a commercial sex worker at Kabri Bazaar in Meerut. She manages quite a few respectable glances as she walks down the sheets to shop in a hijab. It is another matter that she actually seeks out the leering advances of prospective clients once she gets down to work. Burkha tailors tend to be men; women cover themselves in loose clothing while getting their measurements taken. In India women who refused to reveal their identity cards were not issued identity cards.
The veil issue is part of a heated debate about multiculturalism in Europe. The issues involved are religious freedom, female equality, secular traditions and even fears of terrorism. In Italy a draft bill banning the burkha/hijab in public places is in place. France in April banned women from hiding their face behind a veil; Spain has imposed a ban on full face veils in public places, similar to the ban existing in Belgium. There are three distinct types of veils worn by Muslim women, Burqa is a loose cloak covering the whole body from the top of the head to the toes and includes head covering and face veil. Chador is an open cloak full body length of fabric split open down the front, with a head hole in the top. Hijab- refers to both the head covering and modest style of dressing. It means covering everything except face and hands in public. Niqab- covers the face unlike a burqa which covers the whole body. Excerpts of Photo ops-Open.

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