Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Modern Saints
Well this is timely, considering it fits perfectly in with the topic of my paper. It's about a boy who was dying of flesh-eating bacteria, the doctors had declared there was no cure, and then suddenly the infection stopped. The family said that it was due to a relic from a beatified Native American woman being placed on the boy's pillow. The Vatican has declared this a miracle.
Because the woman had already been beatified (and because under Pope John Paul II's reforms in the process of saint-making), this miracle qualifies her to become a saint, so her canonization process will start soon.
It's funny because the "controversial" elements or "ulterior motives" of canonization are present in this article. This woman would be the only Native American saint - the Vatican is essentially trying to diversify its saints: more women, more lay people, more minorities. Plus this would be a wise decision for the Vatican to make, considering that this miracle pretty much defies science - the boy's recovery was attributed to religion, not the doctors' medical work. So in the age of modern medicine, the Vatican would be especially keen on making this type of canonizations... and therefore sending a certain message.
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/20/143981760/vatican-declares-boys-recovery-a-miracle?sc=fb&cc=fp
Because the woman had already been beatified (and because under Pope John Paul II's reforms in the process of saint-making), this miracle qualifies her to become a saint, so her canonization process will start soon.
It's funny because the "controversial" elements or "ulterior motives" of canonization are present in this article. This woman would be the only Native American saint - the Vatican is essentially trying to diversify its saints: more women, more lay people, more minorities. Plus this would be a wise decision for the Vatican to make, considering that this miracle pretty much defies science - the boy's recovery was attributed to religion, not the doctors' medical work. So in the age of modern medicine, the Vatican would be especially keen on making this type of canonizations... and therefore sending a certain message.
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/20/143981760/vatican-declares-boys-recovery-a-miracle?sc=fb&cc=fp
Sunday, December 18, 2011
All-American Muslim - Episode 4
This was the next episode after #1 I could find to download. It dealt with the birth of one of the families' kid, and also with the experience of the football team during Ramadan. They continued to have practice and go to games despite fasting. Some of the practices were moved to after sunset so they could play after having eaten. I think this is a great example of jihad in the actual Quranic sense. The players have to discipline themselves to play well, even while disciplining themselves to be good Muslims. It seems like most of them came out of it stronger. If jihad is personal struggle for God, their personal struggle to excel in both aspects of life would embody this. It is also a fulfilling and constructive activity (well, maybe not playing football games without drinking water but...) rather than a destructive activity as in the erroneous, violent definition of jihad.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Spain prejudiced against Muslims
This article talks about negative views of Muslims in Spain. Much like in the United States, Spaniards tend to view Muslims as violent, intolerant, and oppressive of women. Anti-Muslim sentiment has provoked killings of Muslims by neo-Nazi groups and others. The article even said that anti-Islamic attitudes expressed by prominent public figures are seen as normal and representative of the attitudes of most of the population. When surveyed, 58% of Spaniards said there was a fundamental difficulty with being Muslim and living in a modern society. The article also mentions the concept of the clash of civilizations. The attitudes of those surveyed, in Spain and other European countries, do seem to reflect a belief that there is a split between "the West" and "Islam." The article shows how hard it is to break out of a way of thinking once it is ingrained in your society - if even the police are dismissive or hostile toward Muslims, how are they ever going to achieve equal status in these countries?
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/02/14/espana/1171468241.html
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/02/14/espana/1171468241.html
Monday, December 12, 2011
Westboro Baptist Church - How NOT to be religious
It is almost impossible to comment on the Westboro Baptist Church in an "empathetically objective" way. This is a church whose URL is godhatesfags.com, and is best known for its anti-gay protests, as well as demonstrations against many other things. I guess it just thinks it is taking the Bible literally, but the result is a bunch of deeply prejudiced cowards who travel around the country widening divisions and creating hatred (either toward them or toward the gays, depending on the prior opinions of the unfortunate bystander to one of their protests). They think they are doing right by God, by obeying the word of the Bible to the last letter. However, if they were to actually read the Bible, they would realize that they are just selecting passages to believe while ignoring others. For example, love thy neighbor as thyself. It doesn't get any clearer than that. Good Christians are supposed to love and tolerate, not hate. We saw in that one article that there are various interpretations of the verses where God is supposedly "against" homosexuality. We have also seen, in articles across the three traditions, that there are many people calling for a re-interpretation of holy scripture that can function in the modern world. The Westboro Baptist Church would do well to go shove its picket signs somewhere it would hurt, because they are not promoting a true message of Christianity, and are using certain Bible verses to "support" their own personal hatred.
http://www.godhatesfags.com/
http://www.godhatesfags.com/
Dead Sea Disasters
This article talks about scientists extracting cores from the sediment in the Dead Sea to analyze natural disasters and other climate patterns from the past. Some of the evidence they have found shows that some of the accounts in the Bible actually could correspond to real climate phenomena. This could be important for religion because the Bible tends not to correspond too much to history, but the more scientific evidence is found for Bible stories, the more believable they are. This could provide strength for the arguments of religious people defending their religion, and might cause atheists to think twice about the "division" between science and religion.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/12/111208-dead-sea-bible-biblical-salt-dry-science/?source=link_fb20111211news-deadseadisasterrecord
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/12/111208-dead-sea-bible-biblical-salt-dry-science/?source=link_fb20111211news-deadseadisasterrecord
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Thoughts on Orientalism
So we were talking about Edward Said's Orientalism in recitation, which I read and re-read for my theory class. The thesis of the text is about how the West projects its own ideas about the Orient onto the Orient for their own interests, and don't actually take into account what being in the Eastern world is like. It does not specifically address religion but I thought it was relevant.
Anyway, I was thinking about how we get our views of the East from Orientalist texts (for the most part) and wondering if it would be possible for us to see that part of the world from another point of view. It reminded me of what Maureen was saying in class about not only not passing your own judgment, but suspending your values. It seems like that would be incredibly hard to do. So even if you wanted to study Islam from an empathetically objective point of view, I think you would always be seeing it with your Western views, or always being conscious of trying to push aside your Western views.
I kind of noticed this when Professor Valeta was asking a question to Imam Kazerooni. He took forever to word the question, like he was searching for the politically correct way to say it so he wouldn't offend the guest.
It was useful of Said to write Orientalism because it makes us aware of our attitudes toward other parts of the world. But breaking out of these attitudes is much harder.
Anyway, I was thinking about how we get our views of the East from Orientalist texts (for the most part) and wondering if it would be possible for us to see that part of the world from another point of view. It reminded me of what Maureen was saying in class about not only not passing your own judgment, but suspending your values. It seems like that would be incredibly hard to do. So even if you wanted to study Islam from an empathetically objective point of view, I think you would always be seeing it with your Western views, or always being conscious of trying to push aside your Western views.
I kind of noticed this when Professor Valeta was asking a question to Imam Kazerooni. He took forever to word the question, like he was searching for the politically correct way to say it so he wouldn't offend the guest.
It was useful of Said to write Orientalism because it makes us aware of our attitudes toward other parts of the world. But breaking out of these attitudes is much harder.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
My Name is Khan
I just watched the movie My Name is Khan, which is about Rizvan Khan, an autistic Muslim man from India who comes to the United States. He meets a Hindu woman, they get married, her son from a previous arranged marriage accepts Khan as his father, bla bla bla. Everything changes after 9/11, a bunch of tragic things happen to this family, and Khan ends up deciding he needs to go meet the president of the US and tell him "My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist." I'm skipping the details because they aren't relevant in this blog, and in case anyone wants to watch the movie. It is overdone in some parts but overall has a great message and I would definitely recommend it.
Anyhoo, there were some religious elements in the movie that are worth pointing out. First of all, as a young boy, Khan sees tension in India between Hindus and Muslims, at which point his mother tells him that there are only two groups of people in the world: good people who do good things, and bad people who do bad things. Yes, this is incredibly simplistic, but it lets the viewer see religion, American attitudes, and the events of 9/11 through different eyes later on in the movie.
We find out that Khan is a devout Muslim. There is a scene (post 9/11) in which he meets a Muslim couple. When it is time to pray, the husband of the couple says, "You want to pray here? Prayer should depend on the place and the people around you." Khan responds, "Prayer does not depend on those things, it only depends on your faith." Because of his Asperger's, Khan is not able to process social situations like everyone else, and this allows him to carry out his Islamic beliefs in a pure way, without societal influence. We can see that the couple is affected by this.
Later on, Khan goes to pray in a mosque and hears a man incite his followers to take up arms and shed blood in the name of Islam. Khan tells this man that Ibrahim always knew Allah wasn't going to make him kill his son, and that Allah's message is a message of love, not killing. Khan then proceeds to throw rocks at this man, calling him Shaytan. This looks stupid at first, like a kid who is mad and starts throwing stones. But we realize that despite his disability, Khan is the person who has understood (after much study) the message of Islam, and the other "normal" people are the crazy ones. I would say that Khan, unlike SO many people, would not even understand the concept of "using" religion to meet some other end. He actually believes it, he knows it in its true form, and it is not a tool for him.
This movie also brings up the topic of typical Muslim dress after 9/11. A Sikh news reporter decides to stop wearing his turban to avoid being mistaken for a Muslim and becoming the target of violence. After being assaulted, the wife of Khan's brother decides to stop wearing hijab to protect herself. Much later in the movie, she begins wearing it again, explaining to her students that hijab is not only part of her religious identity, it is part of who she is.
In this movie we also see religious toleration in action: Khan's mother who insists on there being no inherent difference between Hindus and Muslims, the Christians in Georgia who welcome him into their church, the wife of Khan's brother who warmly welcomes Madira (Khan's Hindu wife) into the otherwise-Muslim family.
I could go on and analyze this film in its entirety, for religious elements and for cinematics. But alas, I have five million other blogs to do. In summary, this movie shows the viewer, through a unique perspective, the damaging effects that stereotypes and the violent actions of a few have on an entire society, and the restorative effects that good religion (free from prejudice, politics, and societal pressure) can bring.
On a side note, I was young when 9/11 happened and there were no Muslims in my community, but I am guessing the scenes depicting post-9/11 prejudice toward Muslims in everyday situations are not far from the truth. Especially considering the automatic prejudice Arab-looking people encounter at the airport, etc. How sad. I am also wondering about anti-Muslim attitudes pre-9/11. Need to look into this. Very depressing.
Anyhoo, there were some religious elements in the movie that are worth pointing out. First of all, as a young boy, Khan sees tension in India between Hindus and Muslims, at which point his mother tells him that there are only two groups of people in the world: good people who do good things, and bad people who do bad things. Yes, this is incredibly simplistic, but it lets the viewer see religion, American attitudes, and the events of 9/11 through different eyes later on in the movie.
We find out that Khan is a devout Muslim. There is a scene (post 9/11) in which he meets a Muslim couple. When it is time to pray, the husband of the couple says, "You want to pray here? Prayer should depend on the place and the people around you." Khan responds, "Prayer does not depend on those things, it only depends on your faith." Because of his Asperger's, Khan is not able to process social situations like everyone else, and this allows him to carry out his Islamic beliefs in a pure way, without societal influence. We can see that the couple is affected by this.
Later on, Khan goes to pray in a mosque and hears a man incite his followers to take up arms and shed blood in the name of Islam. Khan tells this man that Ibrahim always knew Allah wasn't going to make him kill his son, and that Allah's message is a message of love, not killing. Khan then proceeds to throw rocks at this man, calling him Shaytan. This looks stupid at first, like a kid who is mad and starts throwing stones. But we realize that despite his disability, Khan is the person who has understood (after much study) the message of Islam, and the other "normal" people are the crazy ones. I would say that Khan, unlike SO many people, would not even understand the concept of "using" religion to meet some other end. He actually believes it, he knows it in its true form, and it is not a tool for him.
This movie also brings up the topic of typical Muslim dress after 9/11. A Sikh news reporter decides to stop wearing his turban to avoid being mistaken for a Muslim and becoming the target of violence. After being assaulted, the wife of Khan's brother decides to stop wearing hijab to protect herself. Much later in the movie, she begins wearing it again, explaining to her students that hijab is not only part of her religious identity, it is part of who she is.
In this movie we also see religious toleration in action: Khan's mother who insists on there being no inherent difference between Hindus and Muslims, the Christians in Georgia who welcome him into their church, the wife of Khan's brother who warmly welcomes Madira (Khan's Hindu wife) into the otherwise-Muslim family.
I could go on and analyze this film in its entirety, for religious elements and for cinematics. But alas, I have five million other blogs to do. In summary, this movie shows the viewer, through a unique perspective, the damaging effects that stereotypes and the violent actions of a few have on an entire society, and the restorative effects that good religion (free from prejudice, politics, and societal pressure) can bring.
On a side note, I was young when 9/11 happened and there were no Muslims in my community, but I am guessing the scenes depicting post-9/11 prejudice toward Muslims in everyday situations are not far from the truth. Especially considering the automatic prejudice Arab-looking people encounter at the airport, etc. How sad. I am also wondering about anti-Muslim attitudes pre-9/11. Need to look into this. Very depressing.
Monday, November 28, 2011
All-American Muslim - Episode 1
The TLC show All-American Muslim is a reality show about the lives of several Muslim families in Dearborn, Michigan, which has the largest concentration of Arab-Americans in the country. This episode focused mostly on the marriage between a Muslim woman and a Catholic man. In order for the father of the bride to approve, the groom had to convert to Islam. At first his Catholic family was not happy about this, but after being welcomed openly at the wedding reception, they changed their opinions. I think it's interesting to see how the opinions varied within the group of featured Muslims; even non-Muslim Americans who do not automatically hate Muslims are sort of programmed to view them all in one stereotypical way. We can contrast Nawal, the more conservative but still outgoing pregnant wife, with Nina, the stripperesque strong-willed woman who wants to run her own club. These women are both Muslims and both claim to honor the faith in their hearts, but their outward practices are definitely very different. I think it is useful, and I dare say essential, for non-Muslim Americans to see this type of show, canned as it may be, so they can just begin to get a real view inside Islam and see that life for Muslims is not drastically different from life for Christians, Jews, or atheists. Yes, the hijab is like a neon sign on the forehead that reads MUSLIM, but if people look beyond that, they see "regular" people with a different way of dressing. Americans suck at accepting people different from themselves, but I think this is a good place to start. I am intrigued to watch more of this show. The impression I got was of wholesome families who strive to do their best in life, albeit in very different ways. I am wondering what sort of day-to-day benefits being a Muslim has.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think
I just watched the movie Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, which provided the results of a Gallup Poll surveying Muslim and American opinions of the Muslim world. Many of the elements were political, but there were quite a few statistics relating to religion. Not surprisingly, over half of Americans reported knowing little to nothing about the beliefs of Islam. The documentary also talked about violence, saying that terrorism was a political issue, not a religious one. The radicals (defined as those who believed the 9/11 attacks were completely justified and had negative views of the US) were found to be no more religious than the mainstream. Also, the movie stated that "jihad" is not actually a negative term. It means a struggle for God, but this can be a struggle to improve oneself as a person, to work to change government, or to fight to throw off oppression. It does not refer to deliberate mass killing, and according to the movie, it is supposed to have a positive connotation. In fact, one of the experts' name was Jihad, and he was really proud of his name. The movie said that people "use" religion, clinging to their own interpretation of Islam to justify actions. This is obviously also true for other religions.
The documentary also addressed the issue of women's rights. In most countries surveyed, almost as many men as women believed that women should have equal access to jobs for which they are qualified. The hijab was discussed, and the main female speaker said most women view the head covering not only as a religious mandate, but also a garment that shifts the public focus from their physical appearance to their intellect. The movie also showed women who were using the Qur'an to combat practices such as honor killings, saying that for true Islam, these practices are unacceptable.
Another thing that I just have to bring up even though it is not about religion is the results of one particular question. Muslims were asked if they had unfavorable opinions of certain countries. Kuwaitis' opinions of the US and Canada were used as an example, and the results were striking: 67% had unfavorable views of the US, while only 3% had unfavorable views of Canada. The narrator said that the US and Canada are very similar except in foreign policy, which is what determined this huge discrepancy.
The documentary also addressed the issue of women's rights. In most countries surveyed, almost as many men as women believed that women should have equal access to jobs for which they are qualified. The hijab was discussed, and the main female speaker said most women view the head covering not only as a religious mandate, but also a garment that shifts the public focus from their physical appearance to their intellect. The movie also showed women who were using the Qur'an to combat practices such as honor killings, saying that for true Islam, these practices are unacceptable.
Another thing that I just have to bring up even though it is not about religion is the results of one particular question. Muslims were asked if they had unfavorable opinions of certain countries. Kuwaitis' opinions of the US and Canada were used as an example, and the results were striking: 67% had unfavorable views of the US, while only 3% had unfavorable views of Canada. The narrator said that the US and Canada are very similar except in foreign policy, which is what determined this huge discrepancy.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Google helps put Dead Sea Scrolls online
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15063895
This article discussed that the Dead Sea Scrolls have been transformed into an online format and are now available for viewing on Google. This is important for several reasons. First, it makes the scrolls accessible to a wider audience. Previously the scrolls were probably only seen by scholars, but now any curious Jew, history buff, or average citizen can browse through these ancient texts at leisure. Second, it is a backup copy of the scrolls. Although I am sure every precaution is taken against the decomposition of this artifact, increasing wear over time is probably inevitable. Having a digital copy will allow scholars to continue to study the texts even if the condition of the originals worsens. Third, this is another demonstration of how technology is aiding religious studies. We saw other examples of this with the video The Bible’s Buried Secrets and in the article “Is God an Accident?” Science and religion are often thought to clash, but in these three cases science contributes significantly to the study of religion.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Saved! - The movie
After it was mentioned in class, I watched the movie Saved! Mary, the protagonist, sees herself as a "good Christian girl who goes to a good Christian high school where she has good Christian friends and [...] a perfect Christian boyfriend" (IMDb). Hilary Faye is the most popular girl at the school, and the most outwardly religious. Other important characters are Dean (Mary's boyfriend), Roland (Hilary Faye's wheelchair-bound brother), and Cassandra (the rebellious Jew). The seemingly perfect Christian life starts to go awry when:
- Dean admits he might be gay
- Mary decides to have sex with him to "cure" him of this
- Her plan fails, she ends up pregnant, and Dean's parents send him to Mercy House which will supposedly rid him of this condition
- Hilary Faye, who turns out to be extremely selfish, ridicules anyone who she sees as less Christian than herself
- Cassandra tries to cause as much trouble as possible while humiliating Hilary Faye and poking fun at Christianity
- Roland falls for Cassandra and admits he is not a Christian
To cut to the chase, Mary ends up having the baby and falling for Patrick (the pastor's son), Dean finds a boyfriend, Hilary Faye gets what's coming to her and learns to accept everyone, Cassandra is less rebellious and she and Roland are a happy couple, and the movie ends with Mary's inner musings about religion.
For as cheesy and predictable as it was, I thought the movie had some interesting aspects. To start with, it shows Mary's spiritual journey. At first, she is a blind believer, a "good" Christian who honestly thinks that the right thing to do for Dean is to cure him of his homosexuality. However, when she becomes pregnant (her name draws a parallel to the Virgin Mary, whom she references during the movie), Mary begins to question her faith. The pregnant Mary stands in front of a cross at her church and yells, "Sh*t.... f*ck.... god d*mn," expecting God to smite her where she stands but instead receiving no divine reaction whatsoever. During this difficult time, she thinks Jesus isn't listening, and starts to wonder if Dean's homosexuality is not a "condition." By the end of the movie, Mary has come back to find God in her own way, saying when her baby is born that life is too beautiful not to have a creator.
I think the film essentially shows what Christian values should be, as opposed to what they evolve into under the influence of churches, organizations, and society in general. Hilary Faye is an example of this. She SEEMS like the perfect Christian: she participates in every activity, prays and talks about Jesus constantly, and chauffeurs her handicapped brother. However, we discover little by little that Hilary Faye is completely self-absorbed and only helps her brother because she has to. Our feelings of revulsion toward her are particularly strong in a scene where she tries to figure out what is wrong with Mary, flinging a Bible at her and screaming, "I am FILLED with God's love!" It becomes clear to us that this is not what a true Christian should be. We see more Christian values in Cassandra, who is Jewish, when she helps Mary with her pregnancy. Ironically, the most Christian love and acceptance towards one's neighbor is shown in the final scene, when the school has been graffiti'ed, the statue of Jesus destroyed, and the Christian prom completely ruined. The viewer is left with a clear message that faith and Christian love come from within, and are not dependent on a church or religious school.
- Dean admits he might be gay
- Mary decides to have sex with him to "cure" him of this
- Her plan fails, she ends up pregnant, and Dean's parents send him to Mercy House which will supposedly rid him of this condition
- Hilary Faye, who turns out to be extremely selfish, ridicules anyone who she sees as less Christian than herself
- Cassandra tries to cause as much trouble as possible while humiliating Hilary Faye and poking fun at Christianity
- Roland falls for Cassandra and admits he is not a Christian
To cut to the chase, Mary ends up having the baby and falling for Patrick (the pastor's son), Dean finds a boyfriend, Hilary Faye gets what's coming to her and learns to accept everyone, Cassandra is less rebellious and she and Roland are a happy couple, and the movie ends with Mary's inner musings about religion.
For as cheesy and predictable as it was, I thought the movie had some interesting aspects. To start with, it shows Mary's spiritual journey. At first, she is a blind believer, a "good" Christian who honestly thinks that the right thing to do for Dean is to cure him of his homosexuality. However, when she becomes pregnant (her name draws a parallel to the Virgin Mary, whom she references during the movie), Mary begins to question her faith. The pregnant Mary stands in front of a cross at her church and yells, "Sh*t.... f*ck.... god d*mn," expecting God to smite her where she stands but instead receiving no divine reaction whatsoever. During this difficult time, she thinks Jesus isn't listening, and starts to wonder if Dean's homosexuality is not a "condition." By the end of the movie, Mary has come back to find God in her own way, saying when her baby is born that life is too beautiful not to have a creator.
I think the film essentially shows what Christian values should be, as opposed to what they evolve into under the influence of churches, organizations, and society in general. Hilary Faye is an example of this. She SEEMS like the perfect Christian: she participates in every activity, prays and talks about Jesus constantly, and chauffeurs her handicapped brother. However, we discover little by little that Hilary Faye is completely self-absorbed and only helps her brother because she has to. Our feelings of revulsion toward her are particularly strong in a scene where she tries to figure out what is wrong with Mary, flinging a Bible at her and screaming, "I am FILLED with God's love!" It becomes clear to us that this is not what a true Christian should be. We see more Christian values in Cassandra, who is Jewish, when she helps Mary with her pregnancy. Ironically, the most Christian love and acceptance towards one's neighbor is shown in the final scene, when the school has been graffiti'ed, the statue of Jesus destroyed, and the Christian prom completely ruined. The viewer is left with a clear message that faith and Christian love come from within, and are not dependent on a church or religious school.
Some views on the hijab
This has nothing to do with what we're talking about in class, but it does relate to my site visit to the Colorado Muslim Society this weekend.
I was not sure what to wear to be appropriately covered for a Muslim activity, so I looked online for some tips. Here is an interesting article I found:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Choosing-to-Wear-the-Muslim-Headscarf/1
It talks about American woman Krista Bremer, her Libyan-born husband, and their daughter Aliya's reception of the two cultures. The mother said she was "confident that she would favor my comfortable American lifestyle over his [her husband's] modest Muslim upbringing." She was shocked, however, when her daughter begged for a Muslim headscarf to wear. Bremer is apprehensive at first, and wonders what people will think. She supports her daughter's decision, but is definitely aware of the reaction from community members: "In the produce aisle, a woman reaching for an apple fixed me with an overly bright, solicitous smile that said 'I embrace diversity and I am perfectly fine with your child.'" Then Bremer talks about how she behaved as a child and then as an adolescent, describing the progression from a carefree lifestyle to an obsession with physical appearance. She eventually arrives at the realization that the hijab could be a good thing for her daughter; Aliya doesn't care what people think of her, and the covered-up Muslim dress would allow her to show her inner beauty, not expose her entire body. "As I pulled away from the curb, I imagined that headscarf having magical powers to protect her boundless imagination, her keen perception, and her unself-conscious goodness."
I think this article provides an interesting perspective because of the mother's internal dilemma. On one hand, she wants her daughter to be free to make her own choices; on the other, she is aware of the stereotypes of headscarves in America and wonders if it would create difficulties for her daughter. One thing I am finding as I research more into this topic is that hijab is not in itself a symbol of oppression. Although many women argue that the Qur'an commands that a woman be covered, some interpret it otherwise. Many agree that a hijab is only part of the equation - that it is also necessary to behave modestly, not just dress that way. Aliya's choice certainly shows that a woman would voluntarily take the hijab and probably the life choices it implies as well. It would be interesting to see if she continues down a path to Islam.
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Another website I found after my visit to the CMS was this one, called "Hijab Style: We Love Hijab":
http://welovehijab.com/
It is a blog created by a Muslim woman, and its purpose is to give readers ideas to make fashionable, modest outfits that incorporate the headscarf. The blogger uses pictures from fashion magazines and puts together ensembles that would be appropriately covering. For example, she pairs a short dress with wide-leg pants, a cardigan, and the scarf, then decorates the outfit with matching jewelry and shoes. This website seems like a good way for Muslim women to look stylish even though they have to be covered up. The blogger is adamant that covering the body except for the face, hands, and feet, is a requirement in the Qur'an, and she repeatedly criticizes clothing for not meeting these requirements. She also emphasizes the modest lifestyle that goes along with the hijab. It is weird for me to read something like, "Unfortunately these pants are too form-fitting" or "You should buy this dress one size too big so as not to show off your waist." It is a completely different perspective on clothing; as an American girl, I'm accustomed to seeing (and buying) clothing that shows off every curve of a woman's body, and I have friends who deliberately buy items one size too small so it reveals even more. However, looking at the elegance of some of these outfits, I can see how dressing modestly is not such a bad thing. The beauty is created by the matching colors and the quality of each individual piece, not by the fact that skin is showing in as many places as possible and nothing is left to the imagination.
I want to find more stories about the hijab. I would like to get a feel for women's opinion on this topic in different countries: How do they interpret the Qur'an with respect to body covering? Do they like the hijab or hate it? Does it give them a sense of security? What are the personal values associated with it, and do these women find themselves adhering to these values or not?
I was not sure what to wear to be appropriately covered for a Muslim activity, so I looked online for some tips. Here is an interesting article I found:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Choosing-to-Wear-the-Muslim-Headscarf/1
It talks about American woman Krista Bremer, her Libyan-born husband, and their daughter Aliya's reception of the two cultures. The mother said she was "confident that she would favor my comfortable American lifestyle over his [her husband's] modest Muslim upbringing." She was shocked, however, when her daughter begged for a Muslim headscarf to wear. Bremer is apprehensive at first, and wonders what people will think. She supports her daughter's decision, but is definitely aware of the reaction from community members: "In the produce aisle, a woman reaching for an apple fixed me with an overly bright, solicitous smile that said 'I embrace diversity and I am perfectly fine with your child.'" Then Bremer talks about how she behaved as a child and then as an adolescent, describing the progression from a carefree lifestyle to an obsession with physical appearance. She eventually arrives at the realization that the hijab could be a good thing for her daughter; Aliya doesn't care what people think of her, and the covered-up Muslim dress would allow her to show her inner beauty, not expose her entire body. "As I pulled away from the curb, I imagined that headscarf having magical powers to protect her boundless imagination, her keen perception, and her unself-conscious goodness."
I think this article provides an interesting perspective because of the mother's internal dilemma. On one hand, she wants her daughter to be free to make her own choices; on the other, she is aware of the stereotypes of headscarves in America and wonders if it would create difficulties for her daughter. One thing I am finding as I research more into this topic is that hijab is not in itself a symbol of oppression. Although many women argue that the Qur'an commands that a woman be covered, some interpret it otherwise. Many agree that a hijab is only part of the equation - that it is also necessary to behave modestly, not just dress that way. Aliya's choice certainly shows that a woman would voluntarily take the hijab and probably the life choices it implies as well. It would be interesting to see if she continues down a path to Islam.
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Another website I found after my visit to the CMS was this one, called "Hijab Style: We Love Hijab":
http://welovehijab.com/
It is a blog created by a Muslim woman, and its purpose is to give readers ideas to make fashionable, modest outfits that incorporate the headscarf. The blogger uses pictures from fashion magazines and puts together ensembles that would be appropriately covering. For example, she pairs a short dress with wide-leg pants, a cardigan, and the scarf, then decorates the outfit with matching jewelry and shoes. This website seems like a good way for Muslim women to look stylish even though they have to be covered up. The blogger is adamant that covering the body except for the face, hands, and feet, is a requirement in the Qur'an, and she repeatedly criticizes clothing for not meeting these requirements. She also emphasizes the modest lifestyle that goes along with the hijab. It is weird for me to read something like, "Unfortunately these pants are too form-fitting" or "You should buy this dress one size too big so as not to show off your waist." It is a completely different perspective on clothing; as an American girl, I'm accustomed to seeing (and buying) clothing that shows off every curve of a woman's body, and I have friends who deliberately buy items one size too small so it reveals even more. However, looking at the elegance of some of these outfits, I can see how dressing modestly is not such a bad thing. The beauty is created by the matching colors and the quality of each individual piece, not by the fact that skin is showing in as many places as possible and nothing is left to the imagination.
I want to find more stories about the hijab. I would like to get a feel for women's opinion on this topic in different countries: How do they interpret the Qur'an with respect to body covering? Do they like the hijab or hate it? Does it give them a sense of security? What are the personal values associated with it, and do these women find themselves adhering to these values or not?
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Testing, testing 1, 2, 3
Welcome to my blog for RLST 2600 at CU Boulder, Fall 2011. Just checking out how it works, then I'll start posting.
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