Adelaidenow.com: by Amy Moran —
Kathryn Jones, of Park Holme, with son Bilal, 4, says the recent controversy over the proposed burqa ban in Parliament House has made Muslim women feel more accepted locally. Picture Dean Martin
MUSLIM women in the southwest are feeling more accepted in the community than ever despite negative publicity towards the religion in the past few weeks.
Park Holme woman Kathryn Jones said the “ban the burqa” debate in Parliament House had made the once taboo topic part of mainstream conversation.
Mrs Jones, who converted to Islam 19 years ago, said the debate had helped to break the stigma of female oppression associated with the religion.
She said a positive conversation had started about the different coverings Muslim women wore, whether it be a hijab, which covered the full body and head, the niqab, a veil covering the face, or the burqa, which was rarely worn outside of Afghanistan.
“I’m used to being stared at because of how I’m dressed,” Mrs Jones, 42, said.
“Now people are starting to smile and say hello.
Mrs Jones said new Facebook groups such as Women In Solidarity (with) Hijabis were also helping Muslim women feel more accepted.
“It’s really opened the door for conversations between Muslims and non-Muslims,” she said.
The mother-of-five said it was in stark contrast to just a month ago, when terror raids in the eastern states prompted widespread racial abuse towards Muslim women — worse than that experienced post-September 11.
“The negative stuff is dying down and it has opened the door for the discussion that had to happen.”
Clovelly Park woman May Jassem said she had found Adelaide a more accepting place than Melbourne.
The 37-year-old, who moved from Iraq in 2011, said it had been about five months since she last felt uncomfortable in Adelaide.
In contrast, she visited Melbourne for a holiday last week and had a man deliberately tip his drink on her.
“I became angry but then I didn’t care because he was not a respectful man,” Mrs Jassem said.
“I feel like I belong to Australia and dislike people who behave like this.”
Mrs Jassem said she had noticed people in her neighbourhood were becoming more accepting of Muslim women in the past few weeks.
“When I am at work people are very kind to me, they are interested in where I am from and they invite me to their homes and treat me in a lovely way,” she said.
“Even at the market, people will smile at me and say hello.”
Ascot Park woman Nadine Imran, 27, said support had grown for Muslim women since she and a friend were verbally abused in Moseley Square last month.
“For every bad comment we get there are more and more people coming out in support of us,” Mrs Imran said.
She volunteered at a Flinders University Islamic Awareness Week stall last week and said non-Muslim women were fawning over different scarfs and trying on hijabs.
“So many women have been supportive of us by wearing the hijab in solidarity,” she said.
Flinders University emeritus professor Riaz Hassan said while there was no systematic research on the treatment of Muslims in Australian society, general acceptance had grown.
“With the passage of time there will be more acceptance of religion and more acceptance of diversity,” Professor Hassan said.
Origional Post here: http://m.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/west-beaches/muslim-women-say-the-ban-the-burqa-debate-is-inspiring-positive-conversation-in-adelaide/story-fni9llx9-1227091513959?nk=305bbed4184f7fa9fd5a14b7f28d1452
Categories: Australia, Burka, Europe and Australia, Hijab, ISLAM, Women In islam, Women Rights
Wearing the niqab is fashion, not faith, otherwise you are saying that decent devout Muslim women of the older generation neglected to behave modestly. So are we allowed to decide to wear a fashion item despite the law because we want to? In an ideal world, every woman wearing the niqab would be doing so out of free will, rather than facing heavy social pressure or punitive laws that force her to cover her face. “I don’t want to be controlled and told what I can and can not wear: that is oppression”. So, if you ever have daughters, what will you tell them? Have fun at the beach? The Burkha and Niqab are expressly designed to inhibit social interactions. That is what they are for. Do you actually have any evidence that women wearing the niqab have been involved in any armed terrorist activity in the West?
How about it is none of your business what women choose to wear. People should be free to wear whatever they want, or even not wear anything at all, as it would be none of your business? Why shouldn’t she be free to wear what she wants, for whatever reason, if she is doing no harm by doing so? No matter what you choose to wear, you also choose with it how you want people to see you and react to you. If it’s a niqab, then you also get questions about your identity, and (unfortunately) the current suspicions of anyone who does not reveal their face. If it’s something almost indecently revealing, you can expect men in cars to stop and proposition you. Either way, there’s no point getting offended. People still don’t have the right to assume they know how you think or will behave, but you will have to deal with their assumptions. Of course, if you’re older and basically dowdy, they just won’t notice you’re there most of the time… I feel liberated by the fact that I choose what you see. And I choose what I interact with. This will not include you. If you do not trust me then you are not asking for my trust, either. “The niqab makes me feel liberated, and no law will stop me from wearing it”.
Yes. Clothing can be an indicator to society and an indicator of society. Or it can be something to put on in the morning. In most western societies, a woman will be thought to be inviting sexual activity if she wears short-shorts and a sheer blouse without a bra underneath. In some Muslim societies she will be thought to be inviting sexual activity if she fails to cover her hair. But Muslim societies vary. Some require extreme cover-up. Others are pretty much like western societies. Sometimes people are sending loud messages about themselves via their clothing. Other times they aren’t intending to send any particular message. Some people read a lot into what folks are wearing, whether or not the folks are intending to signal anything. Other people don’t pay much attention to clothes. Some organizations insist that people “dress the part”, perhaps by wearing the organization’s
Most Jewish women are puzzled by the small number of Jewish women who do this too. There is certainly no religious dictate to do it. Those that maintain this tradition and do it willingly, claim its a sign of modesty with a particular sect. The huge majority that don’t would say its just a way of maintaining control and conformity within the Hassidic sect. Nobody covers their face incidentally,uniform, perhaps by wearing certain colours or styles. Other organizations don’t care what folks wear as long as they perform their functions well.
IA
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk