A.J. BaxtorMay 6th, 2007 - 22:16:14

I'm sorry but this is a really silly article. Poor little pretty girl who wanted more attention than was granted to her by the scarf decides she wants to take it off because of all the conservatism..booo hoooo! There are so much more important things going on in the ME girls, please wake up and smell the humus! When did this fascination with what women wear begin?? As a man, I feel like you are simply promulgating a negative stereotype about women nowadays. As a teacher, I am insulted at your lack of scholarly accuracy - sweetheart, you imply that 'scholars' all of whom are supposedly of equal rank are still in dispute as to the obligatory nature of the scarf?? let me set you straight on that one: this issue has been finalized long before you were born and no 'scholar' worth his/her weight would disagree, in fact please cite one of these wonderful scholars for me...Finally, as a Muslim I am saddened that someone who actually may have a God-given talent for writing is wasting it on topics like these...I do not care if this lady puts the scarf back on in fact I dont care that she took it off in the first place, but please lets call things what they are and stop hiding behind facades of pseudo-intellectualism...

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AnonymousMay 7th, 2007 - 09:45:42

There are several flaws in your article:

1) 'maintaining a low-profile in public and abstaining from 'casual relationships' with the opposite sex'

-Since when do any Egyptian women, veiled or not, maintain a low public profile? Veiled women work on tv channels, walk the streets by the Nile with their boyfriends, and are just as loud and boisterous as the next, non-veiled Egyptian girl.

2) 'Although this strict understanding of the veil is not outlined by the Koran, Naira explained that she tried to strictly abide by this socially-backed 'behavioral code' when she first took the veil on. '

Strict understanding of the veil? It is a notion supported by all Muslim scholars. 'Socially backed'? Wrong term-every Egyptian woman has the freedom to wear, or not wear the veil-in fact, those who do not wear the veil are often percieved as 'higher-class' and are never turned down for jobs due to their appearance-as opposed to many qualified veiled woman who are constantly turned down for jobs. Furthermore, the term socially backed implies it as a social phenomenon rather than a religious one. The veil is obligatory-whether you are Muslim or are Mother Teresa, it's not limited to Islam. In the Middle Ages it was very common in Europe for women to cover their hair-that was a socially backed phenomenon.

3) 'The Muslim's holiest book clearly states that a woman should cover her cleavage and dress modestly - but any other restrictions on dress remain debatable. '
'Although scholars are divided about whether the scarf and the traditional Islamic gown is 'an obligation,''

Debatable by who? Present valid arguments rather than gross statements.

4)
'Some women even started covering their hair with scarves while preserving their dress style that included wearing tight pants and body-hugging tops.
TV preacher Amr Khaled was one cleric who is considered to have introduced this neo-Islamic conservative trend. '

Placing that paragraph right after the former was uncalled for, and seriously insults the TV preacher-it appears almost as if he condones tight-clothes veiled women.


Sorry to say, but a sloppy piece of journalism. Rather dissapointed, as I've read many other articles written by you.

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concernedMay 7th, 2007 - 21:09:01

The previous posters pretty much summed up my sentiments towards this article. What exactly was the purpose of this piece? To feel sympathetic towards this woman who found it hard to wear the scarf? I'm afraid I'm not feeling it...had this article been polished to exclude all the fallacious arguments and implications therein, it might have provided some kind of input - but as it stands its merely a waste of otherwise good online space...

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EstherMay 8th, 2007 - 14:17:13

The personal story told here is just that--personal, and thus valid and interesting on its own terms. However, the 'background' provided on the 'return' of the veil and the 'struggle' between liberals and conservatives is grossly simplified and does not do justice to the complexity of religious, social and political trends within Egyptian society or to dynamics of gender discrimination and exclusion, which may sometimes coincide with particular religious discourses but can in no way be equated with or attributed to religious trends alone.

The veil has been a marker of Islamic societies throughout the ages and all four orthodox schools of Islamic law agree that hijab (in its broadest sense) is obligatory for both men and women--based on evidence derived from the primary sources of Islam. Modest dress (including the veil) is thus in no way a modern phenomenon--in fact, less than a century ago ALL Egyptian women were fully veiled, which was both the religious and cultural norm of the time.

The veil has certainly been objectified and appropriated for ideological purposes by 'some' Islamic movements past and present but women have been just as much a part of these movements as men, championing the veil as a marker of their religious commitment and independence. In fact, as gender historians such Leila Ahmed have noted, ESPECIALLY in Egypt the veil has helped women to become MORE visible in the public sphere. A mere look into Egyptian public and professional life shows that the veil has in no way held women back.

Naira's story is an interesting illustration of the ebb and flow of personal Islamic practice and interpretation and her choices should be respected. However, placing her story in the context of wider social and religious developments requires more critical engagement with the views of popular pundits such as Mohamed Emara. There is far more to Egyptian Islam than the sectarian views of extremists on either side, and a failure to highlight this will only contribute further to distorted views of Islam and the Muslim world.

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Someone who loves godJun 5th, 2007 - 19:43:26

Who didn't anyone ask this poor girl why she's a single mother at this age, was that a reason why she wanted to revolutionilize, or was is there something else she's hiding. She was hiding behind the veil and when the reason, nothing related to her love for god, vanished she came back and said when she's ready! You don't have the choice of being ready to practice gods say! There are rules and you either abide to them or not, and playing with rules is exactly why the arab world and the ME will never get anywhere. At the end of the day, all I could say is god bless Islam and the true muslims who are ready when they read gods say!!!! God bless Islam God bless Islam!

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