Saudi Women Rise in Defense of the Veil

[Veiled Princess 1]

Saudi Women Rise in Defense of the Veil

{RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- More than 500 women packed the Saudi capital's Maimouna Center on a recent evening to attend a lecture. The women, some still in their full black wraps, filled the rows of plum-colored plastic chairs, while late arrivals sat in small clusters on the carpet and against the wall....

Eissa, a fiery young Internet writer, and the lecturer, Afrah al-Humaydi, are among a group of conservative Saudi women trying to redress what they view as an erosion of traditional values in the kingdom and a dangerous shift in the status of women. "Saudi women are the luckiest in the world and Saudi Arabia is the closest thing to an ideal and pure Islamic nation," Eissa said. "We don't want imported Western values to destroy that."

Obaidi shows pride in her religion and resists foreign interference, she said, by maintaining her veil, or niqab . "Just because this is closed," she said, tugging at the black material that covered her face, "doesn't mean this is," pointing to her head...

Many Salafi women here, who follow the school of thought that calls for a return to Islam as practiced by the prophet Muhammad and the following two generations, shatter the stereotype of women in black niqab as meek and submissive. Often well educated, articulate and sometimes downright aggressive , they include award-winning scientists, writers and college professors.

Khadija Badahdah, a university administrator who holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of London and wears a veil, said she recently started to grant television interviews because women calling for change were dominating coverage on the airwaves and in newspapers and giving the wrong impression of Saudi women. "They are a minority but they appear to speak for all of us," she said, sitting in her comfortable home in Jiddah on a recent weekend. "This is the beginning of a cultural erosion, and if we don't fight it now, it will continue."

...The problems faced by Saudi women, she said, are not because of Islam... a perfect religion that honors and values women. The fault lies in its improper implementation....

"We were given rights by Islam 1,400 years ago that women in the West only got at the beginning of the 20th century," said Humaydi, a middle-aged college professor. "Muslim women can work, and inherit, and be financially independent."

"I don't want to be the equal of a man," she added. "In many ways, I am better than him."}

Just wanted to share with the other muslimaat on here.

[sarah and hicham 3]

I have a question for the Muslim women in this forum... have you always been Muslim or did you recently convert? Just curious to know your guys' stories on religion!

[fatimah 0]

I have a question for the Muslim women in this forum... have you always been Muslim or did you recently convert? Just curious to know your guys' stories on religion!

I am revert to Islam 4 yrs ago.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I have a question for the Muslim women in this forum... have you always been Muslim or did you recently convert? Just curious to know your guys' stories on religion!

I am revert to Islam 4 yrs ago.

Me too. 4 years ago this last April alhamdulilah.

[noura 0]

I am considering and studying... haven't taken shahada yet.... want to be sure this is a lifelong commitment for me, although, I think it is.

[sarah and hicham 3]

would you say that being engaged/married to a Muslim influences your religious beliefs?

[iceyspots 0]

1 year, and no it was not an influence, I was before I met yacine

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Salaam all,

I was born a Palestinian Muslim, 53 years ago and have been a student of the deen, its law and history for 45 years. I don't wear the veil and don't believe Islam requires it, but, in addition, I believe that a Muslima who can choose should be allowed to wear it or not wear it in peace. Still, it's sad to see how Gulf oil money has changed the emphasis for new Muslims to what they wear instead of how they behave and treat others. It has also narrowed the cultural diversity of the ummah to focus on traditions that promote Arab supremacy.

BTW, Saudi Arabia is an aberration in that there is no precedent in Muslim history for a theocracy that keeps out foreign influences. In fact, while the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) wore niqaab due to their unique position in the ummah, it was not a common practice among other Muslimas. Niqaab is a foreign influence that was broadened from the practice of the Persians and the Byzantines, not the Sahaba. While it is mandatory for leaders of a Muslim nation to protect the faith if they want to claim legitimacy, it is not sanctioned in Islam or in the history of Islam (since Adam) for it to be deemed neccesary to exclude and forbid the practice of another faith within their borders.

One of the practices of the Caliphate and the rulers of Moorish Spain during the Golden Age was to allow and protect the practice of faith of the ahl al kitab, not to punish them for practicing openly, as is done in Saudi Arabia. There is no sanction for this. It's a shame that the amazing people of the KSA are not taught the history as it is instead of what their leaders wish it to be so that they can have the means to demand the true practice of Islam as taught by our Nabi. Then, Saudi would be on the path to being a model for the Muslim world

Edited June 6, 2006 by szsz

[Veiled Princess 1]

I reverted to Islam last year (one year ago exactly this month alhamdulilah!). I met my husband while I was studying and considering but he didn't influence my decision... just helped me understand some things I questioned.

I will say that it was a very hard decision for me being that I came from paganism to Islam so I pretty much went from NO rules to LOTS of them but it's cool and I have actually come to love the very things I thought before were oppressive. I love that you can find the answer to ANY question you have about life within Islam.

My funny story about my conversion.... all my family is christian, my dad a preacher., my mom's dad was a preacher as well, my bother, I think sometimes, wants to be a preacher LOL ... they never really accepted my leaving christianity for paganism but they kind of just shrugged it off and let it go eventually.... the day I announced that I had embraced Islam there was pretty much a war here My dad all but told me to drop off the face of the Earth. I think they actually preferred me as a pagan than a muslim.

Those women in the article are awesome! It's about time there's something in the news that disputes the lies and garbage that Islam oppresses women or that muslim women are not happy or don't choose this religion for themselves.

[Veiled Princess 1]

Salaam all,

I was born a Palestinian Muslim, 53 years ago and have been a student of the deen, its law and history for 45 years. I don't wear the veil and don't believe Islam requires it, but, in addition, I believe that a Muslima who can choose should be allowed to wear it or not wear it in peace. Still, it's sad to see how Gulf oil money has changed the emphasis for new Muslims to what they wear instead of how they behave and treat others. It has also narrowed the cultural diversity of the ummah to focus on traditions that promote Arab supremacy.

BTW, Saudi Arabia is an aberration in that there is no precedent in Muslim history for a theocracy that keeps out foreign influences. In fact, while the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) wore niqaab due to their unique position in the ummah, it was not a common practice among other Muslimas. Niqaab is a foreign influence that was broadened from the practice of the Persians and the Byzantines, not the Sahaba. While it is mandatory for leaders of a Muslim nation to protect the faith if they want to claim legitimacy, it is not sanctioned in Islam or in the history of Islam (since Adam) for it to be deemed neccesary to exclude and forbid the practice of another faith within their borders.

One of the practices of the Caliphate and the rulers of Moorish Spain during the Golden Age was to allow and protect the practice of faith of the ahl al kitab, not to punish them for practicing openly, as is done in Saudi Arabia. There is no sanction for this. It's a shame that the amazing people of the KSa are not taught the history as it is instead of what their leaders wish it to be so thst they can have the means to demand the true practice of Islam as taught by our Nabi. Then, they would be on the path to being a model for the Muslim world.

Wa alaikum salaam,

I agree with what you've said. I also don't wear the veil (niqab/face covering) nor do I believe it's a requirement in the religion. But you have to respect those women for standing up for themselves and speaking out against the outsiders who would "liberate" them.

I don't think anyone here is under the belief that the KSA is perfect by any means but at least the women in this article are not so anxious to throw off their hijab at the first opportunity as was the point of the article as I saw it.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I guess I'm one of the outsiders who would like to liberate them thru proper Islamic education. I've been to Saudi many times, and alhough the women are among the richest in the world, they do not enjoy the rights given to them by Allah, and they don't even realize it because the version of Islam that is promulgated by the state doesn't allow for the tradition of diversity of thought that has existed in Islam for more than a milleneum. In fact, diversity of thought is discouraged as "western" when it is actually Sunnah. So, no, I feel no need to respect the preference for culture over the deen that characterises so much of what passes for Islam there.

[noura 0]

would you say that being engaged/married to a Muslim influences your religious beliefs?

for me, no... Said has never tried to influence me one way or the other in regards to Islam. It's something I've had an interest in for awhile and, for the better part of my adult life, have been interested in many paths of spirituality. I have been friends w/ many muslims over the years and have been particularly intrigued by the Sufi path.... I could go on, but I won't!

Noura

[sarah and hicham 3]

Thanks for those replies they are very interesting for me! Thanks

[Veiled Princess 1]

I guess I'm one of the outsiders who would like to liberate them thru proper Islamic education. I've been to Saudi many times, and alhough the women are among the richest in the world, they do not enjoy the rights given to them by Allah, and they don't even realize it because the version of Islam that is promulgated by the state doesn't allow for the tradition of diversity of thought that has existed in Islam for more than a milleneum. In fact, diversity of thought is discouraged as "western" when it is actually Sunnah. So, no, I feel no need to respect the preference for culture over the deen that characterises so much of what passes for Islam there.

Again, I was speaking about their conviction to maintain their modest dress code and not give into pressure from the outsiders, nothing more. What impressed me is, all you hear around here is how muslim men force women to cover up and the women really all hate it but these women are telling the world that they don't hate it, they love it and embrace it and just because they're covered up doesn't make them oppressed or uneducated.

There are a lot of things I like about the KSA and other things I don't like, though I'm not really educated well enough to comment.

I am interested, however, in your views. What are some Islamic rights that they are not allowed? What do you mean by 'liberate them"? Do you mean you would like them to stop observing hijab or are you talking about other ways?

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Salaam all,

I was born a Palestinian Muslim, 53 years ago and have been a student of the deen, its law and history for 45 years. I don't wear the veil and don't believe Islam requires it, but, in addition, I believe that a Muslima who can choose should be allowed to wear it or not wear it in peace. Still, it's sad to see how Gulf oil money has changed the emphasis for new Muslims to what they wear instead of how they behave and treat others. It has also narrowed the cultural diversity of the ummah to focus on traditions that promote Arab supremacy.

BTW, Saudi Arabia is an aberration in that there is no precedent in Muslim history for a theocracy that keeps out foreign influences. In fact, while the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) wore niqaab due to their unique position in the ummah, it was not a common practice among other Muslimas. Niqaab is a foreign influence that was broadened from the practice of the Persians and the Byzantines, not the Sahaba. While it is mandatory for leaders of a Muslim nation to protect the faith if they want to claim legitimacy, it is not sanctioned in Islam or in the history of Islam (since Adam) for it to be deemed neccesary to exclude and forbid the practice of another faith within their borders.

One of the practices of the Caliphate and the rulers of Moorish Spain during the Golden Age was to allow and protect the practice of faith of the ahl al kitab, not to punish them for practicing openly, as is done in Saudi Arabia. There is no sanction for this. It's a shame that the amazing people of the KSA are not taught the history as it is instead of what their leaders wish it to be so that they can have the means to demand the true practice of Islam as taught by our Nabi. Then, Saudi would be on the path to being a model for the Muslim world

Excellent post. "Spot on."

And welcome to the ME/NA forum... it's very nice to have you with us ! Zawji men falasteen

Ma3a al salamah

-MK

Edited June 7, 2006 by wife_of_mahmoud