The hijab and us

[The Magic Pudding]

I first heard this as a radio play, I can't find an audio file of it.

You can join this site free for seven days and read it in full.

I do enjoy the movie equivalents of fast food, though it is good to consume something real occasionally.

The story of Alana Valentine's new play SHAFANA AND AUNT SARRINAH
Award-winning playwright Alana Valentine takes up Buzo's astonishingly enduring themes through the story of a young Australian-born Muslim woman, who turns to the religion of her heritage for answers after the September 11 attacks in 2001, resulting in a deep experience of faith and a controversial decision to wear the hijab. SHAFANA AND AUNT SARRINAH is partly a plea for understanding, partly a bellow of rage from Muslim Australian women about the ignorance and misunderstanding that surrounds the wearing of the traditional Muslim headscarf. Based thoroughly on personal interviews and produced with the sustained support of a large number of Muslim women from a diversity of Muslim cultures, this short play addresses theatrical and social questions about representation, religious freedom and inter-generational conflict raised by Buzo. SHAFANA AND AUNT SARRINAH likewise will surprise audiences with its portrait of Afgani Muslim women who are articulate, highly educated, deeply spiritual and profoundly enraged by the portrait that is painted of them in the Australian and global media as oppressed, meek, and silent.

[Asmodean]

Employers are just hyper-sensitive about the cultural messages their workers send out and whether it fits in with their own business image.

Pfft! On hot enough days, I have been known to wear above-knee shorts and one of those tank tops that looks like chainmail - you can see right through it. Completely unpunished by the employer who did not recieve a single complaint from the customers.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Employers are just hyper-sensitive about the cultural messages their workers send out and whether it fits in with their own business image.

Pfft! On hot enough days, I have been known to wear above-knee shorts and one of those tank tops that looks like chainmail - you can see right through it. Completely unpunished by the employer who did not recieve a single complaint from the customers.

Yeah, I guess some employers are more sensitive than others.

Next time I think you should try wearing actual chainmail, though. See how that goes.

[Asmodean]

Next time I think you should try wearing actual chainmail, though. See how that goes.

Too expensive for me, and I have changed employer to someone who REALLY gives no fuck at all about what I look, smell or sound like as long as I get the job done (Although there can be some occasional begging for proper attire when meeting clients, which I ignore)

Former employer was a small store, just to pay my petrol bills while studying, and they were pretty much of the same opinion - as long as the quality of my work is good, the quality of my clothes or hairdo is secondary. And customers, they didn't care. They didn't come there to gawk at me - they came for newspapers and soda and hot dogs and all kinds of overpriced crap... Although I did get a few mutters out of some seriously bearded muslim in a silly hat once.

[OldGit]

I know a lot of Moslem women choose to wear the Burqa because it's their tradition, and I know a lot of Europeans feel uneasy about it.  It's really a clash of prejudices instilled in childhood.
In Tunisia last year a local lady went in our hotel pool in the full kit: black robes to the ankle, the lot.  Apparently it's quite common, but I'd never seen it before.  I struggled not to laugh openly, then I got over it.  Mind you, she wasn't swimming lengths, that would have been a bit hard. 

[Norfolk And Chance]

I think the reason I object to burkhas on muslim women and also great big beards on muslim men is because they are advertising the fact that they are fucking deluded, and proud of it. It really fucks me off.

[DeterminedJuliet]

I know a lot of Moslem women choose to wear the Burqa because it's their tradition, and I know a lot of Europeans feel uneasy about it.  It's really a clash of prejudices instilled in childhood.
In Tunisia last year a local lady went in our hotel pool in the full kit: black robes to the ankle, the lot.  Apparently it's quite common, but I'd never seen it before.  I struggled not to laugh openly, then I got over it.  Mind you, she wasn't swimming lengths, that would have been a bit hard. 

Holy moly, that's one way to burn some extra calories during a swim, I guess. Wouldn't she be terribly uncomfortable after she got out? I've fallen into a lake with full clothes on, it's not very comfy squishing about afterwards.

[Sweetdeath]

Yeah, they do seem openly deluded, Norfolk.

I tend to laugh because my friend keeps saying "look, ninjas!" Whenever one passes our view.

[Sandra Craft]

Ever heard of brain washing people from a very young age?

That can be said of any cultural practice or belief, anywhere.  Plenty of Muslims have beliefs about us stemming from their perceptions of our culture that are just flat wrong -- I don't think it's far-fetched that we would also have misconceptions about their practices and beliefs.

[OldGit]

Holy moly, that's one way to burn some extra calories during a swim, I guess. Wouldn't she be terribly uncomfortable after she got out? I've fallen into a lake with full clothes on, it's not very comfy squishing about afterwards.

We left the pool before she did, but we just assumed she'd change into dry kit afterwards.  For all we know, that was her swimming hijab which she changed into first.  I'm glad to say her little boy and girl were in ordinary costumes and having a good time.  The husband sat on a lounger and looked on.
A friend who has been an ex-pat all over the Middle East reckons it's normal, but she avoided these pools because the robes made them filthy.

[Sandra Craft]

Holy moly, that's one way to burn some extra calories during a swim, I guess. Wouldn't she be terribly uncomfortable after she got out? I've fallen into a lake with full clothes on, it's not very comfy squishing about afterwards.

We left the pool before she did, but we just assumed she'd change into dry kit afterwards.  For all we know, that was her swimming hijab which she changed into first.  I'm glad to say her little boy and girl were in ordinary costumes and having a good time.  The husband sat on a lounger and looked on.
A friend who has been an ex-pat all over the Middle East reckons it's normal, but she avoided these pools because the robes made them filthy.

I know I've seen a picture of a woman surfing in a burqa somewhere, but when I went looking this is as close as I got: muslim women with surfboards

The outfit they're wearing is called a "burqini", altho I think the bikini concept is entirely lost.

[Asmodean]

but she avoided these pools because the robes made them filthy.

I too avoid public swimming pools because there is ALWAYS someone making it filthy in some more or less creative way, from scabs to crap.

[Sweetdeath]

Burqkini...?
Damn, that's lame.

[Sandra Craft]

You can join this site free for seven days and read it in full.

Thanks for that link, I'm off the read the play now.  And I think I'll follow it with the one about Satan in Arizona.