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Is Islamic dress acceptable?

Feyaza Abbasi | 17.03.2005 09:21 | Anti-racism | Culture | Social Struggles | Liverpool

How acceptable certain cities find Islamic dress


Liverpool had to prove that it was qualified to be the Capital of Culture 2008 BUT are Liverpudlians entitled to this title? I decided to find out how differently Muslims women are treated in the Liverpool City centre.

Muslim women wear the ‘hijab’ or headscarf to attempt a modicum of modesty, which I think is quiet admirable the age we are in, where showing a bit of bottom is ‘fashionable’ and blaring a nipple (or two) is a publicity stunt.

There are those people who believe that Muslim women are oppressed and ruled by the men in their lives, but those are the people who don’t know any Muslims and make judgements by reading the tabloids.

I worked for a charity last year and had to travel to different parts of England recruiting the public and I noticed that when I wore my headscarf to work I got very negative reactions from some areas.

Without making a general statement I found that people in Wigan City Centre were extremely tolerant and open minded to the Islamic dress code, whereas in Mold (a small Welsh village) I was terrorised more than once for it and had to resort to being bareheaded when I went there. (Not that everybody was like this because Mold has some of the friendliest people around.)

With Shabina Begum’s jilbab-win fresh in the minds of the public, I went out into the streets of Liverpool with my headscarf on hoping that nobody would be too antagonised by my intrusions. This experiment was to investigate how accepted Islamic dress is in Liverpool.

In the city centre, I got the feeling that people were deliberately avoiding eye-contact, though this probably had more to do with not wanting to seem prejudiced rather than actually being prejudiced. However, even though this is much better than being called ‘Bin Laden’ by a bigoted few, it does give a sense of being ignored, which is not necessarily pleasant either.

Without my headscarf I did not get stared at, at all and people seemed more comfortable when they accidentally caught my eye. I was directed to wherever I wanted to go, even though I did get a few funny looks when I asked for the passport office!

While Liverpudlians have kept up to their friendly nature, Islamic dress is still something of an obscurity to them as with everything that is unusual. Most Liverpudlians do not seem to be affected in their judgement of a person just by the way they dress, which is quite heartening.

Su’aad Hussain, 18, a hijab-wearing Media Studies student at John Moores said: “I don’t feel any different from anyone else with my hijab on. It is something I have always wanted to do and it makes me feel secure. I am always confident in the knowledge that whenever I get something done, it s because of who I am, not what I look like.”


Feyaza Abbasi
- e-mail: feyaza@hotmail.com

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

tabloid readers

17.03.2005 10:55

"There are those people who believe that Muslim women are oppressed and ruled by the men in their lives, but those are the people who don’t know any Muslims and make judgements by reading the tabloids."

I can only reply to this you are full of bourgois bullshit. I know plenty of people that happen to be Muslim ( lets get this right - people first- human rights -second - religion third and should a private matter and not IMPOSED. If a woman doesn't wear a veil it doesn't mean she is up for BEING RAPED!

I know muslims that dare not speak up and DO NOT HAVE THE CHOICE. Just because you have the choice do not force it on others. It is about OBJECTIFICATION which ever way you look at it.

Why is it with these major religions we really see a reflection of power hierarchies which include the subjegation of women, the poor, other races whether christan, satanist,muslim, hindu etc. etc

What is my proof? Perhaps the past 3000 years of religious violence will do for a start.

There is also proof of the backlash against women after the defeat of the OLDER ( more legitimate? ) mother godess religions. We do not need theocracies.

PS I hate the tabloids and the broadsheets.

IT IS YOU WHO ARE A BIGOT - It seems to be very fashionable today in the UK. What on earth is up with everbody???????????????????????

stupid leading the blind


Saint Patrick says-

17.03.2005 11:12

Saint Patrick says "islamic dress is acceptable".
Saint Patrick says "islamic dress is acceptable".

Islamic dress is acceptable.
big beard, big veil, dress.
cool with him.
happy saint patricks day from the
neighbouring island of Ireland,
"a land not a region"
to the happy people of snake infested
United Kollectives.

ipsiphi


Hair dye suspect

17.03.2005 11:51

My girlfirend recently had a hair dye disaster so covered here head for a day cos she was embarresed at the orange hair. She has a slighty dark skin due to Italian grandparents. I was suprised when she told me she was getting all sorts of looks that made her feel uncomfortable when her head was covered and she really isnt the shy or reitring type (except for the hair!).

We hope to try and record this 'scarf effect' on film with some hidden camera experiments.

Zaskar
mail e-mail: markdwatson@blueyonder.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.zaskarfilms.com


.

17.03.2005 12:30

Yes I like big beards.
Wearing full body armour is a bit restrictive though

.


thanks

17.03.2005 12:52

thanks Feyaza for the informed report. very interesting cheers

dont mind the ranting of 'stupid leading the blind' it seems like somre who read
indy only want to hear their own voice and seize on any small thing to have a
moan about
please dont be put off by such trolls

zcat


Try Huddersfield!

17.03.2005 16:13

Salaams

Try Huddersfield. Loads of Muslims here, plus plenty more in term time at the Uni.

I've never seen anyone getting abuse, or heard about it.

Hijab is cool, as long as its your choice.

Allah knows better.

Wasalaam

Yakoub

Yakoub
mail e-mail: plimfix@btopenworld.com
- Homepage: http://www.bayyinat.org.uk/index.html