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| Donning The Scarf For A Day:
A Show of Solidarity
Unveiling Ignorance: In Solidarity with
American Women Excerpt from LA Times article: Donning
Scarves in Solidarity, Sep 25, 2001 Begin Quote: But when Washington, D.C., student Jennifer
Schock posted her idea on the message board of a women's media group, she
was stunned by the firestorm of controversy it generated. "Some people said the idea was
ridiculous, that I should be finding more constructive ways of spending my
time," said Schock, 31. Others criticized her for embracing a
tradition that is viewed by many as a symbol of Islam's oppression of
women. "It was supposed to be this very simple way ... to reach out
to Muslim women, to tell them, 'You don't have to be alone.' No rally, no
vigil, nothing political about it," she said. "Just a way to
challenge our perceptions and foster some kind of dialogue with the people
we encounter in our everyday lives. "Instead, all of a sudden, I'm
endorsing the oppression of women. It made me realize just how emotional
this whole thing is." While "Arab-looking" men are
being profiled as possible terrorists, Muslim women in traditional dress
have also felt the heat of a suspicious nation. "I have talked to so many women who
are afraid, who have not been out of their homes because they don't feel
safe," says Khalid Iqbal of the national Council on American Islamic
Relations in Washington, D.C. Amid news accounts of sporadic violence
aimed at Muslims, fears abound. Reports have come in from mosques and
Muslim organizations across the country, including in Los Angeles, of
women being harassed, having their scarves yanked from their heads, he
said. "Some sisters have heard that at some colleges and schools,
young people have tried to light the tips of the scarves with a match, to
set them on fire." The article goes on to say... Begin Quote: But in the aftermath of the terrorist
attacks, the hijab has also become associated with the notion of terrorism
in the eyes of some angry Americans. "We have had to suggest that
women don't go out at night, that they stay in safe, public places and
have a cell phone ready to call for help," Iqbal said. And he
recommends that women change the way they secure the hijab --"maybe
with a pin that will break loose when pulled, rather than a
knot"--because some women have been injured when strangers yanked on
their scarves. "One woman was literally dragged" and almost
strangled when someone tried to pull off her scarf, Iqbal said. Schock consulted Iqbal and visited several
Washington-area mosques before proposing her solidarity campaign. "I
didn't want to insult anyone, or make their lives any more difficult than
they already are," she said. Iqbal--who has been on the front lines
of efforts to calm American attitudes toward Muslims since the
attacks--said he was moved to tears by her idea. "Such good wishes
....What can I say? I usually don't get emotional, but I did in this case.
It is such a beautiful thing." And Schock says she has been moved by the
expressions of gratitude she has received from Muslim women who learned of
her campaign. "I've gotten so many calls saying, 'Thank you, thank
you.' It's such a little thing, but they have been so grateful." Schock has no idea how many women have
taken part in her campaign. She heard from about 50 women--mostly in the
Washington, D.C., area--who said they planned to don scarves for a day.
And calls and e-mails are coming in from women in other parts of the
nation who are trying to organize similar efforts through their churches,
community groups, even PTAs. Schock wore her scarf for one day last
week, and though she felt self-conscious about her appearance, no one she
encountered was unkind. "I took the train in [from Fairfax, Va.] to
D.C. and it was packed, and a lot of people seemed to go out of their way
to be nice." Administrators at the college she attends
-- presuming that she was Muslim -- approached her to thank her for having
the courage to come to class. "Someone on the train asked if I spoke
Arabic. And one person asked me what Jewish holiday it is." This experience, she says, "opened my
eyes to what it feels like to be different, to feel out of place in your
own country." << Sandy Banks' column runs on Tuesdays and
Sundays. http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-000076696sep25.story |