Hijab-for-a-Day at Marquette
From an e-mail sent to all faculty:
Unlike most “multicultural” events at places like Marquette, this strikes us as a genuine example of multicultural consciousness raising. Muslim covering has long been derided by feminists as a symbol of the subjugation of women under Islam, although recently Muslim women have had some success in packaging it as a kind of feminist statement.
It’s perhaps best to view this as an example of modesty in dress -- something that Christian conservatives should applaud. Admittedly, Marquette women virtually always dress modestly by U.S. and Western standards (one virtually never sees any cleavage around here), but the Hijab is a symbolic statement that the average Marquette student would benefit from learning about.
This WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, the Muslim Student Association is hosting Hijab-for-a-day! Wear a hijab (headscarf) for one day, and then come in the evening ready to discuss your experiences!It’s almost certainly too late, by the time you see this, to make the Tuesday session (although we have blogged about the entire schedule of events), but it will be interesting to see how this unfolds (no pun intended).
We will be having a hijab-wrapping workshop on TUESDAY, from 12-1, in the International Center (AMU 407), where we will demonstrate different styles from around the world and provide you with a chance to ask questions and to learn more about how Muslims dress and why they do so.
On Wednesday night, at 6 pm, in the MCC, we are hosting an Outspoken so that people can come to discuss their experiences throughout the day. How did you feel? Did people look at you differently? Did your opinion of those who choose to wear the hijab change at all?
Please bring your own scarf (rectangular, pashmina, square, triangle, etc. . . . as long as it’s large enough to cover your hair, we can make it work) on Tuesday. If you do not have one, we will have a few available for you to use.
For more information, please contact Shazeen Harunani (shazeen.harunani@mu.edu) or Pam Peters (pamela.peters@mu.edu)
Unlike most “multicultural” events at places like Marquette, this strikes us as a genuine example of multicultural consciousness raising. Muslim covering has long been derided by feminists as a symbol of the subjugation of women under Islam, although recently Muslim women have had some success in packaging it as a kind of feminist statement.
It’s perhaps best to view this as an example of modesty in dress -- something that Christian conservatives should applaud. Admittedly, Marquette women virtually always dress modestly by U.S. and Western standards (one virtually never sees any cleavage around here), but the Hijab is a symbolic statement that the average Marquette student would benefit from learning about.
Labels: Hijab, Marquette University, Muslim Student Association, Muslim Students
posted by John McAdams at 12:15 PM
6 Comments:
It would be better if all MU students and faculty were aware of the core teachings of Islam.
ESSENTIAL TEACHINGS OF ISLAM
________________________________________________________________________________
FROM THE KORAN
Muslims consider the Koran as the actual words of Allah and not to be altered by anyone other than Mohammed.
verses which preach cruelty, incite violence and disturb public tranquility (i.e., 2:193; 8:39; 2:216; 9:41; 9:123; 66:9; 9:73; 8:65; 8:66; 47:4—15; 8:12; 69:30—33; 8:15—18; 25:52; 9:39; 9:111; 3: 169—171; 4:100; 48:29; 49:15; 2:154; 3:157—158; 8:59—60; 9:2—3; 9:29; 8:67; 4:84; 29:6; 29:69; 61:9—13; 9:36; 9:5; 9:14; 9:20—22; 4:95—96; 8:72—74; 3:142)
* verses which promote, on grounds of religion, feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will between different religious communities (i.e., 4:101; 60:4; 58:23; 9:7; 8:13—14; 8:55; 25:55; 5:72; 9:23; 9:28; 3:28; 3:118; 4:144; 5:14; 5:64; 5:18; 5:51)
* verses which insult other religions as well as the religious beliefs of other communities (i.e., 5:17; 4:157; 5:116—118; 98:6; 68:8—13; 38:55—57; 22:19—21; 22:56—57; 5:36; 15:2; 72:14—15;41:33; 4:125; 25:27—29; 26:96—99; 3:85; 8:38; 31:13; 29:41—42; 37:22—25; 37:26—32; 25:17—19; 7:173; 21:66—67; 21:98—100; 16:20—21; 6:22—23; 6:40—41; 6:148; 2;221; 24:3)
FROM THE HADITH
The Hadith are the collections of what were reported as the actual words of Mohammed and generally binding on Muslims.
The hadith (sacred teaching) reads as follows:
“Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him….”
GENERAL POLITICAL TEACHINGS
1. All lands ever ruled by Muslims must always be so ruled. (This includes much of Spain, Greece, Serbia and what was and is now Israel.)
2. The best form of government is NOT democracy, but rule by a Muslim Caliph AND only under Islamic law (Sharia).
3. Women and non-Muslims are NOT to have the same value as witnesses in courts as do Muslim males AND are subject to other legal disabilities under Sharia.
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James, I thought about rejecting your post, but decided I would go with "free speech."
But I frankly wish you would cool it on this issue.
I'm been tough on Muslims because of the all too frequent hatred of Israel.
But a good project is a good project. And this is a good project.
When I was a teacher before coming to law school, I taught at an all-girls high school that had a fairly large number of Muslim girls (somewhere around 8-10% of the students). My first year there (2002), one of my white seniors decided to wear a hijab for a week, and she said that it was one of the most sobering experiences she ever had.
My first year there (2002), one of my white seniors decided to wear a hijab for a week, and she said that it was one of the most sobering experiences she ever had.
You don't say exactly what "sobering" means in this context, but it seems clear from context that you are saying she learned some things -- probably some things we would all rather not be the case.
To be a little more descriptive, she was disturbed and sometimes frightened by the hostility she encountered (not at school, though, where she was known).
To be a little more descriptive, she was disturbed and sometimes frightened by the hostility she encountered (not at school, though, where she was known).
Thanks for the clarification.
If you read this blog regularly, you know I'm capable of being quite critical of Muslims who have what I consider a reflexive and irrational hostility to Israel.
But nobody should be judged simply for showing symbols of their religious faith.
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