Theme Of Religion In The Dreams Of Trespass

During this part, we saw another example of female oppression. For instance, “ ‘We would love to help you, but we can do nothing. Sultan decides,’ they say” (p. 232). This showed how little power women have in their household. Furthermore, the book also said, “In the families, tradition is all – the men decide” (pp. 89-90). Seeing all of the ways women are oppressed, we may wonder: why are women so oppressed in this society? One reason would be tradition. For example, “In the families, tradition is all – the men decide” (pp. 89-90). As a result, the women of a household were pushed aside and had no say in family decisions. Another major reason would be for the safety and purity of the females. For instance, “Women must not make it possible to attract the attention of evil people who look lustfully upon them… If women dress fashionably, wear ornamented, tight, seductive clothes to show off, they will be damned… and can never expect to go to heaven” (p. 83). Another example is “It is not good for a young girl to walk around without company. Who knows where she might be going? Maybe to meet a man, maybe to commit a sin” (p. 171). This revealed how the society was afraid of women committing sins so they decided to prevent women from going outside and dressing improperly. Lastly, the environment did not favor the evolution of women without a burka. For example the book stated, “However, the underdressed

Middle-Eastern and North African clothing culture is distinguished from other cultures by the veil, a clothing that provokes many reactions from authors and debates between the Western and Eastern people.

Within the Middle East, the largest population of the men and women are Muslim. The Muslim religion suggests that the women wear a veil or hijab, which is a headscarf that only exposes a woman’s eyes, accompanied by a burqa which is a full body cloak. The sole purpose of the clothing is to cover a woman’s feminine features from men’s eyes. The Qur’an, an Islamic scripture supports, and slightly obligates the uniform by saying that women are to be conservative, “Let them wear their head covering over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments.” (Qur’an). Muslim women, instead of feeling oppressed, view this as a positive aspect in their lives, influenced by their devotion to Allah. Their acceptance could be influenced by their

Abayas, shailas, burkas, and chadors: all are forms of veiling in the Middle East, and all are perceived as symbols of oppression and patriarchy by the West. The veil worn by a Middle Eastern woman is striking and beautiful in its simplicity and elegance. The hijab, the most common form of veiling, leaves only the face visible with the neck and hair completely covered. Onlookers are in awe at the mystery and symbolism associated with the many veils created out of fine, exotic silk. But such notions of oppression and patriarchy often associated with veiling are not only inherently biased and ironic – it would be interesting to explore the symbolism behind a mini-skirt or a pair of five-inch heels, no? – but they are also inaccurate. Although veiling has most definitely been used in the Middle East as a “mechanism in the service of patriarchy, a means of regulating and controlling women’s lives” (Hoodfar, 5), it has also been used as a mode for rebellion and self-expression. Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian woman who grew up during the Islamic revolution, resisted the regime and the universalizing nature of the veil in the hope that she could maintain her individual identity whilst communicating her political ideologies. By examining the way in which the veil is represented in Satrapi’s graphic memoir, Persepolis, while also considering the history of veiling in Iran, it will become evident that the veil is not just a political tool used by male chauvinists; it also presents an

While wearing a metaphorical mask helps a woman hide the ugliness nobody wants to see, a literal mask conceals too much. Men want to see women, especially if they are the correct size with the correct amount of curves; if they reach the right size, arrogance or pride will take away from the physical attraction. The Middle East takes the right to flaunt their beauties away by participating in the custom that most know as veiling (the act of covering with a light gauze cloth). The practice alone seems unimaginable but even scarier, the girls seem apathetic towards the demeaning tradition. Much like India, they brainwash girls to believe in a repulsive custom. They choose to believe they help men resist the temptation of a woman’s body. In Behind the Veil by Elizabeth W. Fernea, a woman attempts to clarify the lack of self-respect: “If I wanted to take it all off (her ababbayah and veil), I would have long ago. It wouldn’t mean as much as it does to you.” (Behind the Veil, Robert Fernea). Covering up the problem does not present triumph, but among the wreckage and turmoil of this wretched tradition, hope remains. They have a stronger force on their side; America will save them from their

Culture permeates every part of life. As Americans, maybe this is harder to see. Yet, everything from the way we talk to what we choose to wear is the result of culture. This makes it vital to understand that many things have a cultural significance. Abu-Lughod expresses her dismay over the “obsession with the plight of Muslim women” being focused on the burqa (209). Many people have adopted the burqa as the symbol of the oppression of Muslim women. Yet, the burqa is simply a form of covering originally specific to the Pashtun people. Each form of covering is part of the Islamic religion. Each holds significance for the community that wears it. The purpose of women wearing a veil of any kind is to “assure their protection in the public sphere from the harassment of

Some Muslim women believe that although the principles of modesty are clearly outlined in the Qu’ran, they perceive the wearing of the headscarf as a cultural interpretation of these scriptures. These women sometimes believe that the values espoused by the wearing of the headscarf can be achieved in other ways. Some women believe that while the hijab allowed women in the past to engage in public society without garnering attention, the headscarf in contemporary Western society brings more attention to women and is thus contradictory to its original purpose. Others believe that the hijab and other external practices have become inappropriately central to the practice of Islam, and instead choose to focus on their internal and spiritual relationship with God.While some women might choose not to wear the hijab, most Muslim women agree that it is a woman’s choice whether or not she wears the hijab. Many Muslim and Arab women who have chosen not to wear the hijab are often staunch advocates of a woman’s right to choose to

Saudi Arabian women should feel free about the way they present themselves in public places. There’re a lot of rules and regulations about what women can wear and do in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Women aren’t allowed to drive, they must always have a guardian, and there are separate buildings and lines for women and men. For example, women must cover her whole body in public and in front of men. In the essay “Saudis in Bikinis” by Nicholas D. Kristof, talks about a time where he was in Saudi Arabia, and women were wearing a abayas. An abayas is a long black cloak worn by Muslim women, it covers the whole body head to toe, but their eyes. Kristof calls them, “black ghost”, it’s part of the women’s culture to wear

As BJ and her husband, Bob, began to get ready to leave for their trip to El Nahra, BJ is pessimistic about wearing an abayah. She didn’t understand why she had to wear this when it wasn’t her custom to do so. Bob explained to her that people are going to look at her differently, because she is new to the town and has lead a completely different life style than their own. He said she will have to get used to it, become accepted, and learn the culture. BJ was new to the town, and she was experiencing culture shock. In El Nahra, women that were uncovered were known as an immoral woman. For many westerners, like Fernea and Bob, the veil was a symbol of patriarchal Islamic societies in which women are assumed to be oppressed, subordinated and

Mariam’s extremist husband, Rasheed, claims he has “customs that must be abided.” (Hosseini 70) However, by customs he actually means Mariam must wear a burqa, an Islamic dress which shows absolutely no skin and eyes, when in public. The poem “The Threshold of Silence” makes a similar point when it states, “We are covered from head to toe in suffocating garbs/ And we are invisible to the world.” (Neesha Stanza 7) The suffocating garbs alludes to the burqa women in Afghanistan are required to wear and because this attire allows a spectator to solely see cloth, not a person, Afghani women feel “invisible to the world” (Neesha Stanza 7) and are forced to seclusion. Further proof of sexism in Afghanistan is the fact that “women have no rights; girls are not allowed to have an education, [and] women cannot even work.” (Neesha Stanza 4 and 5)

of the veil is to conceal and hide women as well as to prevent women

This item of clothing simply impacted Marjie’s everyday life and is an enormous symbol of how women were oppressed in Iran during the “cultural revolution”. Since becoming mandatory to wear the veil in school, Marji proclaims that her and her classmates, “didn’t really like to wear the veil, especially since [they] didn’t understand why [they] had to”(3). Although the veil can be a beautiful way to convey one’s Muslim faith and identity, the requirement to wear the veil forces the political ideas of the Iranian theocracy against young women such as Marji and her female classmates, who did not truly understand the significance of the veil. The veil merely segregates women from the outside world and should be worn freely and individually. Marjie, being someone interested in western style clothing, takes off her veil and uses it in recreational and creative ways such as jumping rope and playing horse.

In Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, the protagonist is influenced by the women around her; they help shape her beliefs and individuality as a woman in Iran. When Islamic extremists begin imposing their strict interpretation of the Qur’an to the civilians, the newly implemented Islamic law forces women to dress in traditional attire. In Iran, Marjane Satrapi states that it is “obligatory to wear the veil at school” (3). Satrapi reveals the submission of women in a male-dominated society, where wearing a veil signifies modesty and piety in the Islamic culture. To Satrapi and other feminists, it is considered dehumanizing, and those

In early Islamic society the laws were followed and obeyed when it came to respecting women. In many cases it was found that women earned property and had an influence on the husband’s decision. Veils or hijab as the Muslim’s call it, would be worn proudly by women before and today as a way of reducing lust and preventing temptation. Women were permitted to be warriors, politics, and lead religious sanctions. They also traveled freely and played active roles in trade and economic roles.

The Islamic culture has it differences and similarities to every culture. They have one of the oldest cultures, dating back to the seventh century. In the Islamic culture they have an ideal way of how their people should act. Women ‘must’ be submissive, and covered up head to toe to be considered modest. They have high expectations for their women that can be considered overbearing compared to other cultures like the USA. News Editor, Devon Haynie claims that the USA and the UK have the most influential cultures. They influence what you ‘should’ do and what you ‘need’ to be doing. It can cause clashes between two cultures. They come up with the ‘beauty standard’ every woman should follow. They influence women