Hijab For Awrah

Awrah

The Arabic word awrah refers to the parts of the body which must be covered with clothing. Awrah is any part of the body, for both men and women, which may not be visible to the public. Awrah is interpreted differently depending upon the sex of the company one is in.
Men

Most Muslims accept that for men everything between the navel and the knee is awrah and therefore should be covered at all times.
Women

Rules for women are more complicated. There are a number of scenarios for women:

    In front of unrelated men (Muslim or non-Muslim), women must cover everything except the hands and face
    In front of close male relatives, awrah is the navel to the knee and the stomach and the back
    In front of other Muslim females, awrah is from the navel down to, and including, the knees
    Awrah in front of non-Muslim women is a point of debate:
        Some scholars say that women should cover all but the hands and face. This is to prevent non-Muslim women (who may not understand the rules regarding hijab) from describing the appearance of the hijab wearer to other men
        Other scholars say that if a non-Muslim woman can be trusted not to describe a woman's appearance to other men, then she may reveal as much as she would in front of another Muslim woman in her presence.

The Hanafi school of thought, which is followed by most Muslims in the world, agree that the feet are not part of the awrah and therefore may be revealed.

Amongst other schools of thought a common opinion is that everything apart from a woman's face and hands is awrah. Scholars holding this opinion use this hadith to justify it:

    Narrated Aisha (the Prophet's wife): Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr, entered upon the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) wearing thin clothes. The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) turned his attention from her. He said: 'O Asma, when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this, and he pointed to her face and hands.

    Abu Dawud, Book 32, Number 4092

N.B.: This particular hadith is regarded as 'weak' (i.e. not reliably attributed) by some scholars, including the hadith's collector, Abu Dawud.
Husband and wife

There is no restriction on what a husband and wife may show to each other in private. The Qur'an encourages married couples to enjoy each other's bodies.
Individuals in private

Islam highly values modesty, so even when alone, men and women are recommended never to be completely naked and to cover from the navel to the knee. Exceptions do apply where necessary, for example taking a shower or going to the bathroom.

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Hijab in Scripture

Hijab in Scripture
What the Qur'an says about the veil and modesty

The Qur'an makes a few references to Muslim clothing, but prefers to point out more general principles of modest dress.

    Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.

    24:30

    And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, [a list of relatives], [household servants], or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.

    24:31

Both men and women are commanded to lower their gaze and "guard their modesty".

The most basic interpretation of "guard their modesty" is to cover the private parts, which includes the chest in women ("draw their veils over their bosoms"). However, many scholars interpret this injunction in a more detailed way and use Hadith (recorded sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) to support their views.

Zeenah (ornaments) is another word with numerous meanings. It has been interpreted to mean body parts, beauty, fine clothes or literal ornaments like jewellery. (The same word is used in chapter 7:31 - "O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer...")

The jewellery interpretation is supported by the instruction to women not to stamp their feet to draw attention to themselves. It used to be the practice among Arabian women to wear ankle chains to attract men.

The word translated here as veils is khumur, plural of khimaar. According to scholars, the word khimaar has no other meaning than a type of cloth which covers the head. Muslim scholars point out that men's turbans are sometimes called khumur as well.

Women during the time of Muhammad did wear the khimaar, but would wear it tied behind so their neck and upper chest were visible. This verse is therefore an order that the khimaar now be drawn over the chest, so that the neck and chest were not bare.

According to most scholars, the khimaar is obligatory for Muslim women.

The phrase "what must ordinarily appear thereof" has been interpreted in many different ways. Among Muslims who take the word zeenah (ornaments) to refer to body parts, a popular interpretation of this phrase is that women should only show the body parts that are necessary for day-to-day tasks. This is usually taken to be the face and the hands.

Some scholars recommend hiding everything but the eyes. The style of burqa worn by Afghan women even hides the eyes. Muslims who oppose full concealment say that if Allah wanted women to hide their entire bodies, there would have been no need to tell male Muslims to lower their gaze.

But "what must ordinarily appear thereof" could be understood as meaning the parts of the body that are shown when wearing normal (modest) dress, with the definition of normal dress deliberately left up to the believers' particular time and culture. This could explain why the Qur'an is not more specific: if God had wanted to, he could have listed the acceptable body parts in as much detail as the list of exceptions to the rule.

Some scholars interpret "what must ordinarily appear thereof" to mean that if a woman exposes part of her body by accident, she will be forgiven. All agree that women will not be punished for breaking the rules if some emergency forces them to do so.
Cast their outer garments over their persons

    O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.

    33:59

This verse is directed to all Muslim women. An alternative translation is "they should lengthen their garments".

The word translated here as "outer garments" is jalabib, the plural of jilbab. But it does not necessarily refer to the present day garment known as jilbab. Translators usually represent the word jalabib with general terms like cloaks or outer garments.

The two most common scholarly interpretations of jilbab are a travelling coat or cloak and a sheet-like full body garment similar to the modern jilbab. Some insist that the Qur'anic meaning of jilbab is identical to the present day garment. Others maintain that today's garment was developed as late as 1970 by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

The verse also indicates that the purpose of dressing this way is that women are recognised as Muslims and not harassed. It was not very safe for women to go out during this time when they could be mistaken for prostitutes or assaulted.
Elderly women

The rules are relaxed for elderly women:

    Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage - there is no blame on them if they lay aside their (outer) garments, provided they make not a wanton display of their beauty: but it is best for them to be modest: and Allah is One Who sees and knows all things.

    24:60

General rules

The Qur'an gives these general rules, which may help in understanding how to interpret dress and other rules in modern times.

    O ye Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness,- that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition!

    7:26

So clothing does not have to be drab: it is all right for both sexes to use clothing to enhance beauty as well as to cover nakedness. The most important thing is to be modest and righteous.

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/hijab_1.shtml

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Hijab

Hijab
Introduction
A girl wearing a headscarf reads the Qur'an A girl studying the Qur'an

Hijab is an Arabic word meaning barrier or partition.

In Islam, however, it has a broader meaning. It is the principle of modesty and includes behaviour as well as dress for both males and females.

The most visible form of hijab is the head covering that many Muslim women wear. Hijab however goes beyond the head scarf. In one popular school of Islamic thought, hijab refers to the complete covering of everything except the hands, face and feet in long, loose and non see-through garments. A woman who wears hijab is called Muhaajaba.

Muslim women are required to observe the hijab in front of any man they could theoretically marry. This means that hijab is not obligatory in front of the father, brothers, grandfathers, uncles or young children.

Hijab does not need to be worn in front of other Muslim women, but there is debate about what can be revealed to non-Muslim women.

Modesty rules are open to a wide range of interpretations. Some Muslim women wear full-body garments that only expose their eyes. Some cover every part of the body except their face and hands. Some believe only their hair or their cleavage is compulsory to hide, and others do not observe any special dress rules.

In the English speaking world, use of the word hijab has become limited to mean the covering on the head of Muslim woman. However, this is more accurately called a khimaar. The khimaar is a convenient solution comprising usually one, but sometimes two pieces of cloth, enabling Muslim women to cover their hair, ears and neck while outside the home.

Hijab, in the sense of veiling, can also be achieved by hanging a curtain or placing a screen between women and men to allow them to speak to each other without changing dress. This was more common in the early days of Islam, for the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/hijab_1.shtml

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Hijab row ignites new Islam related controversy in Spain

Hijab row ignites new Islam related controversy in Spain
by Soeren Kern
Source: Hudson New York

A Muslim schoolgirl in Spain has been suspended from a public school in Madrid after refusing to remove her Islamic headscarf during an exam.

The girl’s parents have filed a lawsuit against the school and the incident has reignited a long-running debate in Spain over the use of head-covering hijabs, face-covering niqabs and body-covering burqas in public spaces.

The latest dustup occurred in late September when a teacher at the Enrique Tierno Galván public school in Madrid asked the 14-year-old student to remove her hijab (headscarf) during an exam.

The school has a policy that prohibits the wearing of head coverings, particularly those that cover the ears, due to the increase in cases of students who use electronic devices to cheat on tests. After the girl refused to comply with the teacher’s request, she was suspended from the school.

The lawyer representing the girl says the school’s prohibition on head coverings is illegal. He cites a regulation issued by the Spanish Ministry of Interior which says head coverings are permissible as long as the individual in question can be clearly identified. Since the student is easily identifiable, as she is the only girl in school who wears a veil, the “matter is very clear,” according to the lawyer.

This is not the first veil-related controversy in Spain, where there are no clear guidelines on the enforcement of dress codes. Such issues are normally left to individual school boards to decide, but in some cases bans on Islamic clothing have been overturned by the state, based on the argument that the constitutional right to an education overrides a school’s right to determine its own policies.

The debate over Islamic head coverings first burst onto the national stage in Spain in November 2009, when a Muslim lawyer named Zoubida Barik Edidi was ejected from Spain’s high court in Madrid for refusing to remove her headscarf. The lawyer, a Spanish citizen of Moroccan origin, was attempting to defend a client at a trial that was being held at the court.

In April 2010, 16-year-old Najwa Malha was banned from the Camilo José Cela public school in the Madrid suburb of Pozuelo de Alarcón after she refused to remove her hijab, in violation of the school dress code. She was eventually joined by three other Muslim girls who began wearing the hijab as a “gesture of solidarity” with Malha.

In December 2008, a Muslim imam in Tarragona was arrested for attempting to force a 31-year-old Moroccan woman named Fatima Ghailan to wear a hijab. The local prosecutor had asked the judge to jail the imam and three others for five years for harassment. But the imam was eventually cleared of all charges after the Socialist mayor of the town said she wanted to prevent “a social conflict.”

In October 2007, an eight-year-old Moroccan girl named Shaima Saidani was suspended from the Joan Puigbert-Annexa public school in Girona for refusing to remove her hijab in class. In that case, the regional government of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain intervened by ordering the school to allow the girl to wear the hijab on grounds that it would be discrimination not to do so.

The first Islamic veil-related incident in recent memory in Spain occurred in February 2002, when Fátima Elidrisi, a 13-year-old Moroccan girl, was expelled from the Roman Catholic grade school La Inmaculada Concepción in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial for refusing to remove her hijab in school.

In July 2010, the Spanish Parliament rejected a proposal to ban the burqa in public spaces. The proposal was presented by the center-right opposition Popular Party (PP) “in defense of the dignity and equality of all women” and to make sure Muslim women are not being forced by their husbands to become fully veiled.

“It is very difficult to understand how it is that our troops are defending liberty in Afghanistan and the government does not have the courage to do so here, in Spain,” said the PP spokeswoman, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaria.

The ruling Socialist Party opposed the ban, arguing that it could force fully veiled women into “a dual jail” situation: Either they go out in public and break the law or stay at home and become isolated.

But PP leader Mariano Rajoy, who is widely expected to win the upcoming general elections on November 20 by a landslide, has promised that if he becomes Spain’s next prime minister, he will implement a burqa ban similar to the one in France, which took effect in April 2011.

In any event, more than a dozen local and regional governments across Spain have already banned wearing the face veil in municipal buildings.

In May 2010, the Catalan town of Lérida (where 29,000 Muslims make up more than 20% of the population) became the first municipality in Spain to ban the burqa in all public spaces. Women found violating the ban will be fined up to €600 ($750).

The debate over Islamic clothing in Spain comes as immigration from Muslim countries continues apace. Spain currently has a Muslim population of slightly over 1 million, or about 2% of Spain’s total population.

Although this percentage is smaller than in other European countries such as France (7%), Holland (6%), Belgium (4%), Germany (4%) and Britain (3%), Spain has experienced a ten-fold increase in the number of Muslim immigrants in just 20 years.

As recently as 1990, there were only an estimated 100,000 Muslims in Spain. Up until the late 1980s, Spain was a net exporter of labor and there was very little immigration to the country.

Instead, Spain was a transit country for North African immigrants on their way to France and other European countries with significant and well-established Muslim communities. But during the mid-1990s, Spain’s traditional role as a transit country became that of a host country for Muslim immigrants, especially from Morocco.

Immigration, however, is only one reason for the increase in Spain’s Muslim population. Muslim fertility rates are more than double those of an aging native Spanish population. Spain currently has a birth rate of around 1.4, which is far below the 2.1 required for a population to replace itself. At the current rates, demographers say the number of native Spaniards will be cut in half in about two generations, while the Muslim population in Spain will quadruple during that same period.

Some analysts say the rate of growth of Spain’s Muslim population far exceeds the rate of assimilation. And polls seem to support that claim.

According to a Pew Global Attitudes Survey, religion is central to the identity of Muslims in Spain: nearly 70% identify themselves primarily as Muslim rather than as Spanish. This level of Muslim identification in Spain is similar to rates in Pakistan, Nigeria and Jordan, and even higher than levels in Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia.

The Pew survey also shows that Muslim immigrants are viewed with suspicion by Spanish society and that most Spaniards doubt that Muslims coming to Spain want to adopt their national customs and way of life. Almost 70% of Spaniards say that Muslims in Spain want to remain distinct from the larger society.

Almost 80% of the Spanish public sees Muslims as having a strong Islamic identity. Among those in the Spanish general public who see Islamic identity on the rise, 82% say it is a bad thing. Around 65% of Spaniards are somewhat or very concerned about rising Islamic extremism in their country.

Adding fuel to the fire, a recent survey sponsored by the Spanish government shows that less than half of Muslim immigrants in Spain can understand, speak and read in Spanish without problems.

No wonder that many Spaniards view the hijab, the niqab and the burqa as an Islamic challenge to the prevailing dress codes of secular society.

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A Muslim alternative to Miss Universe?

A Muslim alternative to Miss Universe?
by Sylviana Hamdani
Source: Jakarta Globe

At the Puri Agung Grand Ballroom in West Jakarta last Tuesday, 10 young women appeared on stage in colorful hijabs and dresses. Sitting on the floor with an open Koran, they chanted the holy verses, mesmerizing the audience with their clear, sonorous voices.

The young women were all finalists of Muslimah Beauty 2011, a beauty pageant held for young Muslim women in Indonesia.

“It’s the first online Islamic beauty contest in the world,’’ said Eka Shanty, executive director of the nonprofit Indonesia Islamic Fashion Consortium, which organized the event.

The contest aims to recognize the beauty and potential of young women who wear hijabs.

“In the Miss Universe contests, the candidates parade their bodies in revealing dresses,” Eka said. “But in this contest, they’re all covered. Not an inch of skin shows, except for their faces and hands.’’

Candidates for the pageant had to fulfill a number of requirements to enter. The contest was only open to Muslim Indonesian women between the ages of 18 and 24, over 165 centimeters in height, who wore the hijab every day, could read the Koran — in Arabic — and were fluent in another foreign language.

“The winners will be the fashion and beauty icons of young Muslim women in Indonesia,” Eka said before the event. “They’ll also represent Indonesian Muslim women to the world at large.”

Participants were required to register by August for the contest online, where they were asked to fill out registration forms and upload their pictures to the social media Web site DetikForum.com.

“The registration method was very effective,” said Arifin Asydhad, the Web site’s deputy editor in chief. “We received 1,170 registrations from almost every part of Indonesia.”

A selection committee chose 50 semifinalists based on their physical appearance, achievements and educational background.

Candidates from Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi were then summoned for interview sessions in Jakarta, while those from farther away were interviewed over the phone. All entrants were also required to submit a video of themselves reciting the Koran.

Ten finalists were selected on Sept. 9 and placed under “quarantine” at Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel in Central Jakarta on Sept. 11-12.

“We call the quarantine period Manasik Kecantikan Hati [rituals for inner beauty],” Eka said. “During this period, all candidates performed sholat tahajud [early morning prayer] at 3 a.m. and studied the Koran together.”

The finalists also received a crash course in public speaking and modeling during their two days together.

On the third day, the pageant began. The contestants appeared on the runway as singer Fitri Wijayanti performed Islamic songs.

They looked radiant in glamorous yet modest dresses from fashion designer Boyonz Ilyas.

One by one, the participants introduced themselves in Indonesian and English.

From their list of achievements, it seemed that each one was more than just a pretty face.

Finalist Kholifah Nuzulia Firdausy told the audience about her work as an architect in Malang, East Java, the library she runs for disadvantaged children in the area and her postgraduate studies in architecture at Brawijaya University.

Another finalist, Dika Restiyani, told of how she frequently flies between Jakarta, where she does business and social work, and Singapore, where she studies at the Nanyang Technological University. Dika said has been running Flannel Box, a small home-business that produces and sells dolls, since 2006.

Dika also said that along with a group of friends, she manages Pelangi Anak Negeri (Children of the Nation’s Rainbow), an organization that provides education for street children in South Jakarta.

“In my opinion, true beauty comes from the inside,” Dika said. “A truly beautiful woman is someone who benefits and inspires other people.”

Most of the finalists said they have been wearing the hijab since they were young. Finalist Shayma Faisal Abri said she had worn the hijab since she was 6 years old.

“I feel comfortable in a hijab,” Shayma said. “It protects me from exposure to matahari [sunlight] andmata laki-laki [men’s eyes],” the 18-year-old added with a smile.

Each contestant also performed an example of their talents.

Syarifah Aulia Fitri from Aceh performed the traditional likok pulo dance from her hometown. Welin Dwi Meiansari from East Java sang the old Malay song “Zapin.”

Edy Putra Irawady, the deputy minister for trade and industry, commended all participants on their performances.

“They’re the heroines of Indonesian Muslim women,” Edy said. “They’re all very young, yet they possess great talents and huge potential. They should be the role models and benchmarks for Indonesian Muslim women.”

In the end, the jury declared Dika, the doll entrepreneur, as the winner of the pageant.

“I’m surprised and very happy,” said Dika, who applied for the contest at her friends’ recommendations but never expected to make it so far.

She was crowned with a silver tiara, designed by Irna Mutiara and encrusted with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.

As the pageant’s first winner, Dika received a savings account to set aside money for the hajj pilgrimage, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a designer gown and a package of cosmetics.

She will now become the official spokeswoman for IIFC, both Indonesia and abroad. The nonprofit organization was established in July by the Indonesia Fashion Designers Association (APPMI), the Shafira Corporation fashion house, Noor Magazine and the media and communications-based Arzuda Group.

With IIFC and a group of Indonesian fashion designers, Dika will also have the chance to travel to Paris during her reign to attend the International Fair of the Muslim World from Dec. 23-25.

Next year, IIFC plans to expand the Jakarta pageant to an international one, to be called World Muslimah Beauty. The organization will invite candidates from 57 countries to participate.

“Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world,” Eka explained. “That’s why it should also be the Mecca for Muslim beauty and fashion in the world.”

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Nasya Bahfen: A Modern Muslim woman balancing career, family & faith

Nasya Bahfen: A Modern Muslim woman balancing career, family & faith
by Raidah Shah Idil
Source: MuslimVillage.com

Are you a single Muslim woman with a good career? Are you starting to feel like you’re on the ‘wrong side’ of 20, or (gasp!) 30? Do you struggle with the usual “Are you married yet?” questions? Read about the experiences of Dr Nasya Bahfen, and know that you’re not alone!

MuslimVillage’s Raidah Shah Idil interviewed Dr Bahfen, a lecturer at the journalism program at RMIT. Learn more about Dr Bahfen’s experience as a Muslim woman who balances faith, academia, and marriage.

What challenges did you face while living in Australia as a Muslim woman?

I faced both professional and personal challenges. Professional, because I chose a non-traditional career path in the media, and personal, because it took me a very long time to settle down with a partner and while I tried not to let the community or societal pressure of being unmarried bother me by being a workaholic and taking up different activities, there were a lot of times where I just personally felt it would be nice to have someone to share my life with or to plan for a family with.

Tell me about your experience of hijab. Has it been a help or hindrance in your career or marriage prospects?

For career prospects, the headscarf isn’t as much of a hindrance as you might think. I guess the whole package is more important – how you conduct yourself, how you sell your experience and skills, and how you approach your work prospects – than what you are wearing. Marriage-wise, it does create a bit of confusion because I’m not all that religious. The implication that arises from the headscarf is that you are a practicing Muslim woman at least, which then leads on to conversations about “Well, what sort of Muslim man am I looking for?” and “What sort of wife is this brother interested in?” Often, the type that I wasn’t…

Do you believe that single Muslim women in their late 20′s and 30′s scare off men because they are overqualified? If not, what’s the real issue?

In some Muslim communities in Australia, the norm is to be married by your late 20′s, so it’s probably not a case of men being scared off by them but more that a single Muslim woman of that age or more might cause people to think about why she is still single, whether there is something wrong with her, or whether she’s devoted more time to her professional life (and the implications of that for, say, brothers who want sisters who aren’t so career-oriented-which is perfectly fine it’s just a preference). In other communities (including my own, the Indonesian community), I think there is this sense that a professional Muslim woman scares off men. Despite their laissez-faire approach to religion Indonesian Muslim men can be incredibly conservative – for example there are still pockets of Indonesian Muslim men who believe a woman should not work, and again that’s a preference I respect until those men start judging YOUR Iman for choosing to work. Also, there is a sense among Indonesian Muslims that it’s a problem if the wife earns more than the husband, and the preference is to have the wife less educated than her husband. I have a PhD, so you can imagine how many Indonesian men were lining up for my hand (hint: less than one)! My husband doesn’t believe in any of this, although he’s more financially stable, owns his own place, and working for commercial media he earns a lot more than I do, so being able to say that helps with nosy relatives who – in typical south-east Asian style – don’t realise they’re being nosy when they ask how much you earn and how much your husband earns.

What advice would you give single/divorced Muslim women in their late 20′s and 30′s who want to marry but who haven’t found Mr Right?

I did have this single and depressed phase that I went through, so if there’s advice I can give to women in this position that I was in, it would be to just live your life – do not focus on being single. Everyone else in the community will do that for you, trust me! Make lots of du’a, let people know you’re available and open to being introduced if you are, and then forget that you’re single. Work hard, do that course you’ve always wanted to do, take up a sport, attend religious classes, take your parents out shopping or for coffee, offer to babysit a niece or nephew, check out the latest halal restaurant with your friends. Do something, anything, to fill up your life and discover yourself and when you aren’t looking it’ll happen.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned when it comes to being a single or married woman?

As a single woman – see my previous answer. As a married woman – improve your negotiation skills, especially if you are close to your family and you need to allocate time to both your husband and your family. And make time for your friends – in the five years I’ve been married I seem to see them less, which makes sad.

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Reality TV show lifts veil on Muslim Americans

Reality TV show lifts veil on Muslim Americans

It’s been a decade since the September 11 attacks and many Americans still don’t know quite what to make of their 2.75 million Muslim compatriots. Could a reality TV series help?

“All-American Muslim,” which premieres Sunday on the TLC cable channel, lifts the veil on five Arab American families in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan and finds their lives are, in many ways, not so un-American at all.

There’s the Amen family, whose outspoken tattooed daughter Shadia is engaged to an Irish American from Chicago who accepts her family’s request to convert to Islam on the eve of their wedding – and upsets his Catholic mother.

Newlywed twenty-somethings Nader and Nawal Aoude embrace teamwork like a new-age couple as they prepare for the birth of their first child, even as they adhere to a devout Islamic lifestyle.

Nina Bazzy is a glamorous blond party planner on a collision course with both her traditional-minded parents and the wider community over her bold plan to open her own trendy nightclub.

Mike Jaafar upholds the law as Dearborn’s deputy chief sheriff, while his wife Angela tries to keep their four high-strung children in line in one of those big suburban houses that signifies the American dream.

And the patriarch of the Zaban family, Fouad “Haj Walker” Zaban, is as passionate about his religious obligations as he is about leading the high school football team he coaches to the Michigan state championship.

“It seemed like a really, really good opportunity to dispel some of these misconceptions that we’ve been dealing with all our lives,” Shadia Amen told AFP on Thursday, explaining why she agreed to do the show.

“We’re not here to represent Islam. We’re just five American families who happen to be Muslim.”

All five families live in Dearborn, an industrial city of 100,000 that may be better known for North America’s biggest mosque than for being the home of the Ford Motor Company.

Three-quarters of Dearborn’s residents are of Arab heritage. Many trace their roots to Lebanon – the Amens hail from the Bekaa Valley – and all felt the chill of suspicion after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

That chill lingers. Earlier this year, a Public Religion Research Institute survey indicated that nearly one in two Americans felt uncomfortable at the sight of women in burqas or a group of men praying to Allah in an airport.

Sixty-eight per cent said they seldom or never interacted with Muslims, and 47 per cent thought Islamic values don’t jibe with American ones.

On the other hand, a concurrent Pew Research Center poll revealed that 48 per cent of Muslim Americans think other Americans are generally friendly to them. Muslims were also more satisfied with the way the United States is going.

“All-American Muslim” includes eight episodes, with part one on Sunday seeing bridegroom Jim McDermott converting to Islam before his future in-laws as his bride-to-be Shadia Amen looks on, wearing a “not a terrorist” T-shirt.

Shadia then dons a hijab for a religious marriage ceremony led by a witty imam, before a full-on reception – apparently modest by Dearborn standards, with just 400 guests – that features both belly dancing and an Irish jig.

Hard-driving coach Zaban meanwhile wonders how to prepare the teenagers on his mainly Muslim team for a crucial game during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, when even a sip of water is prohibited before sundown.

The solution: training after dark, right up to 4:00 am.

Future episodes will find deputy chief Jaafar addressing prejudice and discrimination among his fellow law enforcement agents while his wife juggles her career in the automotive industry with the demands of raising a family.

“It’s not like you can lump us all together,” Amen told AFP, referring not only to her fellow cast members, but also the wider Arab American community.

“We are so diverse.”

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My Hijab, My Identity, My Freedom

My Hijab, My Identity, My Freedom
by Khalida Jamilah
Source: MyHighschoolJournalism.org

Female teenagers tend to define themselves by physical appearance like fashion, hairstyle, favorite music, or the most up-to-date gadget like iPad. Popular culture celebrities, especially those who come from Hollywood or appear in their favorite Disney channel become an idol for most of American teenagers.

A question arise: How do female teenagers define their identity without relying too much in physical appearance? To answer this question we must analyze the role of commercial or fashion brands that influence daily life of teenagers. Many girls in middle-school and high-school admire their role model from young celebrity, whether it is because their good-looking, trendy fashion-style, cute hairstyle, or live in perfect, glamorous world with limousine and party, without having to do much homework or pursuing a high education, those celebrity still successful. Some teens believe that whatever their lifestyle or identity they present it is their freedom in life. Is it really?

So, without relying too much in physical appearance or be a follower of celebrity, what is another way to define our identity? One way is through the role of religion. I am a Muslim and Muslim is a term to define the follower of one of the major of religion, called Islam. Islam is a monotheistic faith which emphasize in the teaching of oneness of God.  Islam shares similar teachings with Judaism and Christianity and known as the three great monotheistic faiths of the  world. The messenger that brought Islamic teaching is an Arab, a humble man named Prophet Muhammad. Through him, Allah revealed the Qur’an— a holy book that contain universal teaching and a moral guidance for both Muslim and mankind.

Some teens might believe that following religious teaching hinder them from having ‘cool’ identity and I leave that as a personal perspective. However, as a female Muslim, there is a specific commandment stated in the Holy Qur’an that women must cover their hair and full body, except hands and foot.  Some Muslim sect interpret that face also must be covered and it is true; but, if a female Muslim choose not to cover their face it is also acceptable. This concept called hijab; an Arabic word refers to barrier or partition. In Islam it refers to the principle of modesty both behavior and dress for men and women (BBC).

Usually most of young Muslim girls wears headscarf, knee-length and long sleeve shirt as application for hijab. Not only serve as protection for women’s beauty, hijab also has philosophical value for their honor and dignity, thus reflect women’s identity based on inner beauty. According to Forever Families website, sponsored by School of Family Life at Brigham Young University, “when a girl focuses too much on her physical appearance, she places her self-esteem, emotional and physical health, academic achievement, and sexual safety on the chopping.” With hijab a girl will not focus on her physical appearance because she covers her hair and her body.  Hijab prevents her from sexual trend; therefore, self-esteem, emotional and physical health, academic achievement and sexual safety will become a priority.

Furthermore, Sara Javed, a 12th grade Leuzinger’s student emphasized the benefits of wearing hijab that, “Hijab is like shield to me in that way and people around me approach me based on how my personality or character is. I won’t say I am the prettiest girl in this school, but if I would let my hair out and wear clothes which would expose my body, I bet I would attract people, so hijab protects me from that.”

With the rise of popular culture that shaped teenage girls to be cool , most of female adolescents become the ‘midriff’, a highly- sexualized and world-weary sophisticate that increasingly populates television, as reported in PBS documentary titled “The Merchants of Cool.”  As a result, one of the most popular clothing store for pre-teens and teens like Abercrombie and Fitch attract them with an ad where naked young woman in the arms of a naked young man (Forever Families). Is an advertisement like this what today’s teen admire or are they buying into sexy to create a mass identity where thousands of teens wear miniskirts and  tank tops  that reveal their private part of body ? Is looking hot a freedom of identity or is it a clothing and media companies’ strategy to gain as much as dollars from teens and makes them a slaves under physical appearance?

The answer to the question above depends on personal view in defining a real identity and a true freedom.  For Muslim teenagers like me and Sara, hijab is real identity and a true freedom which also shaped a humble and modest lifestyle that prevent us from a world of hedonism.

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Hijabi for a day for a Jewish Jihadi

Hijabi for a day for a Jewish Jihadi
by Sara Weissman
Source: http://jihadiyehudi.blogspot.in

WHY HIJAB?
From the businessman’s suit to a goth’s band T-shirt, we all know that clothes are more than cloth. What we choose to wear is a sign of who we are, what we aspire to be, and how we choose to represent ourselves. So imagine wearing your heart on your sleeve, or rather your religious devotion over your head. The concept of hijab, the headscarf worn by Muslim women, is less simple than it seems.For this month’s Challenge to the Editor, I wore hijab for one day. Hijab, which literally means “to veil,” is the code of modesty for Muslim women past puberty. The requirements for hijab consist of covering most of the body including hair and avoiding perfume and tight, transparent, or flashy clothing.

The choice to try wearing hijab for a day was as much as an internal experiment, as an external one. Considering the scary and relatively new phenomenon of Islamophobia, part of it was to see if people treated me differently. But more than that, it was a way to take a tiny glimpse into something larger, a practice meaningful to millions of people and the idea that, though the clothes don’t make the woman, they can say a lot about what she believes in.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:

Before taking scarf in hand, I wanted a better understanding of where the idea of hijab comes from. Though there are multiple references to hijab in the Qur’an, in al-Ahzaab 33:59 it says, “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” Another, al-Noor 24:31, says, “And say to the believing women…that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers…” and it goes on to list others.

After reading the above paragraph, your inner American, feminist may be a little miffed. Mine was too. In fact she grumbled quite a bit about the seeming patriarchal tone, the same I struggle with when discussing women’s modesty in my own religion. But many Muslim women feel very differently. In fact, they feel quite the opposite, embracing hijab as a freeing as opposed to forced expression of their faith.

“For me, the hijab is more than modesty; it is a liberating fact,” said Sara Khalil, 25. Born in Saudi Arabia, Khalil lives in Canada and has been wearing hijab since 2005. “It has allowed me to perceive myself as an individual outside the bounds of physical beauty and attraction, and further project a confidence that is independent of others’ judgment,” she said. Samara Gabriel, who converted to Islam in 2010 and runs a blog called ImInItForTheScarves.com, holds a similar view. “My body is a private thing. Mine,” she said. “Not to be shared with the world. It also means that I dress to please God, not men on the street.” Gabriel’s beliefs were reaffirmed by an incident with her editor, when she worked for a local newspaper. “The editor angrily made the comment ‘What if I WANTED to look at you?’ As if it was his right. That is a good example as to why I love wearing it. I don’t feel anymore as if I need to flip my hair around or show off my boobs or my butt to get attention. I love Pink’s ‘Stupid Girls’ as an example to what I mean,” she said.

Zara Asad, 19, explained that hijab for her is also an expression of her spiritual struggle. “It’s the covering, the cloth that protects my heart from any filth coming in,” said Asad. “It’s my shield. Everyday is a battle against improving myself and fighting distractions around me. It’s a very vital part of me.” Asad began wearing hijab when she was 17. Though both her mother, originally from Pakistan, and her sister wore it, she was afraid of what her friends and predominantly white, New Jersey community would think. But after she wore hijab, Asad said she could never go back. “When I first wore the hijab I felt like myself, a Muslim, for the very first time in public,” she said. “I felt like I could breathe for the first time.”

Others also relate to this sense of identity that comes with hijab “Our hijab is both our modest covering and a badge of our identity, “ said Rania Abuisnaineh, a 20 year old from Minnesota with family from Hebron. “People immediately recognize us as Muslim when they see our hijab, just as they recognize a Jewish man from his yarmulke or a Sikh from his turban.” However for her and others, hijab’s meaning lies in more than identity and modesty, but in the belief that it is a law from God. “When people ask me why I wear hijab, my first response is always this: ‘Because it is a command from Allah; and He knows what is best for His creation more than the creation know what is best for themselves,’” Abuisnaineh said.

Still, reactions to hijab in the modern world can be mixed and some Muslim women see a disconnect between who they are and how they are perceived. .” Shameela, however, who was born in India and now lives in Qatar, has seen these perceptions overcome. One of few Muslims in her city, she wore hijab since she was 12 and said that when she went to college, her friends saw a new side to Muslims through her activism at the university. “They came to know that wearing hijab is not a sign of oppression, and that wearing it does not make any women inferior.” Hind Yousef Khalifa, who is a resident of Abu Dhabi, also elaborated on this point. “It (hijab) doesn’t stop a woman from practicing any aspect of her everyday life,” she said. “We study, we drive, we work, we go out with friends, we volunteer and do community work and are very active in society.”

A DAY WITH HIJAB:

With all of these women’s words in mind, on a Wednesday morning over winter break I decided to put on hijab. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at the red cloth clutched in one hand and three safety pins in the other. Following the careful steps of a youtube tutorial, I slowly wrapped and pinned until the fabric finally resembled a headscarf. I looked up at the mirror, proud and a little unused to the lack of auburn frizz in the reflection that staring back at me.

With some self-conscious jitters, I went about my day as usual. I drove my family to the doctor’s, looked at old pictures with my mom, and spent the rest of the day at Fashion Island, looking for belated Chanukah gifts and hanging out with my grandma. But, I felt different. Even if it wasn’t my own religion, I suddenly felt like I had to reflect what the scarf represented. I tried walking straighter, grinned at strangers, and tacked extra pleases and thank yous on every sentence to the sales clerks at Macy’s. Despite feeling like I looked different, wearing hijab made me feel more comfortable in some ways. It reminded me of those mornings when you put on a favorite a baggy sweater, too relaxed to dress to impress. There was a certain calm in feeling like I didn’t have to look cute for anyone.

At the same time, wearing hijab attracted some unwanted attention. Walking through Fashion Island produced long stares, mostly curious but a few hostile. One man continued glaring even after I looked him in the eye while a saleswoman, chatting up other customers, spoke curtly and would not look me in the eye at all. Still, the amazing thing is the number of odd looks was nothing compared to the number of smiles. Throughout the day, I got wide grins from absolute strangers.

I would like to say I reached some mind-blowing conclusion after thinking on the experience and unpinning my scarf that night. What I came away with was more modest, but I still think entirely worth it. After a day, I can’t claim to know what it’s like for women to wear hijab: how it feels, what they believe, or how they are treated. Still, I ended the day impressed by women willing to hide parts of themselves but at the same time stand out, for the sake of their God and their religion. In the end, the biggest lesson I learned was that clothing can be fabric or it can reflect who a person wants to be. For Muslim women, hijab is a constant reminder that they are always aspiring toward better observance of their religion. The take-home message I got from a day in hijab was we can change our clothes but more importantly our clothes can change us. The question is what do we want them to reflect?

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One Million in U.S. To Don Hijab for Slain Iraqi Woman

One Million in U.S. To Don Hijab for Slain Iraqi Woman
By :Press TV
Source: tehrantimes.com

One million non-Muslim women in the United States will be wearing hijabs in support of Shaima Alawadi, an Iraqi immigrant brutally killed at her home in March.

Many non-Muslim women in the United States have posted photos of themselves wearing a headscarf on “One Million Hijabs for Shaima Alawadi,” which is a recently created webpage on Facebook.

The Facebook page had about 10,000 likes on April 2.

Jean Younis, the office manager at Bonita Valley Adventist Church in National City, California, said she would wear an Islamic headscarf to support the family and friends of Shaima Alawadi on Sunday, according to a recent article published by the Washington Post.

“I do expect a reaction, but that’s the point. It needs to be discussed,” said Younis.

The 59-year-old church office manager is one of the many non-Muslim women who have expressed solidarity with 32-yearl-old Shaima Alawadi.

Alawadi, mother of five, was found unconscious at her home in El Cajon, California, on March 21. She died after being found beaten and lying in a pool of blood next to a note saying “go back to your country, you terrorist”.

There have also been “hijab and hoodie” demonstrations at several universities across the United States in recent days. The notion of “hoodie” refers to the killing of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager gunned down by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida on February 26.

“They were both killed because of the way they looked and that is so wrong,” Younis said.

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Nigerian Muslims Sue Govt Over Hijab Ban

Nigerian Muslims Sue Govt Over Hijab Ban
By Rafiu Oriyomi
Source: onislam.net

ABUJA – Muslim lawyers are planning to sue the state government of Nigeria’s largest state of Lagos to reverse a ban on the wearing of hijab at schools.

“The decision to go to court is a culmination of several events that affect Muslims especially the policy that bans our female children from wearing hijab to school,” Barrister Adesina Ishaq of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN), told OnIslam.net.

“We feel that Muslims are being denied their right even in a region where they are in the majority.

“All these things point to the fact that those in authority have something against we Muslims.”

Lagos authorities have banned the wearing of hijab at schools. The Muslim outfit is also outlawed in most south-western states.

Ishaq said talks with the government have failed to convince Lagos authorities to reverse its ban on the Muslim headscarf in schools.

“We were told that our female children can wear hijab up to the gate but they must remove it when entering their school premises,” he said.

“We feel this is an insult and a slap on our constitutionally-guaranteed religious rights as Muslims. So we want the court to resolve the matter.”

Last week, MULAN called on the Lagos government to urgently reverse its ban on the Muslim headscarf.

Ishaq insisted that Muslims are still open for dialogue if the government is willing to rescind “the oppressive and discriminatory” policy.

Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.

The Muslim outfit has been in the eye of storm since France banned it at public schools in 2004.

Since then, several countries have followed suit.

Welcome

Ishaq believes that the court will reverse the government ban on the Muslim wear.

“This is an issue that has long been settled by our constitution and even a higher court,” he told OnIslam.net.

He said that the legal challenge aims to confirm an earlier higher court ruling on the freedom of Muslims to wear hijab.

“It will interest you that there is an existing judgment of an Appeal Court in Ilorin, in Nigeria’s North-central which has said the issue of hijab, whether in a work environment or even school, is a personal choice…and that to deny Muslim women such rights is to deny them their constitutional right of religious freedom,” he said.

“This judgment has not been appealed at the Supreme Court either by the state or individuals.”

The planned lawsuit against the hijab ban won plaudits.

It is “long overdue in view of the excesses against our sisters who, just for being Muslims, are targeted for discrimination,” Abdulfatai Olajide, a former senior journalist with pro-Islam Daily Trust newspaper, said.

Olajide said the use of hijab is a personal choice guaranteed under the country’s law.

“Any attempt by anybody or government to violate such right of choice is better challenged in a court. This is why I commend MULAN for their effort.”

Muslims make up 55 percent of Nigeria’s 140 million population, while Christians account for 40 percent.

Ethnic and religious tensions have bubbled for years between the two religious communities, fuelled by decades of resentment between indigenous groups, mostly Christian or animist, who are vying for control of fertile farmlands with migrants and settlers from the Hausa-speaking Muslim north.

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US Jailers forcibly remove Muslim woman’s Hijab

US Jailers forcibly remove Muslim woman’s Hijab
By Associated Press
Source: kmov.com

ST. LOUIS — A Muslim civil rights group is calling on St. Louis County to revise its policy that requires female Muslim inmates to remove religious headscarves, but the director of the jail said the headdress can pose a security risk.

Faizan Syed, director of the St. Louis chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Tuesday that a 23-year-old Ballwin woman was jailed for about seven hours because of an unpaid traffic ticket. A jail officer ordered her to remove her traditional Islamic headdress, known as a hijab.

The woman refused because the Islamic religion forbids women from exposing their head or neck to men outside their immediate family. Syed said the female officer snatched the hijab from the woman’s head in front of men—jail employees and male inmates. She spent the rest of her time in jail without the hijab.

“She was very emotionally distraught,” Syed said. “For a Muslim woman, it’s the equivalent to having her clothes removed in public by somebody else.”
St. Louis County Justice Services director Herb Bernsen said jail policy forbids inmates from wearing anything on his or her head for security reasons, mostly out of concern that a weapon could be hidden in the scarf.

“We have to be concerned about security first,” he said.

Syed said there are ways to ensure security without compromising a woman’s religious beliefs. He said that in some jails, a woman is taken to a private room, removes the headscarf in the presence of a female jailer and is given a jail-issued head covering. As for mug shots, he said some jails take two photos—one with the head covering to be used publicly and one without for internal use only.

Bernsen said he has not been contacted by the council, but he is open to dialogue. He said he is also checking with jails around the country to see how they handle the issue.

Courts have ruled on both sides of the argument.

In October, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a California Muslim woman’s right to sue Orange County because its jailers forced her to remove the hijab.

In Minnesota last year, Amina Farah Ali was jailed, She refused to leave her jail cell in protest of a ban on headwear at the Sherburne County Jail. She was later moved to another jail where the head covering was permitted.

Syed said the council is willing to work with corrections officers better understand Islam and Muslims. He said that, for now, the Ballwin woman is not considering a lawsuit, but wants the St. Louis County policy changed. She also wants an apology, he said.

“Religious rights should not end at the jailhouse door,” said CAIR-St. Louis Executive Director Faizan Syed. “With goodwill on all sides, a solution can be reached that maintains constitutionally-protected religious rights as well as legitimate safety and security needs.”

Syed noted that the U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to overturn a lower court ruling that said a Muslim woman “had the right to wear the scarf unless jailers could show it was a security risk.”

In that case, the Muslim woman’s suit cited the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which prohibits state and local governments from imposing “a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person residing in or confined to an institution.”

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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Freedom of The Hijab: Opinion

Freedom of the Hijab: Opinion
By : Ayesha Nusrat
Source: khaleejtimes.com

It’s been over two months since I decided to become a hijabi — one who wears a head scarf and adheres to modest clothing — and before you race to label me the poster girl for oppressed womanhood everywhere, let me tell you as a woman (with a master’s degree in human rights, and a graduate degree in psychology) why I see this as the most liberating experience ever.

Prior to becoming a hijabi, I did not expect myself to go down this road. Although I knew modesty was encouraged in my culture and by my faith, I never saw the need nor had the opportunity to explore the reasons behind it.

My experience working as a Faiths Act Fellow for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and dealing with interfaith action for social action brought me more understanding and appreciation of various faiths. I found that engaging in numerous interfaith endeavours strengthened my personal understanding about my own faith. The questions and challenges I encountered increased my inquisitiveness and drive to explore and learn for myself various fundamental aspects of Islam. Thus began my journey to hijab-dom.

I am abundantly aware of the rising concerns and controversies over how a few yards of cloth covering a woman’s head is written off as a global threat to women’s education, public security, rights and even religion. I am also conscious of the media’s preferred mode of portraying all hijabi women as downtrodden and dominated by misogynist mullahs or male relatives who enforce them into sweltering pieces of oppressive clothing. But I believe my hijab liberates me. I know many who portray the hijab as the placard for either forced silence or fundamentalist regimes; but personally I found it to be neither.

For someone who passionately studied and works for human rights and women’s empowerment, I realized that working for these causes while wearing the hijab can only contribute to breaking the misconception that Muslim women lack the strength, passion and power to strive for their own rights. This realization was the final push I needed to declare to the world on my birthday this year that henceforth I am a hijabi.

In a society that embraces uncovering, how can it be oppressive if I decided to cover up? I see hijab as the freedom to regard my body as my own concern and as a way to secure personal liberty in a world that objectifies women. I refuse to see how a woman’s significance is rated according to her looks and the clothes she wears. I am also absolutely certain that the skewed perception of women’s equality as the right to bare our breasts in public only contributes to our own objectification. I look forward to a whole new day when true equality will be had with women not needing to display themselves to get attention nor needing to defend their decision to keep their bodies to themselves.

In a world besotted with the looks, body and sexuality of women, the hijab can be an assertive mode of individual feministic expression and rights. I regard my hijab to be a commanding question of “I control what you see, how is that not empowering” mixed with a munificent amount of authority emanating from the “My body is my own concern” clause. I believe my hijab gives me the right to assert my body, femininity and spirituality as my own and under my authority alone.

I know many would agree with me when I say that the hijab is basically an expression of spirituality and a personal bond with one’s creator, a tangible spiritual reminder that guides everyday life.

Yes, my hijab is a visual religious marker that makes it very easy for anyone to spot me in a crowd as a separate entity representing or adhering to a particular religion. This is all the more reason why, being a hijabi in the public arena is an escalating force that drives me to work in ways that would help break the undignified stereotypes, barriers and prejudices that my Islamic faith is relentlessly and irrationally associated with. As an extension of my personality and identity, it instigates me to challenge the misconception that Muslim women lack the bravery, intellect and resilience to challenge authority and fight for their own rights.

Every time I see my reflection in the mirror, I see a woman who has chosen to be a rights activist, who happens to be a Muslim and covers her hair incidentally. My reflection reminds me of the convictions that made me take up the hijab in first place — to work for a world where a woman isn’t judged by how she looks or what she wears, a world in which she needn’t defend the right to make decisions about her own body, in which she can be whoever she wants to be without ever having to choose between her religion and her rights.

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The Everyday Life of Muslims in Japan

 The Everyday Life of Muslims in Japan

Muslims in Japan have widely retained their sense of religious and cultural identity and have generally been established as members of Japanese society; however, the Japanese public must continue to accept these religious and cultural differences in order to maintain a functional society in which the rights of all people are protected.

Muslims in Japan

There are an estimated 70,000 Muslims in Japan, out of which 90% are male resident foreigners coming mainly from Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran and Bangladesh, and 10% are Japanese.

Many of the Japanese Muslims are women who converted to Islam through their marriage to Muslim men.[1]Muslims in Japan often encounter the problem of findinghalalfood products that are permissible according to Islamic law. These products usually exclude pork, alcoholic beverages, and also refer to the method used in animal meat preparation. Women, both foreign Muslims and Japanese Muslims, also face the issue of wearing the hijab, a cloth cover that covers different amounts and areas of the woman depending on individual interpretation, teachings, cultural backgrounds, etc.[2] Though there have been several instances of harassment towards Muslims in Japan,[3] it appears that these incidents are gradually decreasing through time.

Mosques and the Media

As mosques are the only places that are exclusively for Muslims, mosques in Japan play a vital, multi-purposed role. A hundred years ago, there were only two mosques in Japan, now there are around forty. As both land and construction is expensive in Japan, many office and residential buildings are converted into mosques, usually with a separate place reserved for women and children.[4]Mosques are used not only for congressional prayers, but also for social gatherings.

During Ramadan, the month of fasting, many Muslims come to the mosques in order to celebrate with their fellow Muslims. Mosques are also used to hold Islamic study sessions and weddings, with space for offices and places for relaxation. Mosques are places where Muslims can gather, worship, and socialize, though not all Muslims go to mosques. Other than information distributed by mosques and Muslim Associations,[5] the majority of information on the Islamic world the Japanese public receives is through the mass media. After the September 11th tragedy, which killed twenty-four Japanese citizens, the relatively indifferent Japanese perception on Islam has become tinged with fear.[6] More than ever before, it is imperative to separate the media's cloudy political influence from real experiences of the human heart.

Going Mainstream

Muslims in Japanese society face no particular mal- treatment, as all foreigners in Japan must deal with similar forms of discrimination. As it is with many societies, those who adapt to a new society's way of life are far more likely to be accepted. Japan is no exception; most Japanese people do not have a particular discriminating attitude towards Muslims. However, those who openly bring their religion to not only the public, but also their work place, may be faced with cultural barriers. Though these incidents are rare, they still present a problem for practicing Muslims. Especially in the work place, devout Muslims who pray five times a day for ten-minute intervals will find it difficult to fit into a culture in which constant hard work is expected and highly valued.[7] Though this may be a source of discomfort for some, many Muslims have found ways to compromise by making up prayers after work that may have been missed during work hours. Liza, an Indonesian Muslim studying at Kyoto University, says that many practicing Muslims can "collect" prayers that have been missed during certain parts of the day or night. In this way, many Muslims have managed to adhere to both Japanese and Muslim lifestyles.

Many Japanese Muslim converts may find it difficult to conform to strong cultural expectations while simultaneously fulfilling their religious duties and rules. The Islamic faith prohibits the consumption of alcohol and pork which conflicts with behavioral expectation at Japanese welcoming parties or end of the year festivals. Many Muslims state that when given an explanation, their colleagues politely accept this refusal of alcohol.[8] However, there are wide ranges of individual experiences regarding religious rules; some Muslims have met with understanding, others have met with criticism. The Japanese public must accept these differences in order to create an understanding society which functions with little friction between diverse groups. Generally, it appears that these problems are becoming less severe and may eventually be obliterated all together. Ali, a college student at Tenri University, has met with largely positive responses regarding his religious duties. His friends at Tenri University respect his reasons for refusing alcohol and even point out certain Japanese foods that are halal so that Ali may know which foods are safe.

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Chinese government moves to discourage hijab, beards

Chinese government moves to discourage hijab, beards

A city in heavily Muslim far western China has begun a campaign to discourage headscarves and growing long beards in a bid to “dilute religious consciousness,” media reports said on Thursday.

The notice by the government in the Xinjiang city of Yining was uploaded in full by several Chinese news websites, and by Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television, though it then vanished from the Yining government’s website (www.yining.gov.cn).

Many Uighurs, a Turkic language-speaking Muslim people native to Xinjiang, resent Chinese rule and controls on their religion, culture and language, and the region has seen sporadic cases of violent unrest.

The notice said the government in the Dunmaili district of Yining had decided to “further implement the Party’s activities to dilute religious consciousness and advocate a civilized and healthy lifestyle.”

One of the campaign’s aims, it said, was to end the “the abnormal phenomenon” of ethnic minority women and youth wearing Arab dress, growing long beards or covering their faces.

Women who had already “been transformed” would be invited to hold talks to discuss their experience, as would women who had launched successful careers. Yining government officials declined to comment when contacted by telephone.

Hou Hanmin, a Xinjiang government spokeswoman, told Reuters she was not aware of the notice, but that generally people in the region were free to wear what they wanted, including ethnic minorities.

“However, for certain jobs and in education there are rules about what you cannot wear simply as a matter of convenience,” she said by telephone.

Yining, also known as Ghulja or Yili, has a population of some 515,000 people, about 46 percent of whom are Uighur, according to the 2010 census figures. It was the site of deadly riots in 1997.

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Wearing Hijab In China Can Result In Funny Experiences

Wearing Hijab In China Can Result In Funny Experiences

When I was assigned to Beijing, China, I had some worries regarding food (I love to eat out) and culture. I was also worried how they would react to my headscarf. I've been there a few years ago, but in the past I have yet to wear a headscarf.

My worries are baseless.

There are Xinjiang Muslim restaurants across Beijing. And if I am to lazy to walk to the restaurant, Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurant chain would do as they only serve chicken. MacDonald, in the other hand, serve pork.


The funny thing was although they claimed to be Xinjiang Muslim food restaurant, I could see bottles of Chinese liquor.

The headscarf problem? Well, Beijingers stared curiously as I walked by. But as I smiled and said,"Ni hao (Chinese expression for Hello)", they would smile back or just nod. Perhaps there have been many tourists from Islamic countries because they seem to accept me.

They were also excited if I asked permission to photo them or to be taken photo with them. When my friends and I visited Great Wall, a man approached me and asked permission to be photographed with me. I was too stunned I didn't pull my camera, so I don't have the photo. I have been wondering why that man wanted to be photographed with me.

One of the most memorable moments was when my friend Bajo and I took pictures with a tire repair guy on a sidewalk. After taking photos for Bajo (a guy), I asked permission to take a photo with him with gestures and voila, he produced a camera out of his pocket (And you know what? His camera looks more expensive than mine). Bajo was a bit amused.

"Why would he take your picture anyway?" he said.
"Well, I'm a girl. Why would he keep a photo of himself and a guy?" I said.

Another funny moment was when Wallacea Foundation's director Grace and I took turns in photographing Hotel Kapok's plaque. (In Bahasa, 'kapok' means you've had enough of something) We asked permission to the bell boy and he misunderstood us wanting to take picture with him. He stood straight when Grace took position beside him. But when it was my turn, the boy made a V-sign. Grace was annoyed.

"Why does he become suddenly cheerful? He was so serious a minute ago," she wondered.
"Perhaps, because I have a friendly face," I said. Hohoho...

The headscarf also helped me in finding Muslim sisters. When I was standing on Tiananmen square, trying to find a way to cross the street, a woman wearing headscarf approached me with the universal greeting,"Assalamualaikum". I replied,"Waalaikumsalam." She said,"Photo me?" I nodded and held out my hand to receive her camera, because I thought she needed my help to photo her and her friends. But she quickly grabbed my arm and her friends took our pictures. I quickly pulled out my camera. And here's our photo.

"You're so beautiful," she said.

What? She is the one who is beautiful. Zhu Men Sha (I don't know how to write her name, but the way she pronounces her name sounded like that) has almond-shaped eyes and freckles on her nose. At first glance, I could have mistaken her as a Russian Muslim because of her fair complexion, but her eyes tells her Chinese identity.

We had a small conversation. She spoke in broken English. I could only catch that she studied in Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication (BUPT) and that she came from Xinjiang Uighur. I really regretted that I didn't ask for her email. I want to know how are she and her family because I heard about riots in Xinjiang after I reached Jakarta. I hope she and all Uighur sisters and brothers can have peaceful lives in China.

I can't wait for another abroad assignment.

From : http://theindonesiantifa.blogspot.com/2010/05/wearing-hijab-in-china-can-result-in.html

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Hijab Pin Shop Revamp!

I want to thank everyone who supported me and gave me testimonials for my site and I just wanted to let you know that I couldn’t have come this far without your kindnesses and support.  JazakAllah khairun, love and respect from the bottom of my heart.  May Allah (swt) bless and keep all my sisters in Islam happy and glowing always inshaAllah and ameen!

Now if you have viewed the testimonials page you’ll have noticed that a lot of my customers are commenting on the packaging of the products.  Well that’s a little bit of a treat I like to give my customers to make them feel extra special! I’ve developed a notion since I started that I really wanted to wow my customers when they get their first, second or third package and so on.  So remember if you order with the Hijab Pin Shop you are sure to get a treat in the mail that you’ll absolutely love.  You won’t find this kind of service anywhere else, so why not give my shop a try?

I’m thinking of creating a One-Off page where I’ll be putting up pins which I have created not to be mass produced.  The reason for this is because I often make complicated pins which once I think about it, would take too long to remake over and over again, so I end up with a pin I’ll never put up on the site!  So it’s better to sell off what I have rather than just let it sit in my ‘to do’ or ‘I got carried away’ pile of pins!

Asalam alaikum fellow Sisters in Hijab!
I had decided that it was time to make a few changes to my site and products which I’ve been planning to do and dying to get started on.  There are several changes to our products and the site just in case you get a little lost in all the glamour!
First of all because of the sudden Royal Mail upgrade to charges the shipping price has sadly been increased to cover my costs as well as the shipping.  Please do take a moment to take a look at the new prices shown on our Shipping and Returns page (the link will open a new window so you don’t lose this one!).
Next I’ve added a Testimonials page.  Actually I added it a little while ago, but if you haven’t seen it yet please do take a moment to read the wonderful comments from our fabulous customers!  It might also ease your mind as to the quality and level of service you will receive from me plus the little bonuses of shopping in this particular hijab pin shop!
I have now added a Swarovski category which I’m very excited about! I have been wanting to add Swarovski beads to my collections but because of the pricing and so on it’s a little difficult to flourish on the collections.  So I thought I’d start slow and just add a few pins to see how everyone likes them.  It’s still a testing faze so you might see changes here and there but finger’s crossed anyways…
I have now purchased 3″ stick pins for a simpler hijab pin look for you modest hijabi’s out there who like a delicate or subtle look to your hijab style.  I’m doing my best to make sure they will be easily usable as well as gorgeous at the same time.  Testing has gone well, I made a pin for myself and it hasn’t broken apart yet so again finger’s crossed all goes well!  I’m still waiting for more material to arrive but I’ve started off with a collection of silver pins.  Coming soon will be the gold pins, and I must say they look amazing! Luxury and bling all in one!  I can’t wait to show you!
I also wanted to mention that the prices have been increased slightly as I have purchased some new material that is better in quality then what I had before.  So even if the product does look the same I can assure you that the subtle differences are because of the better value of the products.  I wanted to give my customers something worth buying and getting excited over that would last with you for a while.  I always make sure I test my products and new innovations before I release them to the public so you can be sure that what you get is exactly what you expect; great quality beautiful products and great service all around!
The Special Collection page may be removed in the near future as I have come into a position where I cannot entertain larger pin requests.  The reason for this is because it takes days to make one pin, and my condition has changed that I won’t have that kind of time anymore !  Another reason to have the one off page, just in case I do get the time I can put up larger pins already available up for sale.
Lastly I wanted to let you guys know that I may be disappearing somewhere around after Eid-ul-fitr as I am expecting a package of my own lol!  So I may have my hands busy with other things and I won’t be able to attend to hijab pin requests.  Fear not, I will still be around and if you have any urgent needs of anything on the site I’ll do my best to help you out!

HijabPinShop.com

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Hijab: A Muslim Woman’s only Achievement?

Hijab: A Muslim Woman’s only Achievement?
By : Eren
As a person who interacts with a Western Muslim community that places great importance in women’s clothing and female modesty, I am rarely surprised by the focus on hijab as the sign of piety. Similarly, I have unfortunately gotten used to the obsession in some Western media with hijabs and black robes as symbols of oppression.  Hijab is everywhere. It is in my mosque, in my community, and in the media. However reading the multitude of recent media stories on hijab over the past few weeks, I was struck yet again both by just how problematic “hijab stories” are.

While I personally believe that the idea of the hijab as the “icon of Islam” has been vastly overdone both in some segments of the media and by some Muslim communities, and I consider that hijab is a matter of personal choice, I understand the religious and political connotations that it has around the world. Nonetheless, the kind of attention that hijab sometimes receives disturbs me.

Source: badassmuslimahs.tumblr.com

There has been a lot of attention paid to Muslim women’s clothing in recent days. Ranging from Turkish Muslim women’s fashion struggles to Saudi women’s participation in the upcoming Olympic Games, the hijab continues to be occupy a central position in the news when it comes to “covering” Muslim issues (no pun intended). What I find problematic is that so much of the attention in the Western and Spanish-speaking media which I read goes towards the clothing that Muslim women are and will be wearing, rather than their personal and professional merits and abilities. With titles such as How will Muslim sportswomen dress for the Olympics?, Muslim women show flair for their fashion  and The Hijab is not benign the spotlight is still focused solely on hijabs, clothing and the politics of what we decide or not to wear.

Nevertheless, it cannot be said that the focus on hijab is one-sided. Many Muslim women who wear hijab describe why they choose do so in the media, or write about reconciling hijab with a Western sense of fashion or generally try to explain the hijab in particular contexts. The need to show that hijab does not prevent Muslim women from being successful, fashionable and free tends to be well-received by many segments of the media in the West, providing an easy story in a sense, which unfortunately is also often a superficial one.

Talking about hijab and clothing is obviously necessary in some contexts (i.e. when discussing government policies regarding dress codes), however, the majority of contexts where hijab has been discussed lately takes away from what many hijabi Muslim women are doing these days and transforms them into women whose headscarves are more worthy of attention than themselves.

At some point I hope this trend of talking about the hijab instead of the woman that wears it will be overcome. I want to know about the Muslim women in the Olympics rather than the hijabs and long sleeves that they are wearing or not wearing. I want to read about Muslim women’s ground-breaking fashion achievements, not about whether hijab enables or prevent them from being successful or even pious. And I would like to hear from the new Egyptian First Lady about her role within the new government instead of her hijab and “fashion” style.

At this point in time where there is so much attention around Muslim women, and when many of them are contributing so much, it is about time that we  look at what these women have to say, what they do, what they achieve, instead of how they choose to dress.

From: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/mmw/2012/07/hijab-a-muslim-womans-only-achievement-2/

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Veil Discourse In Islam

VEIL DISCOURSE IN ISLAM
By: Ilyas Akbar Muh

            There are two terms used in the Qur'an that are used to cover the head, it is khumur and jalabib, both in the plural, and generic. Said khumur (Surat an-Nur: 31) the plural of the word khimar and jalabib (Surat al-Ahzab: 59) the plural of the word hijab.

            Al-Quran and al-Hadith \ not specifically mention the form of masks clothes. In fact, the al-Hadith \, face included in the exceptions and in an atmosphere of ihram should not be covered. After all, these verses are talking about none headgear grab the elements of mythology and social strata. Two of the verses mentioned above was a response to specific incidents that occurred in the time of the Prophet. The application of this paragraph cause differences of opinion among the scholars of fiqh proposals, whether that be the basis of opinion, whether the pronunciation of a general nature or cause the decline of a special nature.

            Two verses in the context of women's safety and comfort. Comparing with the traditional chador-Persian Sasanian tradition, regarded as a substitute for menstrual camps (menstrual hut), menstruating women in exile outside the township. While in the Greek tradition, the veil is considered as a particular social class identity.

            Khimar verse down to respond to women's fashions when it uses a head covering (muqani '), but did not reach the chest, so that the chest and neck remained visible. According to Muhammad Sa'id al-'Ashmawi, Surat al-Nur/24: 31 down to provide a distinction between male and female believers in others, are not intended to be a lasting format (uridu fihi wadl' al-tamyiz, wa laisa hukman muabbadan).

            Verse regarding veil was also down a lady who intends a lavatory in the back of the house at night without the use of the veil, and there came a man mistaken for fun annoying as slaves. This event was the cause of the decline letter al-Ahzab/33: 33. According to Al-'Ashmawi and Muhammad Shahrur, associated with certain reasons and motivations (illat); therefore apply the rules: A law relating to illat, where there is no law there illat. If illat changed, then the law was changed.

            Hijab pharagraph, is related to the limited space of the Prophet lived with his wife and a growing number of interested parties with her friends. To prevent these undesirable things (keep in mind, this hijab verse down after the false allegations / hadith al-ifk against 'Aisha), Umar proposed to be made bulkhead (Arabic: hijab) between the living room and private space of the Prophet. However, not long after the hijab verse came down.

            Meanwhile, the hadith that is directly related to the use of the veil is only found in two ahad hadith, hadith narrated by an individual, not collective, massive (famous or mutawatir). The first comes from Aisha's Hadith, the Prophet said, "Not allowed a woman who believes in Allah and His Messenger if it is to reveal the age of maturity (limbs) in addition to the face and hands up here," pointing to a half cubits.

            The second hadith of Abu Daud received from Ayesha, which tells when Asma bint Abi Bakr entered the residence of the Prophet Muhammad and the Prophet said to him, "O Asma, when real women until the age of maturity, should not be seen except this one," said the Messenger show the face and hands.


            According to al-'Ashmawi, both ahad hadith including hadith, not mutawatir or famous. Based on the hadith ahad is controversial among scholars of Fiqh proposal. One such tradition is the mursal (speakers disconnected to the network Tabaqat Companions) by Abu Daud, as sourced from Khalid ibn Darik that not only does not meet (mu'asarah) but also does not meet (Liqa ') with Aisha. [ 1] In addition, this tradition became popular in the third century of the Hijra., popularized by Khalid ibn Darik, which is then written in Sunan Abu Daud. Had this tradition is represented on the Muslims, the hijab has become a tradition since the beginning of collective daily (bi al-Sunnah mutawatirah fi'l), rather than by qualifications-mursal ahad hadith. Veil tradition among friends and tabi'in, according to al-'Ashmawi, more of a necessity than a cultural necessity of religion.

            Shahrur Muhammad in his book Al-Qur'an wa al-hijab has also been expressed only in matters including self-esteem, not the affairs of halal or haram. [2] At the beginning of the 19th century in Qasim Amin al-Tahrir has been questioned mar'ah this. However, it should be stressed that although the view of critical thinkers of the veil, but they still idealize the use of the veil for women. Core of their discourse is how hijab does not wrap women's creativity and productivity, rather than prohibit, or encourage the opening of the veil.

When the movement began to bloom the mullahs in Iran in the 1970s and reached its peak when the Imam Khomeini succeeded in displacing Reza Pahlavi who was popularized as a stooge of the West in the Middle East, then Khomeini became the symbol of victory of Islam against the West doll. Symbols of the power of Khomeini, like Imam Khomeini and communities images Black Veil become a trend among young Muslims around the world. Since then, the veil began to decorate the campus of the Islamic world, including Indonesia. The identity of the veil as a symbol of victory.

Later, when the cold war the Eastern bloc and Western bloc after coincided with the rapid forces of globalization, it is more complex than anxiety arose among the Muslims. Islam and the various problem dealing directly with the Western world. Huntington described what Islam-West clash will occur in post-conflict East-West, showed signs of the truth, especially after the events of 11 September 2001.

Some Muslims believe that to restore the power of Islam as the glory days of past, Muslims must return to the formalism of religious and historical past. Restore the spirit of Islamic symbols and identities of the past continue to be pumped, including the use of the veil for women and the maintenance of the mustache and beard for men.

Levels of protection and the ideology behind the veil phenomenon in Indonesia is not very prominent. The phenomenon is more prevalent is the headscarf as a trend, fashion, and privacy as the accumulation of swelling of the quality of religious education and proselytizing in the community. After all, one of the nation's cultural traits in women's portraits of the past is the veil? No need to over estimate or phobia that the phenomenon of the veil is part of a network of a particular ideology is terrifying. Hijab does not need to be suggested as "illegal immigrants" who has always spied on, as happened in the past, namely the phenomenon of the veil is suspected as part of the export of the Iranian Revolution. Throughout the growing phenomenon of the veil over consciousness as an option and the search for identity as an expression of a Muslim woman, there is no element of coercion and pressure, that's fine. Would not human if one consciously make their choice?

At the present time, the veil is imaged as a good Muslim identity has shifted such that the distortion of the surrounding rule. Rules or the rules of dress further away from the ethics of Islam. Veil which was originally a thing must be said, now transformed into a kind of complementary accessories that support the appearance of the women of Islam. It is alarming. Background related to the decline in traditional verse hijab headscarf that align the pre-Islamic woman who wrapped her scarf into her back, to be described to her chest, so as not to provoke men for fun annoying, because they think they are slaves. However this re-occurring in recent times. How many of us watch these ladies who wear the hijab by copying back to the way women wear headscarves jahiliyyah. As if to have been wearing headscarves with their pickup had cover the nakedness of their obligations. Veil which develops later called the veil or headscarf trendy celebrity style. Islam does not specifically define the shape of Muslim clothing, but that clearly establishes clear rules for a dress to be called a Muslim clothing.

            The terms of Muslim clothing by Al Albani is: (1) Clothing that covers the entire body other than those excluded (face and palms). (2) Clothing (veil) is not a form of beauty jewelry. (3). Is a dual fashion, and not thin. (4) The width and narrow, making it seem part of the body shape. (5) No smell the perfume and not thin. (6) Not like a male fashion. (7) No fashion resembling kaafir women. (8) There is an eye-catching clothing or odd and attract attention. [3]

            Meanwhile, according to H. Ray King Sitoresmi patrician, the veil is more a product of history, because Islam itself does not provide a pattern or model of clothing in detail. Because he is more of a fashion, it can differ from area to area. And also said based on the teachings of Islam are contained in the letter al-A'raf verse 26, al-Ahzab verse 59 and verse 31 an-Nur in mind that the essence of clothing for women who adopt the taqwa mukminah contain the following elements, (a) distance women from male interference evil and bad, (b) the difference between women who had a commendable attitude to women with a disgraceful attitude, (c) prevent the onset of sexual slander for men and (d) maintaining the sanctity of the religion of women who concerned. Clothes that memenui four principles should have the following conditions, namely, covering the whole body except face and palms, the material used is not too thin, so transparent or not transparent and cut tight that can cause an erotic passion for the beholders. [ 4]

            Related to the functions that are taught in Islamic hijab is required to cover the nakedness of the woman who shut it down. To what extent that body size should be covered with a veil would greatly depend on the understanding of the clergy of the passages of the Qur'an and Sunnah that are Zanni (be interpreted), and the opinion of the fuqaha 'in their ijtihad on female aurat limits as outlined in the letter an-Nur verse 31: "wala yubdina zinatahunna Zahara minha illa ma ...".

Differences in opinion among the scholars of the aurat are as follows:

    Jumhur fuqaha ', including schools of Maliki, Shafi'i, Ibn Hazm, Shiite Zaidiah, famous from Hambali and one of the history of the Hanafi school of priestly and Shiites who narrated from levels tabi'in like Ata' and Hasan Basri and friends such as the level of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, A'isha and Ibn Abbas argued that: "only the face and both hands are not including her private parts."
    Sufyan al-Sauri, Mazin and one of the Hanafi school says that, in the face and both hands and feet talapak excluding genitals to women.
    One opinion of the Hanbali school and some Shiite Zaidah and Zahiri be argued that only the face of the female body which does not include the genitals.
    A history of Imam Ahmad ibn Abu Bakr argued Hambal and ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman from the tabi'in say that the whole body without exception is the nakedness of women. [5]

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