Alaa Al-Aswany: When women are sinners in the eyes of extremists

[Curly]

Now this article is one healthy dose of reality to us all!

Although I don't agree with the idea that democracy is the answer I still think we need to take a good long look at what everyone else sees.

 

 

Alaa Al-Aswany: When women are sinners in the eyes of extremists

 

Somalia is in the grip of famine and chaos but officials there are inspecting bras

 

 

The Shabaab movement in Somalia controls large parts of the south and centre of the country, and because officials in this movement embrace the Wahabi ideology they have imposed their views on Somalis by force and have issued strict decrees banning films, plays, dancing at weddings, football matches and all forms of music, even the ring tones on mobile phones.

 

 

Some days ago these extremists carried out a strange operation: they arrested a Somali woman and whipped her in public because she was wearing a bra. They announced clearly that wearing these bras was unIslamic because it is a form of fraud and deception.

 

We may well ask what wearing bras has to do with religion, why they would consider them to be a form of fraud and deception, and how they managed to arrest the woman wearing the bra when all Somali women go around with their bodies completely covered. Did they appoint a special female officer to inspect the breasts of women passing by in the street? One Somali woman called Halima told the Reuters news agency: "Al Shabaab forced us to wear their type of veil and now they order us to shake our breasts... They first banned the former veil and introduced a hard fabric which stands stiffly on women's chests. They are now saying that breasts should be firm naturally, or just flat."

 

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In fact this excessive interest in covering up women's bodies is not confined to the extremists in Somalia. In Sudan the police examine women's clothing with extreme vigilance and arrest any woman who is wearing trousers. They force her to make a public apology for what she has done and then they whip her in public as an example to other women.

 

Some weeks ago the Sudanese journalist Lubna al-Husseini insisted on wearing trousers and refused to make the public apology. When she refused to submit to flogging she was referred to a real trial and the farce reached its climax when the judge summoned three witnesses and asked them if they had been able to detect the shape of the accused's underwear when she was wearing the trousers. When one of the witnesses hesitated in answering, the judge asked him directly: "Did you see Lubna's stomach when she was wearing the trousers?" The witness gravely replied: "To some extent."

 

Lubna said she was wearing a modest pair of trousers and that the scandalous pair she was accused of wearing would not suit her because she is plump and would need to lose 20 kilos in order to put them on. But the judge convicted her anyway and fined her £500 or a month in prison.

 

In Egypt too, extremists continue to take an excessive interest in women's bodies and in trying to cover them up entirely. They not only advocate that women wear the niqab but also that they wear gloves on their hands, which they believe will ensure that no passions are aroused when men and women shake hands. We really do face a phenomenon which deserves consideration: why are extremists so obsessed with women's bodies? Some ideas might help us answer this question:

 

Firstly, the extremist view of women is that they are only bodies and instruments for either legitimate pleasure or temptation, as well as factories for producing children. This view strips women of their human nature. Accusing the Somali woman of fraud and deception because she was wearing a bra is the same charge of commercial fraud which the law holds against a merchant who conceals the defects of his goods and make false claims about their qualities in order to sell them at a higher price.

 

The idea here is that a woman who accentuates her breasts by using a bra gives a false impression of the goods (her body), which is seen as fraud and deception of the buyer (the man) who might buy (marry) her for her ample breasts and later discover that they were ample because of the bra and not by nature. It would be fair to remember that treating women's bodies as commodities is not something found only in extremist ideologies but often happens in Western societies too.

 

The use of women's naked bodies to market commercial products in the West is merely another application of the idea that women are commodities. Anyone who visits the redlight district in Amsterdam can see for himself how wretched prostitutes, completely naked, are lined up behind glass windows so that passers-by can inspect their charms before agreeing on the price. Isn't that a modern-day slave market, where women's bodies are on sale to anyone willing to pay?

 

Secondly, the extremists believe women to be the source of temptation and the prime cause of sin. This view, which is prevalent in all primitive societies, is unfair and inhuman, because men and women commit sin together and the responsibility is shared and equal. If a beautiful woman arouses and tempts men, then a handsome man also arouses and tempts women. But the extremist ideology is naturally biased in favour of the man and hostile to the woman, and considers that she alone is primarily responsible for all sins.

 

Thirdly, being strict about covering up women's bodies is an easy and effortless form of religious struggle. In Egypt we see dozens of Wahabi sheikhs who enthusiastically advocate covering up women's bodies but do not utter a single word against despotism, corruption, fraudulence or torture because they know very well that serious opposition to the despotic regime (which should really be their first duty) would inevitably lead to their arrest, torture and the destruction of their lives. Their strictness on things related to women's bodies enables them to operate as evangelists without any real costs.

 

Throughout human history, strictness towards women has usually been a way to conceal political abuses and real crimes. Somalia is a wretched country in the grip of famine and chaos but officials there are distracted from that by inspecting bras. The Sudanese regime is implicated in crimes of murder, torture and raping thousands of innocents in Darfur but that does not stop the regime from putting on trial a woman who insisted on wearing trousers. It is women rather than men who always pay the price for despotism, corruption and religious hypocrisy.

 

Fourthly, the extremist ideology assumes that humans are a group of wild beasts that are completely incapable of controlling their instincts, that it is enough for a man to see a bare piece of female flesh for him to pounce on her and have intercourse. This assumption is incorrect, because humans, unlike animals, always have the power to control their instincts by will power and ethics.

 

An ordinary man, if he is sane, cannot have his instincts aroused by his mother, sister, daughter or even the wife of a friend, because his sense of honour and morality transcends his desires and neutralises their effect. So virtue will never come about though bans, repression and pursuing women in the street, but rather through giving children a good upbringing, propagating morality and refining character.

 

Societies which impose segregation between men and women (as in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia), according to official statistics, do not have lower rates of sexual crimes than other societies. The rates there may even be higher. We favour and advocate modesty for women but firstly we advocate a humane view of women, a view that respects their abilities, their wishes and their thinking.

 

What is really saddening is that the Wahabi extremism which is spreading throughout the world with oil money and which gives Muslims a bad image is as far as can be from the real teachings of Islam. Anyone who reads the history of Islam fairly has to be impressed by the high status it accords to women, because from the time of the Prophet Muhammad until the fall of Andalusia, Muslim women mixed with men, were educated, worked and traded, fought and had financial responsibilities separately from their fathers or husbands. They had the right to choose the husband they loved and the right to divorce if they wanted. Western civilisation gave women these rights many centuries after Islam.

 

Finally, let me say that religious extremism is the other face of political despotism. We cannot get rid of the extremism before we end the despotism.

 

Democracy is the solution.

 

© 2009 Shorouk Newspaper; all rights reserved

 

Alaa Al-Aswany's books include 'The Yacoubian Building' and, most recently, 'Friendly Fire'

 

Article on the Independent

[SeeKer]

Interesting points raised by the author though I got to say he comes off a bit biased himself. I like the closing nonetheless.

 

 

Anyone who reads the history of Islam fairly has to be impressed by the high status it accords to women, because from the time of the Prophet Muhammad until the fall of Andalusia, Muslim women mixed with men, were educated, worked and traded, fought and had financial responsibilities separately from their fathers or husbands. They had the right to choose the husband they loved and the right to divorce if they wanted. Western civilisation gave women these rights many centuries after Islam.

 

As far as arousal of men by siblings or parents, I recently heard a story from Saudi where a son impregnated his mother by drugging her tea and having his way with her when she was uncounscious. Can't find a lick of the story online so I am not sure if they completely shut down any leaks or what? :eek:

 

Finally,

But the extremist ideology is naturally biased in favour of the man and hostile to the woman, and considers that she alone is primarily responsible for all sins.

so the Bible says so. Its all boils down to Eve giving Adam that da!m apple and since then we have always been blamed for every sin! :mad:

[Geel_jire]

Some days ago these extremists carried out a strange operation: they arrested a Somali woman and whipped her in public because she was wearing a bra. They announced clearly that wearing these bras was unIslamic because it is a form of fraud and deception.

couldn't get past this tidbit ... if his article is based on this made up bullsh!t it is probably has nothing of value to offer

[Blessed]

^I couldn't read past that line either. I can't be bothered with a writer who gets her information from tabloid lies.

[Curly]

Well, I personally believe it. After all the sad truth is it's not that hard to believe that it would be taken to that extreme. Besides I think the author is very careful and demonstrates both sides.

[NGONGE]

Alaa Al-Aswany has been getting up the noses of Salafis and Saudis for the quite a while now. He writes the same stuff in Arabic newspapers and seems to be obsessed with the 'Wahabis'.

 

Curly, you (and he) believing it is one thing but to put it in a newspaper article as a FACT is quite another. The two above you have a point.

[Curly]

Ok now, you all deny the claims without actually producing any proof. We can argue that all these 'tabloid' articles are false or pushing the boundaries of truth all we want but have a look at this...

 

*SOL won't allow me to post the link*

Just google ... Wikipedia > Al Shahab(Somalia)

 

Although it's only a Wikipedia article, if you type in Somali Islamic Courts and bras you'll find 14,600 hits on just that and the sources range from all manner of news media claiming just that. I point out the Wikipedia article because it logs all these reports in timeline format.

[Cara.]

^Yes but if you search for "Elvis abducted by aliens" you'll get plenty of hits too. And I'm sure Wikipedia will mention that some people believe he is still alive.

 

Although I think you don't need to believe that Al-shabab is into bra burning to see that they are extremists who think oppressing women is the solution to poverty, war, disease, an outbreak of pimples, burnt toast and finding a fly in your soup.

[Chocolate and Honey]

I'll come back for this.

[Cawaale]

I think it may be useful to move to a higher level of analysis to discuss the extent of a causal relationship between religiosity and some aspects of the political and social arguments in the countries the author mentioned in article.

 

Originally posted by NGONGE:

Alaa Al-Aswany has been getting up the noses of Salafis and Saudis for the quite a while now. He writes the same stuff in Arabic newspapers and seems to be obsessed with the 'Wahabis'.

..indeed he is obsessed with the "Wahabis". He also seems no to distinguish between the "Salafis in General" and those who came to the spot in Somalia and in Afghanistan.

 

BTW you can find his original article in Arabic here

 

 

Despite of his biased criticism Dr, Aladin is a good author, and i like his column.

 

As for Wikipedia is Place where nothing comes to an end. no article ends ever!! there is no obligation for fact checking, and any person with a computer can delete or re-write articles (well-researched or otherwise).

 

Imagine a community of authors where subcultures take over whole sections of content to advocate their own world-views or interests. Hence at what extent is Wikipedia a reliable source of information? I'll leave it for you to decide.

[NGONGE]

^^ He is a good author indeed. I do like most of his ideas and would choose him over those he calls 'Wahabis'. But I can't stand the obsession or the casual disregard for facts in the article above or many of the others he wrote.

 

(I read the Arabic one already).

[Curly]

I think we should all be careful about tarnishing people before seeing all or what they have to say. Although I don't agree with all his comments I still choose to listen to it and take away what I feel co-exists with my ideals and values. Just like if any of you were to have a compelling argument I would obligingly listen and deliberate my conclusion. This is a debate and swaying people one way of other in dependent on evidence to back the point of view. I've tried my best to dig up something whilst keeping in mind how convoluted the media is ...yet no one has come back saying here's an article of news to say otherwise.

 

I’m already wary about what I read, see or hear in the media but I’d like to give myself enough credit to say that I’m not brought in by just anything I read or see and that I make my opinions based on what facts I can gather. This might mean looking at the tone of the article is it “third party”, is the referenced article referenced by well known sources and are there other articles out there reference other sources that agree with the article?

[Cara.]

I think like Cawaale said we should move past this minor point of contention. No one can deny that Al-shabaab are extremists, and the author could've just as easily used another example of their obsession with controlling what women wear. To me that's the real shock. I honestly have trouble wrapping my head around the idea of a group of Somali men oo isku shir doonay inay dumar labiskood isku mashquuliyaan. It's like finding out your father prefers one of your barbie dolls over another, and insists you brush her hair every day. It boggles the mind.

 

So the real discussion should be why? What is it about women and women's bodies that serves as an easy rallying cry for fundamentalists, especially in war-torn countries?

[Curly]

I Cara thanks, it was more pointed at Ngonge.

 

The articles point is (just as you've said) that these men are busying themselves with women's clothing and such instead of focusing on what it is they set out to do in the first place. I personally think it's perverse that they would choose to eye women's bodies when Islam teaches us to all lower our gazes. After all these women aren't provocatively waltzing around they're generally covered but no you have to get into details about the texture of the fabric.

 

Oh the nerve!

[Johnny B]

^here and here only does Ngonge's signature come to the rescue, it's only words (but) on your minds .

 

Having admitted the extremisim in the religiousity aspect of Al-shabab yet refusing to adopt secular democracy as an alternative (regarding Bra-policing)is like wanting to be free from smoking yet insisting on having friends who smoke.

 

Step 1 in calling a stone a stone :

 

1: If A is bad B,C,D,E,F...n , may not neccessarily be absolute good , but must be an (a likely )option.