Frailty, thy name is......*Scratch that*....Strength, thy name is Woman

[Kashafa]

She’ll never make it,” Mr. Saeed said, looking away from his sister.

 

“Oh yeah?” she replied, her eyes widening.

 

“A Muslim woman is not allowed to travel alone,” he said.

 

“What about working?” she said, her voice quivering. “Look at your wife, she works!”

 

“She likes to spend time here,” he said.

 

Ms. Hamdan ran from the store crying.

 

“She won’t make it,” Mr. Saeed told a reporter after she left. “Woman always weak. She need a man to protect her.”

 

Later, when Ms. Hamdan heard what her brother had said, she was silent.

 

“Why didn’t he protect me?” she said.

Yet even as she felt herself changing, she remained steady in her faith. She never stopped praying five times a day. She attended the base’s mosque each Friday and fasted through the holy month of Ramadan.

 

On a recent Friday, she sat with her eyes closed on the mosque’s embroidered carpet, wearing a white veil and skirt over her Army fatigues.

 

NYT feature story

 

What a woman. Although I disagree with her decision-making(removing the hijab, joining the Army), You can't help but marvel at the strength she shows everytime life deals her a fatal blow. And her never-ending faith in Allah(SWT). Inspiring story, runtii.

 

In her own words

 

Respect, ukhtii.

[ElPunto]

^Lol - was about to post the story too.

 

I also don't respect her decision but I do respect her courage. Her husband, brother, father and relatives are all this side of garbage imo. Have you read the other parts in the series? Very, very interesting.

[Socod_badne]

Let me see if I get this straight. A muslim women takes off her God enjoined Hijab for fleeting "better" life with the debauched US army? Rather get an earfull, her "courage" is praised? What courage? She undressed for the highest bidder.

[Kashafa]

There goes the thread...SB, Assuming ur not playing devil's advocate(which u are, but ka gudub), re-read the article in full(not skim thru it) and listen to Fadwa speak. That's all. Read, listen, reflect, don't. post. at. all. unless you got something worthy to say.(not saying your point of view isn't worthy it just kinda reeks of a flaming troll, the wording yacni)

 

Point-ka,

Yeah, I read the other stories when they came out...gotta love the NYT, they always got engaging stories, the multimedia makes the whole story come to life.

[ElPunto]

^LOL

[Jacpher]

LOL@worthy

[Naden]

Joining the army at 39, what an extraordinary decision!

 

I am disappointed she's helping the Americans; I'm also puzzled at how she justifies this direct assistance of a military invasion and genocide of the Iraqis. Not to hypocritically single her out, as most (Western or Arab) gaining from the oil trade and the West's economy benefit directly from their policies. However, I couldn't fathom any moral justification for being of assistance to an army that destroyed Iraqi society for the past 15 years.

 

Having said that, she sounds as though she made a transformation in her life. No longer at the mercy of a husband, a father, a brother, or an unfair judicial system, she seems like she gained the strength and independence to be a doormat no more.

[Xoogsade]

Naden, extraordinaire women need a man in their life anyway. It is not as if Success in careers and all sorts of achievements will make a woman do without a man. What is life of a woman without a man really?

 

 

Incomplete

 

The same goes for men.

[Naden]

Xoogsade, there is a difference between needing someone and being at their mercy.

[Pujah]

To be quite frank she over did it....I think she shoud have spent more time studying for whatever exams they were given her than worying about wearing shorts or comparing Islam to this god forsaken institution.

I know people who are in the airforce my own sister being one and wearing shorts is certainly not a requirement. yeah I understand she went through alot with her family and had it bad in general and do i agree she is couragios woman....but some of her decisions are flawed.

[Che -Guevara]

Hmmm, a woman in uniform :cool:

[Captain Xalane]

Well,joining the army ain't bad at all,abandoning ur principles is.The lady abandoned her principles,for what though?To show that the army ain't a man's jobb?Thats bullshyt.

[LayZie G.]

What a Jowka she is, I loved the part when she sang and said "I use to drive a chevolet, now I march everyday. I use to wear my pair jeans, now I wear my army greens, hehehe .. She is amazing, and she is right about two things, a)no man should ever let a woman down, and b) she is definitely a strong muslim woman.

 

Big ups sista in Islam.