Why did Anila Baig change her mind?

[NGONGE]

 

This lady works for the Sun newspaper. When she started working there they had a photo of her wearing the Hijab on the top right hand corner of her column. It was strange to see a Hijab-wearing woman writing for a newspaper (tabloid) that is famous for having photos of topless girls on Page Three! Still, one assumes she thought Muslim women needed to take the beast by the horns and confront it head on. This, supposedly, was her contribution to Islamic progression/integration in the West. I don’t often read that paper but whenever I happened to get hold of a copy (abandoned on a bus, train or staff canteen) I always wondered at Ms Baig’s motivation for working for such a newspaper. Today, I came across another abandoned copy of The Sun in a coffee shop that I went to during my lunch hour. After a quick glance at the beauty on page three (as you do) I quickly started turning the pages and browsing the usual nonsense found in that paper. I saw Ms Baig’s column and lazily started reading it (it was instantly forgettable). As I was scanning the article I noticed that the photo of Ms Baig was not one with her wearing the Hijab! Seeing that I’m not really a regular reader of The Sun, I quickly concluded that this photo was not hers and that this was probably a new writer that took over this column (as happens with newspapers every now and then). But the whole thing still irked me. When I got back to the office, and just before I had to start working again and save the world, I decided to Google-image Ms Baig’s name. The search returned photos of her wearing the Hijab. So it was her after all!

 

I had no choice but to Google her name again and unravel this great mystery (quite at the back, man). I found the following article on The Sun’s website:

 

She has lovely eyes

 

It seems that Ms Baig threw her hijab in disgust at the lax security arrngments in British airports. Atta girl, man, atta girl.

 

Here is a bit about the lady herself:

 

Anila is a feature writer in the tabloid ‘The Sun’ and was formerly a columnist with the Yorkshire Post, which she joined in 1998. In 2004 she won the Press Gazette’s Regional Newspaper Columnist of the Year 2004 - the citation noted “At last, relaxed, humorous writing about issues so often dominated by political correctness. Anila’s columns have an easy, light touch. She never takes herself or her subject matter too seriously, and thus gets her message across”. At the Yorkshire Post she covered a variety of topics, from TV reviews to local news and community issues.

In a recent article she observed, “every Muslim woman is my sister, every Muslim man is my brother and no, I am not secretly dating a member of Hamas. Things I didn't care about before now irk me like the men who shake my hand though I am clearly a woman. But the man at security is still baffled. ‘But why do you lot have to keep your hair covered?’ he asks. I think for a second, flash him a smile and say: ‘Because we're worth it’."

On joining The Sun she declared, “Don't be put off by the picture of me. I'm just a gal who likes to hide her highlights under a bushel - or a headscarf".

After the youth disturbances in her hometown Bradford in June 2001, she wrote, “I woke up to discover my beloved Bradford had been burning. Images of police in riot gear and Asian boys, faces in purdah and hurling missiles, were flashed across the world. Burned out cars are strewn across the road like broken promises. Nothing has worked. Even the traffic lights have given up. Community leaders speak of unspeakable disgust. After going round in circles we have wound up back at square one. But this was not Islam. Muslims would have packed the mosques at the obligatory prayer times, not mixed Molotov cocktails and stared at police. And their heads would have been covered, not their faces. Shame, anger, disgust. We condemn the actions of the mindless thugs who have brought this nightmare back to Bradford. Yes, Asian boy, the world is racist. Yes, the National Front was stirring. But you and you alone, have made things a thousand times worse”.

 

 

Source

Do you think she abandoned her hijab out of pressure? Choice? Or is she just confused? Is ditching her Hijab also a principled stance just like when one puts on a veil or wears a hijab? What think you?

 

Ps

Though she is the subject of the discussion, I do hope we don’t all end up just talking about her and what a strong/weak woman she is. Spread the discussion about a bit please.

[Valenteenah.]

She used to wear the Hijab, but she no longer does? Ok. Whether someone wears it or not is their own choice. Someone can feel pressured to do something, but it still is a choice whether they do it or not, maaha? Is there really anything to discuss?

 

Maybe she just wanted to let her hair down (pun intended).

[LayZie G.]

Ps

Though she is the subject of the discussion, I do hope we don’t all end up just talking about her and what a strong/weak woman she is. Spread the discussion about a bit please.

Dude, you're shady

 

PS:Val, don't pay him no mind. He posted this so half of the pple could trash her and the other half to react the way u did.

[Zafir]

Cut the man some slack, ladies. Great topic Ng

She don’t wear, because she don’t like nooh? All the arrows point toward “choice” yeah. But what I would like to know is that, has she stopped wearing the long skirts and started wearing pants. Because no hijab, no skirt nooh?

[Valenteenah.]

^ LoL @ pants. Urm, do hijabis only wear skirts?

[Zafir]

You know which skirts I am talking about, the ones found in Somali stores, the long a$$ ones.

[NGONGE]

Ah! Now I know why you call yourself lazy!

 

You’re showing your intellectual limitations there, dear. This was an open topic (in fact, as open as it could get). Some of the topics you could have tackled as a result of reading this would have included:

 

Hijab and careers

Token Muslim female journalists

Propaganda against the Hijab (I’m sure you can’t have failed to notice all the recent controversy about the Hijab/veil on SOL and outside)

The choice of women to keep or discard the Hijab

The pressures Muslims women face at work

Reasons why someone would wear the Hijab

Reasons why someone would discard the Hijab

The marketability of someone wearing a Hijab

Islamic attitudes to female journalists

Western attitudes to Muslim female journalists

Integrity, principles and professional honesty

Contemporary Islamic role models

 

The list is really endless. All it requires is a bit of imagination, which sadly, you refuse to exhibit. Choosing instead to remain within the comfort zone of your angry-teenager character! Don’t be a one-trick-pony Lazy, dear. Don’t look at things at their face value. Delve deeper, examine different angles and raise yourself above the laymen/women with your ability to critically look at a piece (no matter how simplistic it is) and revealing worthy parts in it that not even its author knew existed.

 

 

Val,

You disappoint me, woman. You really do. You’ve regurgitated what I wrote and then asked if there was a discussoin to be had! Don’t be hasty, slow down and take your time to think the topic through. You’ve read it, right? Now change gear and lets try to comprehend then analyse. This following question is not directed at you personally, but have any of the Nomads here done any Case Studies at school/college/universtiy? It’s a long time since I had to do any of that and it’s possible that Universities have abandoned that method now (would be a real shame). But in a Case Study scinario, as I remember, you are presented with a topic/case/issue and are shown changes that took place, etc. Your mission is to critically analyse the Case and present your understanding and conclusions in the form of reasons, climate or forces that occassioned that change.

 

Consider this a case study (you don’t have to reply to it if it’s too much work but if you choose to reply lets us please raise the bar slightly higher than the level of the Primiry School’s Debating Society).

 

 

** Loosens his tie **

[Valenteenah.]

Mmm..look at it as a case study. OK.

 

Case Study: She wore a headscarf. She no longer wears a headscarf. What are the ramifications?

 

*Wracks her brain*

 

Man, I have nothing! I'm sorry. It truly feels horrid to disappoint this much. I'm so angry at myself!

[NGONGE]

^^ Too hasty again

[Zafir]

Oh boy, the scolding has begun. Ng I truly understand where you are coming from with your second post. However, your original post doesn’t implicate what you sought to be discussed sire. My mockery post had little alterations of your message or what I have gathered from it; looking back at the responds I believe we all have interpreted it the same way. Perhaps we all could use elaborateness in our thinking. Even so, you should consider the second post as a topic starter sire.

 

Ps: Please don’t tell me off in front of all these beautiful ladies.

[LayZie G.]

where you are coming from with your second post. However, your original post doesn’t implicate what you sought to be discussed sire.

Zafir, you're very good observer.

 

Ngonge, true or false, you wanted to stir up problems? If you said false, you are lying through your teeth.

 

All that other stuff you wrote, I paid no mind, as always you talking air, and I don't care to waste the little energy I have this morning on it.

[Reality Check]

Why are we so deeply invested in whatever muslim man/woman are doing with their own lives?

 

 

Who cares if she wore the Hijab or not? Let muslims be!

[NGONGE]

Zafir,

 

I accept your criticism there and agree that maybe I should have given you (the readers) a few pointers as to how I wished the discussion to proceed. However, I truly did not want to dictate this discussion and really wanted it to be as open as possible. The only way I could have done that (in my opinion) was to present you with the story, add a few questions and attach a final disclaimer requesting that the discussion does not completely revolve around this particular lady alone (I hoped that this hint would be more than enough to encourage participators to widen the net a little). Unfortunately, this was not enough and it looks like I’ll have to try to expand the topic’s horizons whilst also attempting to keep it as open as possible.

 

First though, as is usual with most of my posts, permit me to start lecturing a little. When I read this story, I was assaulted by a plethora of ideas, thoughts and impressions. My initial reaction, as is always the case, was one of horror, confusion and despair! Still, these soon passed and I soon moved on to the relationship between this story and the veil debate we currently have in the UK (and Holland).

 

I’m a Muslim. An individual Muslim. I have my own interpretations, understanding and view of Islam that is (possibly) different to those that others have. I’m also part of a group (of Muslims) and their actions, choices and viewpoints have an impact on my individual life. Therefore, whenever I see anything connected with Muslims or Islam I’m naturally concerned, interested and attracted both in my individual and collective capacities. My positions, interests and worries become even more intense because I live in a place where I and We are a minority. Here you see, the public actions of other Muslims would have more of an impact on me (and us) than, say, if I were living in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait!

 

I fully realise that I have no say, control or influence over what other people do. However, this does not stop me from observing and debating their actions in relation to myself (and us) and the consequences of those actions on my (our) Muslim identity.

 

When Bin Laden and his ilk engage in murder, extremism and start wars (without consulting the rest of us) in the name of Islam, their actions have an impact on me (and us). In their case, I find myself hemmed in and left with two realistic choices; to agree with their actions, methods and wars or to disagree. These actions of theirs force me (and any sane Muslim) to re-examine my positions and align myself to what I believe to be the true face of Islam. In my case, that would be to oppose these people; in someone else’s case it might be to support them! In both situations, we do so because our choice defines our identities as Muslims and the viewpoints we have. Had Bin Laden been an angry Arab sitting in a Jeddah or Cairo coffee shop and angrily complaining about the state of the Muslim world today or expressing his wish to destroy the infidels I would not have paid him any attention or seriously worried about the rants of a nobody. However, the minute he chose to put his face, rants, threats and actions in the public sphere I had no choice but to take notice and contemplate the consequences and effects of his chosen views. Do I identify with such views? Could I associate with them?

 

Likewise with the journalist above, and seeing that she too is in the public arena (she goes on about her Muslim identity), noting her choices and the opinions she holds, I was again confronted with the same ideas and worries. Do I identify with her views? Could I associate with them? How could they impact on me (and us)?

 

I believe I know my stance on all of this and can (as a Muslim individual) happily go on with life having reached my own conclusions and made my own decisions on this issue and others. However, it’s not really all about me and my choices alone. I am part of a community, collective and group that is Muslim. Each and everyone in that group (including the journalist) have their own opinions, positions and viewpoints. Knowing that these opinions will have an impact on my life (regardless of whether I choose to examine them or not) I’m obliged to seek these opinions and find out what the Community, collective and group think (even though I understand that not every single one will present me with coherent challenges to my already reached viewpoint). To prompt, to coax or to present loaded questions in order to illicit some opinions from the community would restrict the variety and quality of the replies I would receive. The topic has to be left as open as is humanly possible and the readers have to be free to present me (us) with as many options, viewpoints and angles as possible. That’s the only way I (we) can benefit from the wisdom of the group.

 

Of course, this might be nothing but air as some Nomad already said. But I suspect that like the person in that Chinese proverb, she was still fascinated by the finger instead of the moon it was pointing at.

[SeeKer]

Originally posted by NGONGE:

Do you think she abandoned her hijab out of pressure? Choice? Or is she just confused? Is ditching her Hijab also a principled stance just like when one puts on a veil or wears a hijab? What think you?

 

Does she not wear the hijab now and where is it mentioned? As far as I could tell, she wrote an article about the security at the airport not checking her face under the niqaab but nothing else hinted to her not wearing the hijab. Don't you think it would be speculation on our part to attach a reason, if indeed she doesn't wear the hijab anymore, to her abandonment of the "bushel".

 

As to her being a token journalist, many of us would have to ask ourselves that about our job. Did you get your foot in the door because of EOE laws or by your own merits? I think there are plenty of muslim female journalist's out there and a number of them who do cover their hair. As to whether its a personal choice or a ploy to get the job, all you have to do is wait and see. When opportunity arises when she has to bail on her principles to get her leg on a higher rung and she takes it , she was a faker and vice-versa.(Principles and honesty are rare commodities in the workplace these days and I think the right business mind will reward them accordingly.)

 

Ps:- What are you hoping to unearth @ NG

[N.O.R.F]

NG

 

A pretty hefty subject and one that has been getting under my skin for quite some time now. It all goes back to one of your earlier posts entitled ‘keepers of our faith’ but this one being the more general version. The average Muslim populous (not the famous literature arts buffs who pen an opinion whenever a new controversy occurs) who live and work just like everyone else are ‘the’ face of Islam. The smart banker with a short beard on the tube, the confident Hijabi on her way to the office, the college students carrying a bag full of books (in some cases) wearing those brand new Nikes, the face that greets you at the post office when updating your tax disc. These are all the representatives of Islam and I don’t have a problem with that.

 

But I do have a problem with some Muslims. They are everywhere representing ‘Islam’ in one column or another in numerous ‘broadsheets turned tabloids’ (except for a few well intentioned columnists who give as much as they get) or are also featured on columns with a message of ‘I’m the modern Muslim’. They work and go to parties minus the modesty. This is then used by the various media outlets who promotes this to show us what a Muslim should be like.

 

Miss England (who happens to be a Muslim - minus the Hijab of course) was incessantly promoted last year under the umbrella of the ‘modern’ Muslimah. The girl who finished 2nd in Alan Sugar’s The Apprentice is portrayed as a ‘modern’ Muslimah. Yes they may be ‘modern’ and they may be Muslims but compromise seems to be the word of the day in order to be successful.

 

Now, back to this lady at The Sun. She works for the The Sun, I think that in itself is a compromise on her part. You can argue that if she adopted the other attitude she would find it difficult to find a job at a national paper but The Sun is The Sun!

 

I also have a bone to pick with the Islam Channel,,,,,,,,,,,,,