Again, I extracted an article from TIME magazine, dated 28 Sept 2009 that talks about Muslim women and wearing the Hijab while engaging in sports activities.
click to read
This article illustrates and shows the culture of Islamism and in particular, the difficulty of Muslim women to exercise whilst bearing religious dressing. The writer, herself being of Iranian descent, recalls her first time having to be completely covered up (except for the face & hands) during a jog with her friends in Tehran.
As Culture is a template for living, this article highlights the trouble for (pious) Muslim Women having to find a compromise between athletics & religion. As their religious background encourages (I’m putting it lightly here) the females to be completely covered showing minimal skin, the writer believes that many females are encountering the same problem as she does, the search for other alternatives of sports etiquette without blaspheming against Islam.
Her solutions were to go to gyms that catered exclusively for women, secluded non-urban areas (“In the seclusion of the mountains, no one frets if you tie a bandanna over your hair instead of a proper veil”), being more active during colder seasons (“During snowy Tehran winters, I pushed myself to go skiing, since modesty ceases to be an issue when you’re bundled in a ski suit & hat”) or just donning the hijood, “made from high-tech fabric that’s meant to wick sweat from the skin”.
Through this article, I wondered whether having to don the hijood to cause them to be at a disadvantage when competing with women of other races and religions. Take a look at the olympics, in a lane of 8, we commonly see the Islamic women not making it into the top 3. Could this be because of lack of training? I personally doubt so as this is the Olympics which we’re talking about. It is of a high prestige to represent your nation and I am very sure that much effort & time was taken into training.
That being said, could it be due to the attire they wear? Does the “high-tech” fabric serve as a hindrance instead? Does the additional layer of clothing stop them from achieving maximal effects? Or could it just be because of their genetics (it IS proven that africans/kenyans and chinese, due to their climatic conditions and genes, are better runners).
watch this video below
it shows 3 islamic women in 3 various forms of dress codes and their view/reason for their attire. the most conservative one feels that [01:10] it “exemplifies the fact that she is an honourable muslim woman”. The most liberal lady feels that [04:00] by wearing a veil and living in Canada would she not be used as a tool to “bring people together, Jews, Christians Muslims? I don’t think so”. She also states that being covered up would be a barrier between her and them and hence states that in the Religious Book of Islam that it is not clear that women have to be covered up.
I personally know the religious debacle of having conservative dressing and the ongoing traditional demands of being Muslim. However, I truly respect these women who compromise by donning the hijood as it looks rather uncomfortable but yet, they have to wear it in order to stay both committed to their sport & faith. Their template of living, i.e CULTURE shows them how their lifestyle should be directed and thanks to technological improvement, a balance has been struck, be it controversial as it seems (“its slick ninjaesque style [hijood] might be too assertively Muslim for some”)
Either way, the hijood has opened doors for Islamic women, making the idea entirely possible for them to respect their religion and stay in shape.
October 18, 2009 at 3:27 pm |
An excellent response to the article, I must say. My opinion on this would be not whether Muslim women SHOULD wear these coverings, but whether they have the right NOT to.
Should Muslim women be obligated to wear such clothing as the hijood? After all, the decision to don such an article of clothing stems from faith-based perspective, and so one has little to argue against it.
If a woman is Muslim, does her social environment, ie. family, mosque, friends, state even, have the right to force her to wear it, when one can say that religious dressing is a personal decision!
Of course, one could also argue that, religious piety leads to a better lifestyle, that the outside mindset that wearing such religious clothing is oppressive is actually merely Westernism encroaching upon the tenets of Islam, or at least, the culture of mainly Islamic countries. That since the outside world merely has a biased perspective, Islamic culture DOES indeed have the right to force women to wear religious clothing.
As for the video, in my opinion, most of it was the interviewer trying to poke holes into the rationality behind these women’s choices to cover up.
Looking toward the future, it seems to boil down to this – How is the Muslim women to behave in a progressively open world, where ideas contrary and perhaps even counter-intuitive to the Muslim faith are disseminated, built upon and then maybe even discarded just as quickly? For example, the topic of equality of men and women came up in the video, and it is interesting to note that in some Middle Eastern countries, men are indeed more ‘equal’ to women, especially concerning pertinent laws. If we are to say the world is progressing towards a more utopian society, or that we wish it would, how can such a culture present itself as a facet of such a society?
My 2 cents,
October 18, 2009 at 3:49 pm |
Didnt know that there’s such technology “hijood”. Indeed one must not sacrificed their culture ( what made them who they are) / however, some people have no choice for they are born muslims and they do not have a choice as to choose what religion they would love to follow. “By birth not by choice”./
October 19, 2009 at 3:57 pm |
Although the hijood looks really uncomfortable, i agree with you that its a pretty good way for Muslim women who want to keep their active lifestyles whilst not having to compromise their religious beliefs and end up being condemned for showing their skin.
October 28, 2009 at 12:57 am |
Religious teachings and followings are a definite
must since they instil the values of a society, at least fundamentally. But with globalization and technological advancements, previously “closed” cultures are exposed to media and the influence of other cultures among other factors. that being said, I think it’s more important for religious practices to be followed in spirit, instead of being taken literally. Perhaps if they delve deeper and understand the true meaning of their religious practices, someday they’ll find a compromise
October 28, 2009 at 9:15 am |
With respect, I submit that the idea that women from the world of conservative Islam consistently not making it to a top position at the Olympics probably has more to do with your argument about genetics predisposing some races towards a pole position than the hijood itself. Singaporean runners don’t feature particularly well either, but that certainly has nothing to do with their attire.
Also, you might wanna consider another interesting creation, the burqini. It is interesting because it largely mimics the high-tech suits that the top swimmers of today use and yet in the water, being covered from head to toe in a high tech fabric seems to be far from a hindrance and in fact rather advantageous. I’m pretty sure the hijood was designed with the same aerodynamics in mind, although possibly with less success.
October 28, 2009 at 6:30 pm |
I suppose it really boils down to the individual and how he or she views things. Some how, a compromise has to be made between competing to the fullest potential and the law/rules governing the religion.
Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
October 29, 2009 at 5:07 am |
a hijood is a remarkable invention that can probably encourage more muslim women to participate in sports as well as living an active lifestyle. in singapore context, i dun think i’ve seen them wearing it, the muslim women will wear the tudong instead.
October 29, 2009 at 1:26 pm |
its hard to comment on an issue that doesnt really affect me because i’m not a muslim and i’m sure that i speak for all non-muslims when i say that what we might think is really just that, a thought, we are in no position to understand how they feel or judge them by what they do.
a point to raise could be that perhaps their conservative dressing in a way creates invisible barriers between them and other cultures which prevents them from really connecting with the other cultures and therefore, worsens others misunderstanding about them.
understanding them is really key, i believe, as a chinese, to really try to attempt to break through the barriers but i must say i doubt it is really that easy.
November 1, 2009 at 1:54 pm |
I guess as much as they want to partake in sports, muslim women should keep to their roots and keep on their veils. I really respect their culture and think that they should do what it takes to preserve what they deem as important.
However, I agree with AM that it also is the individual’s choice, that is, no one should force the individual to behave in a way that they desire him/her to. This of course does not apply to allowing someone to kill or destroy… :]
good one golden mile.
makcikgal90
November 5, 2009 at 4:28 pm |
wow. i do not want to be wearing the hood while exercising. but i salute those who do not compromise their culture when doing a sport that they love.
however, i do know of some muslim friends who do not don the hood while doing their sport. as what audrey mention in her comment, its up to individual and how comfortable they feel.
November 6, 2009 at 2:58 am |
For me, I personally feel that the hijood does affect the performance of these athletes from tehran. We who do not put it on already feel rather hot and sweaty when engaging in sports, what’s more these athletes who do have to put it on.
In addition, there were definitely certain sports where the movements would be obstructed when the hijood is being put on. One example would be gymnastics. Having done gymnastics when I was in primary school, I cannot imagine how tehran athletes in the field of gymnastics can do it with their hijood on. It is in fact dangerous to have it on while doing gymnastics because the likelihood of it blocking your view and thereafter tripping is extremely high.
I came across many articles everywhere talking about this issue and I think that women from tehran do not have the choice of not wearing the hijood due to their strong and strict culture, unlike in Singapre, where muslim females do have the freedom to make their choice. I would think that tehranians should make exceptions for the athletes representing their country in the Olympics with regard to wearing the hijood.
Comment on mine!
Kai Ting
http://commmediadiscourse.wordpress.com
November 6, 2009 at 7:51 am |
Interesting post I would say
I think it’s a pretty good idea for these Muslim women to keep their religious/traditional outfits on (hijood, is that how its spelt) if or when they participate in sports. True, it might hinder their maximum capability but from what I understand from the Muslim culture, conforming to their religious norms is still vital. They thus shouldn’t doubt their own ability; it is something to be proud of if they manage to participate in the Olympics
November 6, 2009 at 8:40 am |
Religious things are really hard to comment nowadays especially to be conscious and sensitive in case we touch on issues that may create misunderstandings. Interesting article thou.
November 6, 2009 at 10:35 am |
hello sunshine!
hmmm, nice post! indeed, it’s hard to imagine having to conceal most of our bodies up while we exercise. i mean, im sure most of us usually wear tee shirt and shorts to exercise and we’re already complaining about how hot and warm we feel after that.
that being said however, one can’t help but feel deep respect towards these women for sticking so strictly by their culture and religious rules. sure, there are groups of people out there who may laugh or think that these women are silly for following what their religion requires of them, but essencially, deep down inside, i bet they themselves are amazed at the inner strength and respect that these women have for their religion!
November 6, 2009 at 4:50 pm |
Haha wah, I feel damn hot for all the women who have to exercise in that sort of equipment on them!
Yesterday at work I was teaching this group of ladies, and one of them was muslim and she was wearing a tudong while training. I had to ask her whether it was uncomfortable, and of course she said it was. It’s amazing the amount of determination she has for her religion.
For many muslims, I think that the tradition has been so ingrained into their culture and social lives that it is practically unthinkable not to wear a tudong out, especially if she comes from a very traditional family. I admire their strength in adhering to tradition, even though it’s so easy not to do so.
If you realise, I think many of us Chinese have lost much of our culture within the past generation. Many of us do not practice ancestral worship anymore even though it has been a huge part of traditional Chinese culture to do so. Contrary to popular belief, burning incense for your ancestors is not a form of Taoism or Buddhism (Buddhism has nothing to do with worship!), but more of a Chinese cultural tradition that many of us do not practice anymore.
November 6, 2009 at 5:18 pm |
A controversial topic indeed. It basically boils down to a person’s individual beliefs. Majority of us believe that (correct me if i’m wrong) we have to cover up certain sensitive parts of ourselves in public. If certain islamic ladies were brought up to believe that they have to cover certain parts of themselves in public, then exposing themselves to do sports would be equivalent to jogging naked down holland v for us (but not for certain other people).
Every culture has their own sense of propriety and their own rights to it. Certain individuals may believe that these practices have become outdated, but whether or not the different societies can accept it, and how they accept it, is a different thing. This topic is debatable to no end, until everyone has unified the different cultures.
An afterthought: Who is to judge what is right or wrong? Social acceptance? Traditions, or new, liberal breakthroughs?
November 7, 2009 at 2:46 am |
interesting! personally, i think wearing either the hijab/tudung or ni’kad is of one’s personally choice. i would like to point out the lady wearing the hijab. She mention in her intro how she don’t remember the time she wore it. Like i believe, in Singapore, most of the muslim here is brought up wearing the tudung at one time or another in the early stages of life. Me, myself was also “introduced’ to it when i was young. As you get older and understanding dwells deeper, though u believe in the sayings and practice of the religion, committing to wearing it is a diff issue.
Wearing one certainly does not make one any more “right” den the one not wearing it. Looks can be deceiving
November 7, 2009 at 10:20 am |
Hey Isaac!
I actually watched the whole video because I found it interesting!! Haha anyway, I feel that cultures are templates for living but I also believe in beiing flexible.
Being flexible, lets say in the way one dresses, does not necessarily mean that one is a bad person or a non-follower. In the case of the 3 women in the video, like what Sonia said, I think that what is more important is what is in the hearts of the people. What would be the point of women following the “norms” of the culture, such as covering up, if her heart was actually ugly?
Like you, I respect the women who religiously follow the “rules” of their Islam religion and continue to wear their headgear even though it brings them inconvenience. Religion is always a sensitive topic and so, there will never be right or wrong answers. At the end of day, whether Islamic women wear headgear or not, as long as they can answer to their conscience, I think that is all that matters!(:
November 7, 2009 at 6:38 pm |
Hi Isaac!
I think that the issue of wearing the Hijad has not come up so frequently up till this generation where people are becoming more liberal and modern. It is because of this liberalization that people are slowly becoming more open to certain ideas and looking past certain issues which would have been frowned upon in previous generations. For example, homosexuality was highly taboo in past generations but it has slowly become more acceptable, though not fully, now.
So this issue is similar to that in the sense that some Muslims, like the liberal woman in the video, might feel the need to change with times and rethink the traditions of their religion. However, I do have respect for the most conservative woman for standing her ground and being so faithful to her religion. That said, she does contradict herself in a way by saying that she is an individual and her own woman when she is actually conforming to her religion and what her religion expects of the “ideal” muslim woman by donning the full gear.
All in all, it is a rather complicated situation. Some may argue that by assimilating, a religion is compromising too much in order to be accepted by the general public. On the other hand, others may argue that by not compromising and changing with times, that religion is inevitably causing stereotypes to be made of the religion and thus, creates barriers.
November 8, 2009 at 12:44 pm |
Nice article
One thing is constant, and that is change.
Hence, it is important that we acquire the necessary adaptation skills in order to survive.Think Darwinism. Thus I have to agree.
I have no clue about what the quran mentions about wearing of veils but what I do know is that there are always exceptions in life.
The lady (from canada) like she mentioned, is living outside of the community and as such, I understand where she is coming from when she spoke of assimilation of ones’ culture. Not wearing a veil does not make her less of a muslim does it? Perhaps we should learn to move away from superficiality that has governed majority of our lives in order to have indifference.