14 Comments

  4. Opression is not to allow women to wear as they want. If one want’s to show her buts and belly it’s her buisness but if other want’s to cover her body and head it’s her buisness too.

  6. It hought the lady in picture is screaming as some westerns doesn’t want her wear hijab and niqab.

  7. I find it really interesting that different people see a different meaning when looking at the same painting.
    I am glad you are sharing your views.

  8. Aafke,
    You are right that this tendency to assert one’s identity by the use of a full-veil is increasing around the world. This was never an issue in India, where women wear the Burqa or wear just what other women wear traditionally. In some parts, they don’t wear a veil at all and in some parts tthey just take a chadar which is richly embroidered. However, now we have at least one man appealing in court to say Muslim women shouldn’t remove their face-veil to get themselves photographed for voting! This is strange that such an appeal should be made at all because not all Muslim women in India wear the veil – in fact, many don’t. The fact that a man has appealed also shows how much a tool the veil is in the hands of men. Moreover, this was never a debatable issue in India, since people were accustomed to seeing women with and without veil. Now, with this solitary case coming to court, the media has decided to highlight it. Hence, it may become an issue now, sidelining other more serious issues like those related to development, unemployment and overpopulation. Thankfully, the courts and many Muslims alike have rejected this appeal made by this one man.

  9. Friends have told me how they love to go out camping in the desert, where no one else is around, and they can take off their abayas and “run like the wind” but these are the same women who choose to cover up – it’s tradition, not Islam – and who feel comfortable doing so.

    We westerners would scream and feel stifled, but actually, many of my friends are horrified at the idea of being seen uncovered.

    Now, when I go back to the States, I see women wearing WAY too little and I want to scream “Put some clothes on! Cover yourselves!” LOL!

  10. Do you know that women who never see the light of day get ostheoporosis? But that is their own choice. Do you know they also get children with rickets? These children have not asked to be born misshapen and in pain.
    Does anybody need more proof that veiling is against God’s plan for humanity?

    I love your painting and your article.

  11. Daisy, that is exactely what freaks me out: ”Women should not remove their faceveil when getting photographed for their passport” Utter insanity! And it didn’t get through,… yet… in three years time that might be different.
    Women’s faces are nothing to be ashamed of, and women aren’t property.

    The cultural custom of veiling is nothing but pronouncing women as property, according to a saudi friend of mine, and he should know.

    intlxpatr, I agree, I get ickky since years by the stupid fashions for too much skin nowadays.
    And I can imagine very well that if you have been covered up as something shameful you would feel very uncomfortable and unhappy if you were to leave it off. I can understand and imagine that very well. Of course it would feel very exposed. too much exposed.
    However, if you start by telling girls they are sexual objects and carry the full responsibility of men’s behaviour, and are made to feel used to being totally covered then that is only to be expected. it is still not natural.

    And as soon as you claim it’s God’s will then you allready have taken away free choice. Now I put it that that claim is made up, cynically and unjustly, by weak men who cannot bear to see women having any kind of freedom.

    You may be so used to it that you feel too exposed without it, but there was no free choice to start with.

    StW, Rickets? that is disgusting! I fully agree with you! If God wanted to cover women’s naked skin we would be born with fur!!!

  12. I totally agree that God didn’t put us here on this earth to hide ourselves from everyone else. God gave us all different hair and different facial features because we are each unique and special – not because God wanted us to live our lives hidden.
    I love your version of The Scream!

  14. I think your description of why women cover up is way off. First of all, i am an American convert and also a niqabi, i chose to wear this a couple months ago. I have actual nightmares of having to take it off. Alot of women who follow islam would love to wear it for the sake of God. It has nothing to do with being oppressed, and anyways all non muslims think muslim women are oppressed regardless of niqab or not. It’s such propaganda and so expected, can’t we just move on from something that just isn’t true already?

Comments are closed.