...if I understand her point correctly. It's the hypocrisy of seeing covered women (abaya/hijab/whatever) that STILL flaunt their sexuality that is annoying and confusing to outsiders.
Look around all the malls here and you see the abayas lined in red satin, the ones with sequins and feathers adorning the big drapey bell sleeves and hemlines, the hijabs that are held across their faces by hand -- then casually lowered to create an air of sensuality...it doesn't get more more sexually loaded than this!
I have no problem if a woman CHOOSES (of her own free will, not because her husband wants her to) to cover(well, actually, if I am honest, it DOES bug the hell out of me to see the women who wear the socks and gloves with the whole ninja outfit...do they actually think that a man is going to get aroused at the sight of their naked little finger or big toe??), but like so much that happens here, I am mostly offended at the hypocrisy of how it is practiced.
Covering one's self is meant to be a show of modesty according to the religion, a way to NOT bring attention to your body and shape -- so I have a hard time understanding how feathers and sequins and form-fitting satin abayas equal modest dress.
And don't even get me started on the make-up, perfume and 4 inch stiletto heels!
The reality is that for many females here, wearing hijab/abaya is completely devoid of ANY religious significance anymore. They cover because it is culturally expected of them, nothing more. Hence, when they board a flight for London, they will remove everything in the airplane lavatory.
Many of my western girlfriends who have married locals/Arabs cover while they're here, but when they head back to the States/Europe, they remove it all. They rationalize it because they say it would draw MORE attention to them if they covered back home. But here, it is the norm/expected. Many of them expressly say that they wear it not out of a personal sense of it's the right thing to do, but because they respect their husbands and it's what he wants.
Is this a kind of force or pressure? Some might say yes...
From the outside looking in, it certainly seems like a very schizophrenic, disingenuous way to live...having these two indentities...one for Qatar/the Muslim world (at least where people who know you and your family might see you), and another for everywhere else.
...if I understand her point correctly. It's the hypocrisy of seeing covered women (abaya/hijab/whatever) that STILL flaunt their sexuality that is annoying and confusing to outsiders.
Look around all the malls here and you see the abayas lined in red satin, the ones with sequins and feathers adorning the big drapey bell sleeves and hemlines, the hijabs that are held across their faces by hand -- then casually lowered to create an air of sensuality...it doesn't get more more sexually loaded than this!
I have no problem if a woman CHOOSES (of her own free will, not because her husband wants her to) to cover(well, actually, if I am honest, it DOES bug the hell out of me to see the women who wear the socks and gloves with the whole ninja outfit...do they actually think that a man is going to get aroused at the sight of their naked little finger or big toe??), but like so much that happens here, I am mostly offended at the hypocrisy of how it is practiced.
Covering one's self is meant to be a show of modesty according to the religion, a way to NOT bring attention to your body and shape -- so I have a hard time understanding how feathers and sequins and form-fitting satin abayas equal modest dress.
And don't even get me started on the make-up, perfume and 4 inch stiletto heels!
The reality is that for many females here, wearing hijab/abaya is completely devoid of ANY religious significance anymore. They cover because it is culturally expected of them, nothing more. Hence, when they board a flight for London, they will remove everything in the airplane lavatory.
Many of my western girlfriends who have married locals/Arabs cover while they're here, but when they head back to the States/Europe, they remove it all. They rationalize it because they say it would draw MORE attention to them if they covered back home. But here, it is the norm/expected. Many of them expressly say that they wear it not out of a personal sense of it's the right thing to do, but because they respect their husbands and it's what he wants.
Is this a kind of force or pressure? Some might say yes...
From the outside looking in, it certainly seems like a very schizophrenic, disingenuous way to live...having these two indentities...one for Qatar/the Muslim world (at least where people who know you and your family might see you), and another for everywhere else.