Thursday, November 29, 2012

Study on U.S. Muslim Women and the Veil Wins Grawemeyer Religion Award

"Harvard University divinity professor and feminist scholar Dr. Leila Ahmed is the winner of the 2013 Grawemeyer Award in Religion. Her 2011 book, "A Quiet Revolution: The Veil's Resurgence from the Middle East to America" explains why a growing number of Muslim women in the United States are wearing traditional veils and head coverings." 
http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Revolution-Resurgence-Middle-America/dp/0300181434

Monday, November 26, 2012

No ban on Uygur dress - China, and other stories

http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/2012/11/13/1b3d988ae688319d26b12a981197e5fb.jpg
Uygur Muslim women in traditional dress in Kashgar. Photo: AFP


"There is no ban on Uygur dress, police deputy says at congress | South China Morning Post"

Just "discouragement", they say. Interesting how things are looked at in different places around the world,  comparing one government and tradition with another.

But Kurex Kanjir, a Uygur who is also a member of the Xinjiang delegation to the Communist Party's 18th national congress, said there was "absolutely no ban" on Uygurs wearing traditional Islamic dress.
. . .
 "We have never said people cannot wear traditional ethnic dress," Kurex Kanjir said on the sidelines of the congress on Sunday. "But we are now in a civilised society and we hope to use modern culture to guide a somehow backward culture. It is something not to be forced, but something to be achieved through guidance."
The differences in the region have led to physical violence. I always find that result amazing. This is how it is in another part of the world.

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Reuters
CAIRO (Reuters) - EgyptAir is allowing its stewardesses to wear Islamic headscarves if they wish on flights to Arab states and will expand the practice to the rest of the network, an official said on Sunday...
Fox News
LUXOR, Egypt – A teacher in southern Egypt was convicted of child abuse Tuesday and given a six-month suspended sentence, after she cut the hair of two schoolgirls for not wearing the traditional Muslim headscarf.
A girl wearing hijab at a school in the republic of Daghestan.
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
Last month, several families complained that their daughters, who wear Islamic head scarves, called hijabs, were not allowed to enter secondary schools. The new dress code prohibits the wearing of any religious clothing or clothes with religious symbols.
Times of India
KANPUR: The management of a government-aided Muslim girls inter college here has made it mandatory for girl students to wear headscarf and banned use of mobile phones in the college.