The Veil

The Veil

O.K. readers, you know that this is a topic which invites controversy, but cannot be ignored, especially in the Middle East. Why do women wear the veil?  I don’t think there is one answer to this question. From my perspective, the abiya (long black floor length robe worn over clothing) and the veil seem very cumbersome and uncomfortable. I cannot imagine shopping with toddlers, or taking children to the playground, or getting in and out of the car in such garments. Mobility would be a problem. And, to a certain extent safety, since it would be difficult to ride a bicycle or walk downstairs or see drivers approaching from the side when one is veiled and clad in a floor length garment. It is clearly clothing made for sedentary activity such as sitting in a café drinking coffee, watching a film, sitting at a desk, or graceful walks along the Persian Gulf or a shopping mall. Are the veil and the abiya a way to limit women in their activity, such as foot binding was in ancient China?

Well, it is my observation that the women here who wear the veil (in what ever form) seem proud to wear it as they seem proud to wear the abiya. They seem to want to identify themselves as Qatari or Muslim or Arab and this is a clear way to do so.  The same is true for the men who also wear traditional dress. And, both the men and women in traditional dress appear very regal and elegant.

Of course, I have been told that this is only what they wear in public.  They do have modern clothing which they wear at home with their families.  I should hope so!

Once, I was told by a Muslim woman that she wears the veil for the sake of modesty and humility. In her case, it seemed very accurate as she was a very humble person.  She believed that showing one’s hair was a form of vanity. Of course, it is very clear when one goes shopping at a mall in Doha and sees the designer abiyas and veils in so many types of fabric and with many fine details on the hem lines; they are clearly not worn as a symbol of humility. It appears in these upscale shops, among very wealthy Muslim women to be as much of a status symbol as the ostentatious designer handbags and high-heeled designer shoes and gold jewelry they wear with the abiya and veil.

So the many manicure and pedicure salons which are popular among Arab women are what they do for their husbands? So, I have been told by various men, yet I wonder…other women do see their hands and feet, so perhaps it is just a way to impress other women, or a way to take care of oneself. Why do men always think women dress for men? Perhaps these women, like women in other cultures, are celebrating their femininity in what ever ways are possible.

I have observed several women here and in Abu Dhabi and in Dubai dressed in the abiya, with a veil, walking slowly with their husbands while a Filipino nanny walks behind them taking care of the children. The woman doesn’t need to worry about how practical her attire is since she has a nanny to do all of the messy work of caring for children. Last week, when we were at 31 Flavors for ice cream (yes, they are everywhere!), I noticed an Arab couple sitting together at a table eating ice cream while their children sat with the Filipino nanny at a separate table. It always baffles me how society places so little value upon those who care for children.

 I remember Johnny Depp (yes, I am quoting him!) said in an interview in reference to his wife and children, “There is nothing more beautiful than a mother with her young children—it is so sublime.”  Yes, Johnny, I agree. At the same time, there is a clear love for children among the Arabs.  Mia is very welcome everywhere and smiled upon and touched very gently by the Arab people. She is very aware of how kind they are to her. No observation has a simple conclusion.

And, by the way, I was told that the veil and abiya are not “in The Koran” so it is not part of Islam devotion.  I met a very devote Muslim woman in Dubai who was married, lived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)but was  from Jordan, and she did not wear a veil or abiya.  Why not?  “I choose not to,” she said.