All the respect to Omani Artist Ali Al Sharji & Alecia Keys!
For some people, the pop music star Alicia Keys may have gone a “leg” too far in celebrating diversity, but to me: I’m glad that someone finally portrayed women in Niqab in an attractive way, highlighting their feminine side underneath of it.
All the respect to the talented conceptual artist and photographer: Ali Al Sharji (https://twitter.com/DiaryOf_Thought) who featured Arab women revolutionists in almost every piece of art he did.
In a recently-deleted Sunday evening tweet, Keys stirred outrage with a photograph in a tight-fitting niqab. In the caption Keys wrote: “Our strength is in our differences. Our power is in our diversity. We are so beautiful. All of us. When we see each other. We see ourselves…”
Well; to all who roasted Alecia keys & Ali Al Sharji, Niqab to many women is a very feminist statement. And believe it or not, these girls you call “Ninja or Batwomen” are women, and they are beautiful, stunning, sexy and attractive. They can be ballerinas, they exercise & read, they have feelings and they can be romantic too!
I personally have few cousins who chose,-yes chose-, to wear Niqab! To them, covering their face and obscuring their physical features from those who are around them is a brave choice. They are saying: “No one has the right to see me except the ones I want them to!”.
For many decades women who follow a religion (Muslims in Hijab or Niqab or Christians Nuns) were excluded as “unable” to be part of any feminist movement. Guess what folks: Muslim women reject that! We believe that the movement towards more gender just societies must absolutely include women of religion if we are to achieve global and lasting change. Feminists must be cautious of when their sentiments and actions are swept up to bolster the rising tide of anti-Muslim hatred.
Now, “What about women who are forced to wear a Hijab or Niqab?” What about you relax? Whoever is forced to do something will revolt. Let’s take Malala Yousafzai, she is veiled, and she revolted for her education rights! Plus; If the feminist argument is that Muslim women who autonomously choose to veil only think they are doing so out of free will, and are in fact being brainwashed to do so, then the core principle of feminism to elevate women’s control of their own destiny is immediately violated.
Act with all Muslim women the way you acted with Malala. Or: Let’s all forget girl child education topic she is fighting for and discuss her hijab instead!
Instead of discussing Muslim Fashion, please realize that we share more in common in terms of the problems we must tackle together as women. These range from topics as wide and fundamental as poverty, education and legal rights, to access to healthcare, domestic violence, public engagement and political influence and everything in between. Stop fighting over what Muslim women wear, and start addressing who they are. They are neither burqa nor bikini. They are women. Thanks Alecia Keys and thanks Ali Al Sharji for revealing to all the morons around the world that Muslim Women in Niqab are “Women”. SURPRISE!!
