Brain under a hijab shocker!

The lady who committed the grave crime of going swimming while wearing the hijab has finally been able to put her side of the story in the Guardian.

As was patently obvious at the time, the guy at the centre of the Daily Mail and Sun story is a bigot, and the David Lloyd fitness club in Oxford were cowardly at best. Some choice quotes from Manal Omar:

Needless to say, I was shocked to find out a week later that my swimming habits had caused not only a "row", but a huge online debate. Perhaps the most daunting part of the experience was the strong reactions from those who read the article. It was the website's "most viewed article" even two weeks after the incident. The comments ranged from attacks on me (from both Muslims and non-Muslims) to full xenophobic attacks on all immigrants in Europe. At no point did any of the readers question Caldwell's version of events; nor did the majority of readers question his motivation for highlighting the issue. There was a blind acceptance that some random Muslim woman had done something, as one commentator described it, "a bit stupid". British Muslims piped up in apologetic tones, and everyone else openly attacked.

...

It is at this point that I get a bit perplexed by what exactly the British public wants. On the one hand, they are always complaining about Muslims refusing to integrate and be part of the "mainstream" community. On the other hand, it's become painfully clear that when we do come out into the mainstream, we make them uncomfortable. Granted, my swimsuit may not blend in, but the refusal by people like Caldwell to allow Muslim women to create a middle ground of interaction in the UK forces them into the extremes.

...

Looking back, what disturbed me the most about the debate was that my very identity was reduced to a cluster of cliches about Muslim women. I was painted in broad strokes as an oppressed, unstable Muslim woman. I was made invisible, an object of ridicule and debate, with no opinion or independent thoughts. The fact that I had dedicated the past 10 years to working on women's issues on a global level, led a delegation of American women into Afghanistan in 2003, and put my life on the line in Iraq struggling for women's constitutional rights were clearly beyond anyone's imagination. The part of my life where I had the opportunity of meeting leading women from Queen Rania of Jordan to Hillary Clinton was erased.

Comments

[George Carty]

The British Isles (along with the rest of Northwestern Europe) is one of the cloudiest inhabited areas on earth.

Is it not therefore surprising that many people in Britain long to expose themselves to the sun (as a visit to any travel agent will attest), and think that Muslim women must be forced into covering up by oppressive men?

[christine]

manal omar please check out my website www.whatmakesmelaugh.com and follow the link for my new exhibition Sweet Dreams which I hope you will agree is trying to make the "middle-ground of interaction" you talk about in your article.
Christine

[Yusuf Smith]

As-Salaamu 'alaikum,

I posted my own article on this subject here:

Edit Entry: Manal Omar, the 'burkini', the rude health club jobsworth and the local media

I tried Trackback, but it keeps asking for a captcha, which I can't give on a trackback.

[Puffy]

Ok, so a couple of people were vaguely rude to her in Oxford. Cue Islamophobia shock. Love to see her in a bikini in Iran or Saudi or Pakistan mind. See what happens then.

What's wrong with the English being shocked by folk in non-British dress? I increasingly see young women in niqabs which I find deeply offensive. But I forget - as a secular Brit I've no right to find anything offensive or strange, have I?

[dawood]

The funny thing is that here in Sydney it is not uncommon to see Hijabi women heading out to the beach - some are even training to be lifeguards here! Of course, it depends where.

Sure, the "burqini" may be a sight for some, but good on those women who decide to do this for enjoying the beach like anyone else - they have just as much right!

[George Carty]

The very reason I started reading Muslim blogs in the first place was because I felt guilty after recoiling from a niqabi shop assistant. The fact that County Durham (where I live) is one of the whitest parts of Britain probably made the shock especially great. In an area with no large Muslim communities, I suspect a woman who dressed so strictly was most likely a convert to Islam. (Aren't converts - to any religion - often stricter than people born into the religion?)

By the way I think that some niqab styles are more intimidating than others...

[Yasmin Mahdi]

Puffy, it's not about being 'shocked' by someone's decision to wear an islamic swimsuit or whatever - it's about letting her get on with it without harassment. Oh, and what is British dress? From what I gather, everyone in Britain just dresses the way they please.

[Infidel & Kafir Watch]

I once was in Turkey, walking along the beach in Bodrum after have a lovely meal when I say a old aged pale British lady in a swim suit which was basically holding the fat old lady together but yet it overspilled flab, on seeing this awful sight I vomited my food back up. Now please tell me, is it my fault for eat the food before seeing her or her fault in what she was doing.

Incidentally that part of the beach just had similar women.

[abusinan]

I get a kick out of those who are so "feminist" and support the right of women not to cover, but they show their true colours when they get vicious attacking women who do cover.

Women should have the right to cover or not to cover as they please. I find it amazing that those claiming to fight for the rights of women can attack and use hoorible names to describe women who want to cover.

Let them have a choice, that is what this should about, the right of women to choose. There is little difference between a society that forces women to cover and a society that bans them from covering.

Either way women are being forced into following someone else's ideas.

[Puffy]

"Let them have their choice." Very interesting point. I can't disagree if a woman wishes to express her belief in herself as subordinate to men and wish to cover her God-given flesh in order to restrain the rampant sexuality of males, but if my daughter was to ask me why she was dressed so funny I also have a perfect right to tell her why.

Women have died in this country for the right to express themselves the same as men and to have the same opportunities in life. Why should I "respect" a choice I find reprehensible and offfends me to my core? Many Muslims are not slow to cast judgement on the choices of me and many of my fellow citizens.

If individual women wish to reject the accomplishments of the suffragettes and feminist movement they can do so because generations of British people of both sexes fought and died for this right. They have also fought and died for my right to tell these women (and men) precisely what I think of their choices.

The fact that fear of Islam is increasingly stifling debate, and particularly satire, is something all British people should be particularly concerned about.

[George Carty]

Puffy: I can't disagree if a woman wishes to express her belief in herself as subordinate to men and wish to cover her God-given flesh in order to restrain the rampant sexuality of males, but if my daughter was to ask me why she was dressed so funny I also have a perfect right to tell her why.

Are you a naturist by any chance?

[DrM]

Puffy, your stupidity and narrow mindedness knows no bounds(including trolling other Muslim blogs). non-British dress?? So you fancy yourself as some sort of enforcer of "british dress"(t-shirt and bad dental hygiene?) do you? Whether you find it "offensive" is irrelevent. Get over yourself.

[aineliva]

Infidel & Kafir Watch, wrote, "old aged pale British lady in a swim suit which was basically holding the fat old lady together but yet it overspilled flab, on seeing this awful sight I vomited my food back up".

Wonder why you have supplied the "Old aged pale British lady"? Could you not just as easily have written, -old aged pale lady -? or even -old aged lady-?

The problem is yours. You seem to have some pretty judgmental views about appearance. Obviously, "fat, old, aged", and possibly "British" (and I imagine that these classifications can be singular or multiple) or if I extrapolate a little further "white", humans are something that you have quite a neurotic aversion to. Sounds like a type of phobic reaction.

Pretty similar reaction, I'd say, to those who start jumping up and down and come out in hives, when a woman wearing a hijab goes for a swim.

[aineliva]

Puffy, I have just supplied some satire in my response to Infidel & Kaffir Watch's comment. And I don't believe that Islam, per se is stifling debate. Certainly I don't feel intimidated, nor will it stifle my ability to debate.

[Puffy]

Aineliva - as for satire, I think we both know what I'm talking about. Try writing a novel or publishing a cartoon or making a film that offends the sensibilities of some and you will soon find out.

DrM - personal abuse is always the easy option isn't it. As for your substantive comment about British dress I think you are being disengenuous. If I go to India people dress differently - like Indians.

I don't "troll" other Muslim sites. Like many people I am interested in understanding Islam in Britain because it matters - I got off the Picadilly Line train the bomber got on so it is a live issue for me (as it should be for anyone who cares about how we will all live together peacefully in the future).

And no I'm not a naturist (my willy is too small).