Convention v. Nature

Malak Hifni Nassef posed the question: “Is he well intentioned in all he asks of us and on our behalf, or des he wish us ill?” (Ahmed, 181). Nassef questioned the motives of men who encouraged women to unveil and to seek women’s rights because many men were unaccustomed to the changes or out right opposed women’s rights and independence. When women started unveiling, they were criticized and tormented by those who did not see the changes as societal norms. Although I think Nassef’s thoughts were questioned rightly so, the only way for new ways of life, or in this case unveiling, to transform into societal norms is for someone or a group to take the first step. However, that first step can be potentially dangerous and require immense amounts of courage, but if one views it as improving her quality of life or following her personal beliefs, the ultimate outcome could be worth the sacrifice.

In Plato’s The Republic, Socrates discusses the difference between nature and convention. Too often people confuse the two, assuming that societal norms are part of their human nature, not a development that occurred over time. Through Veiled Voices we learned that women played an important role in the religious education of their peers and essentially help spread Islam. Muhammad’s first wife Khadija gave him the encouragement he needed to share his revelations, making her the first convert to Islam and making him the prophet (47). The role women played at the start of Islam shows that the division between men and women is not part of nature. The divisions occurred over time as a product of convention.

Norms and mores change overtime. In some Middle Eastern countries the changes allowed women to be educated and to become professionals. Paul Heck discussed the steps Syria and Morocco have taken for women’s rights. Although not perfect and far from universal, it’s a start.

Viola Shafik also touches on the evolution of mores in Middle Eastern countries, through her discussion of cinema. In My Wife the Director General (movie poster in upper left corner), the conflict between being a professional and being a housewife arises for Shadia, and ultimately, she forces her husband to choose between a companion and a housewife (125). The ending is a happy one; her husband realizes that he would rather have a companion than a housewife, but how does the message of equality and unity spread from cinema to reality? Similarly when talking about The Lady’s Game, Shafik points out that “it is not as much the wife’s labor or her profession that unbalances her marriage, but her social position, her income, and last but not least her independence” (123).

We must learn the difference between nature and convention for changes to happen and for norms evolve, but I suppose it’s easier said than done. Socrates only began the discussion around 400 B.C. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

"Afghanistan Unveiled"

My study of gendered struggles has been limited to the west with very little knowledge of the obstacles women face around the world. Afghanistan Unveiled was my first deep look into the lives of women in Afghanistan, and even the weight of their experiences was not realized until I followed up with the readings, “Chapter One” in Women, Islam and Cinema and “Chapter 8: Gender and Politics” in Politics and Society of Contemporary Middle East.

The opportunity of the 14 young Afghan women to leave Kabul without their male guardians, never mind to be trained as camera operators and video journalists is a huge step for women’s rights in Afghanistan. In Women, Islam and Cinema, Gönül Dömez-Colin discusses the segregation of men and women in cinemas, and prior to the allowance of women to attend screenings, cinema as viewed as “entertainment for men by men” (9). In addition, women were not even allowed to play the roles of women. The production of Afghanistan Unveiled exercised the ability of women to participate in a traditionally male field, voicing the concerns of women around the country to the world.

There are clear differences between the women filming and the women whom they are interviewing. In some cases the patriarch refuses the women’s requests for an interview, but in others, the Taliban has murdered the males, leaving the women to decide whether to allow the interview. While watching the film, I noticed that much of the blame for a lack of women’s rights was placed on the Taliban, which had since left Afghanistan, and not the sharia. The emphasis placed on the destruction caused by the Taliban evoked a sense of empathy in the audience, drawing in attention through sadness and concern. Even the interviewers, who are Afghan women felt a new level of emotion for the poor and homeless women they interviewed because many of them are from wealthy families and did not experience the same horrible acts committed by the Taliban.

The title of the film, Afghanistan Unveiled barred more weight as I continued to read and research. The different veils women wore in the film symbolized the height of their voices. Those not wearing a veil seemed to generally engage more in the interview, while others hid behind the veil and most likely the fear of the consequences of participating in the interview should the patriarch disapprove. In addition, as Dönmez-Colin points out, women were rarely allowed in front of the camera, and when they were, it was dressed as actresses, not as themselves.

Afghanistan Unveiled

A photo essay of the history of the Taliban in Afghanistan