Battle over face veil brewing in Egypt

Its really hard to tell what's going on exactly about Niqab issue in Egypt .Media here is so twisted and ridiculous .This article I saw on Yahoo news today http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091102/lf_nm_life/us_egypt_niqab has completely wrong explanation of Niqab and Muslims in Egypt and Saudi Arabia .The Media only expresses their Western views ,covering the reality ..

For example,they saying Saudi Arabia following Wahabi views and wearing Niqab is from Wahabi teachings.

Let me first explain you that there is no such a thing as Wahabism and there are no Muslims who call themselves Wahabis ,Wahabis is a western term created by Media ..

Also I really ask my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters to be careful when you use this word and calling others wahabis,because Al Wahab is one of the names of Allah Subhana wa Taala ,which means Bestower  .

I also ask everyone to educate yourself about who was Imam Wahab ,before you start calling others names .He was only a man who was following Tawheed (Monotheism) and revived Sunnah(way of the Prophet,peace be upon him).

I recommend some articles here 

http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39897&highlight=Wahabism

Question:
Is there a religious sect called 'wahhabi' ?

Answer:
There is no such sect with this name. Rather this is just a nick name that the people of falsehood have branded it on the people who uphold the truth, the people of tawheed (Oneness of Allaah in everything). And this name they refer it to Shaykh Muhammad ibn AbdulWahhab, may Allaah have mercy on him. And he is a great Imaam from the Imaams of who brought religious rectification in the lands of Najd. 1 Thus he called to going back and establishing Tawheed (after people were into shirk) and reviving the methodology of the Salaf (pious predecessors). In this effort of his; the clan of Saud helped him until they managed to relinquish and remove almost all the shirk and bid'a (innovations), like calling on the dead people in the graves, and extremism in praising other humans. Thus all of the lands of Najd returned to Tawheed (Oneness of Allaah in everything) and Ikhlaas (sincerity in worshipping of Allaah) May Allaah have mercy on them and reward them greatly.

Shaykh Muhammad Khalil Harras  

Now ,about a Niqab .Let me remind you something .All the wives of the Prophet ,peace be upon him,used to wear a Niqab(face veil) .We call them Mothers of the believers .They are best example for us ,that we should follow .Then how ,can we as Muslims be against something that our Mothers did ? Why there are so many Muslims out there ,WHO HATE NIQAB ,and say it is not from Islam  .Why there are so many Muslim women ,who wear Hijab,but look down on Niqabi sisters? Shouldn't we be ashamed? No Muslim should look down upon another Muslim ?Have we forgot it?

I understand everyone has their own views .Yes ,there are many who don't support Niqab ,that's fine ,but at least don't speak against it ! It is others choise.At the end it is Allah Who will judge us all.Have you forgot ?

 I personally believe that Niqab is not obligatory ,but is Mustahab(preferrable).This is my personal opinion.

I do agree that Muslim women don't have to cover their faces in front of female students.I don't know what's exactly is going on in Egypt ,because the Media ,as I said is very twisted .If anyone from that part of the world can enlighten me I will really appreciate it .

 Please leave your comments !!!!

This is the article on yahoo .Please speak out ,please post your comments ,please defend your sisters in Islam.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091102/lf_nm_life/us_egypt_niqab

 

Looking for Jilbab or Abaya other then black?

We all know that most of the abayas come in black color with different color embroidery .
I personally love to wear black,but here in the West sometimes it might give wrong message.People here are scared of black color .In general, lighter colors give better expression and effect person's mood in better way.
When I wear black abaya I feel I stand out more and attract more attention .I usually wear different color Hijabs with my abaya ,this helps to blend more into crowd , and being unnoticed.
For anyone who is looking for abaya or Jilbab in colors other then black ,I will post some options.

You can find a lots of abays in different color in  www.eastessence.com web site .I ordered from them before .

Another good web site ,where you can find good quality abayas is www.desertstore.com

The abayas are from desertstore.com

And of course there is a lot of beautiful jilbabs in different colors at   www.shukronline.com 
There are pricey ,but they have nice clothes .

 There is a nice web site that I found , never ordered from them before http://www.rebirthofchic.com/ 

Their abayas are only $36

Please leave your comments and suggestions.

Saudi veiled girl crowned Miss Moral Beauty

This was couple months ago and its not new,but I just want to post it ,because its very interesting in my opinion.
I know some may say we imitate the West by making beauty contests like this,but I think instead we show the West morals and the beauty of a character and not only the body.

This contest at least teaches the girls to compete on more valuable issues rather than showing off their body to the world. In the west people forgetting 50 years ago their grandparents used to be modest and follow morals, but when people grow up without any kind of morals you can't blame these people for doing wrong thing... This is what their parents raised them on and this how they will raise their kids, unless Allah guide them to the right path inshaAllah.

CAIRO (Al Arabiya)

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but for a fully veiled Saudi beauty queen who trounced 274 rivals without showing her face and body, morals, not physical beauty, are what matters.

With her face and body completely covered by the black head-to-toe abaya, or long overgarment, 18-year-old Aya Ali al-Mulla was named "Queen of Beautiful Morals," winning a crown, jewelry and a trip to Malaysia late on Thursday, Saudi-based al-Watan reported Friday.

No swimsuits or evening gown competitions and heavy media coverage of beauty pageants were the highlights of the Saudi contest based in the eastern city of Safwa.

Instead, the winner and the two runner-up princesses had to undergo a three-month test of their dutifulness to their parents and family, and their service to society. Tests probing their psychological state-of-mind, social and cultural awareness determined the winner.

Mullah, a high school graduate, managed to pip her rivals in the huge field, with good grades and hopes to go into medicine.

She raked in a 5,000-riyal ($1,333) prize, a pearl necklace, diamond watch, diamond necklace, and a free ticket to Malaysia with her win.

Beauty contests focused on physical beauty are non-existent in segregated Saudi Arabia, where women cannot mix with unrelated men, and must appear in public completely covered -- even in photographs.

Miss Moral Beauty pageant organizer Khadra al-Mubarak kept the focus on inner beauty, as defined by Islamic standards of Saudi Arabia.

Niqab ban

Ok ,this whole CNN reports about niqab are just getting ridiculous.
Why nobody ask those women and write that its their CHOICE to wear the veil?

When the whole world will stop assuming about Muslim women and actually go and ask them what they choose?
When we talk about freedom in the West ,there is no problem ,people can go naked on the streets , color their hair in all weired colors they want , tatoo themselves , put all kind of piercings they want ,but when it comes to Muslim women , all the world start shouting 'those women are oppressed' Give me a break ! I don't affect the society in negative way with my covered body or face.

Read this from CNN article .
"The niqab should be worn under two circumstances," a cleaning lady who works at Al-Azhar, told CNN recently. "A very beautiful woman should wear it to prevent men from fighting over her, and an ugly woman should wear it to hide her face."

With all respect to cleaning lady ,CNN reporters couldn't find anybodyelse to interview? They couldn't ask scholars or students of knowledge , or the women who wear niqab? What's the point of asking cleaning lady at Ahzar University? That's the most ignoran comment I ever heard about niqab .

and this..There is no consensus among Muslim scholars regarding the wearing of the niqab, the piece of cloth that covers a Muslim woman's face. Women who wear it usually also cover their hands.

No ,women who wear niqab don't usually cover their hands too .Some do and some don't.
CNN really need to educate themselves on this issue , before even writing something ..

After all , its the basic human right to wear what they want .Ask the muslim women first what they want , and then judge ..

Here is the CNN article

Egyptian woman protest ban on austere veil

CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- There's more to wearing the "niqab" -- the austere, all-covering veil favored by ultra-religious Muslim women -- than meets the eye.

A recent declaration by a leading Egyptian cleric that women will not be allowed to wear the niqab in university areas frequented only by women has sparked demonstrations by female students in Cairo determined to wear the all-encompassing veil wherever they go.

Egypt's Al-Azhar university, the highest seat of Sunni Islam, recently convened an all-male committee to rule on what women can wear at Egypt's public universities.

The Shaikh of Al-Azhar, Shaikh Tantawi, announced after the meeting that a ban on the niqab, also known as the burqa, would apply to such university areas as female dormitories and all-women classes. Do you think Muslim women should wear the niqab? Tell us below in the SoundOff box

Even though that was a step down from a statement he made earlier that the niqab would be banned in all public universities, his ruling sparked controversy with the growing number of women in the country who choose to stay covered.

The initiative from Al-Azhar is seen by many in Egypt as an attempt to counter the growing appeal of the strictest interpretations of Islam. An increasing number of young women in Egypt are turning to the niqab.

The niqab is worn by many Muslim women throughout the Arab world and beyond and is most common in the countries of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. It is also commonly worn in Pakistan.

"The niqab should be worn under two circumstances," a cleaning lady who works at Al-Azhar, told CNN recently. "A very beautiful woman should wear it to prevent men from fighting over her, and an ugly woman should wear it to hide her face."

There is no consensus among Muslim scholars regarding the wearing of the niqab, the piece of cloth that covers a Muslim woman's face. Women who wear it usually also cover their hands.

It is widely believed to be a tradition that comes from the Arabian peninsula, introduced to more liberal countries like Egypt by people who have lived and worked in ultra-conservative countries like Saudi Arabia.

There's not much about it in the Koran, Muslim's holy book.

The Koranic verse that applies to female head covering translates loosely as: "O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks all over their bodies."

And so consequently, there are plenty of interpretations. And all sorts of opinions in the Egyptian parliament.

The opposition-led Muslim Brotherhood opposes the niqab ban.

"It's unacceptable that the niqab is treated as something bad that needs to be suppressed," Brotherhood member of parliament Muhamed Baltagi told CNN. "It's unacceptable to violate private matters in this way." In Baltagi's opinion, it's a matter of personal choice and should not be dictated by the shaikh of Al-Azhar.

Appointed by the president of Egypt, the shaikh of Al-Azhar is viewed as little more than an appendage of the authoritarian Egyptian government, and thus scorned as a state puppet by both religious and secular critics of the regime. Since the 1960s the shaikh of Al-Azhar has been appointed by the Egyptian president.

In Europe, wearing the niqab has become a controversial issue too. Recently, French President Nicolas Sarkozy banned it from French classrooms. And British Justice Minister Jack Straw also recently asked women to remove them in his consituency office.

In Cairo's main shopping district, the message on the niqab is decidedly mixed. The few niqabs on display are vastly outnumbered by far more risque outfits, including no shortage of mannequins sporting evening dressings with plunging necklines and naked arms.

There are a few niqabs on display, but lots of less conservative clothing is on the shelves too.

Outside Cairo University, some women go without any head covering at all. Most wear headscarves -- usually quite colorful ones.

Those who choose to wear the niqab say the religious scholars should have asked a woman what she thought of the ban first.

"He should have taken at least one woman's opinion," said student Muna Abdel Fatah. "Because the decision will impact on her."

Muslim Sisters Hobbies http://muslimsistershobbies.blogspot.com/

Check out this blog
Muslim Sisters Hobbies http://muslimsistershobbies.blogspot.com/

About Pink Hijab Day

Pink Hijab Day

Mission:

Pink Hijab Day is intended to shatter stereotypes of Muslim women, as well as raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. All over the world, Muslims participated by wearing pink hijabs, pink ribbons, and donating to breast cancer foundations.

I want to thank everyone who participated in previous years. We hope this project will grow stronger every year. The event takes place the last Wednesday of every October. This year's event is scheduled for October 28, 2009.

In the United States, donations are being collected at www.info-komen.org/goto/pinkhijabs .

What you can do for Pink Hijab Day!

Here's what YOU can do for your Pink Hijab Day event

• Wear a pink hijab, ribbon, shirt, shoelace...ANYTHING!
• Donate to a local cancer research organization
• Organize a walk, or join a local walk for cancer
• Encourage the Imam at your masjid to focus his khutba on issues related social activism, health, and breast cancer
• Send the press release to local media outlets
• Organize a panel discussing women in Islam, Hijab, and/or Islam and social activism
• Contact your local Islamic School or MSA to participate in the project
• Distribute information about breast cancer prevention and general health
• Text/email all of your friends about Pink Hijab Day!

http://www.pinkhijabday.net/index.html

Islam,Fashion and Identity

Islam,Fashion and Identity: "http://shop.ebay.com/anastasiai2007/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg="