Why I Shed Bikini For Niqab

[lovelyk]

Why I Shed Bikini For Niqab
http://www.marchforjustice.com/showdetails.php?id=174


I am an American woman who was born in the midst of America’s “Heartland.” <span style="color:#FFCC00">I grew up, just like any other girl, being fixated with the glamour of life in “the big city.” Eventually, I moved to Florida and on to South Beach of Miami, a hotspot for those seeking the “glamorous life.” Naturally, I did what most average Western girls do. I focused on my appearance and appeal, basing my self-worth on how much attention I got from others. I worked out religiously and became a personal trainer, acquired an upscale waterfront residence, became a regular “exhibiting” beach-goer and was able to attain a “living-in-style” kind of life.

<span style="color:#FFCC00">Years went by, only to realize that my scale of self-fulfillment and happiness slid down the more I progressed in my “feminine appeal.” I was a slave to fashion. I was a hostage to my looks.

As the gap continued to progressively widen between my self-fulfillment and lifestyle, I sought refuge in escapes from alcohol and parties to meditation, activism, and alternative religions, only to have the little gap widen to what seemed like a valley. I eventually realized it all was merely a pain killer rather than an effective remedy.

By now it was September 11, 2001. As I witnessed the ensuing barrage on Islam, Islamic values and culture, and the infamous declaration of the “new crusade,”<span style="color:#FFCC00"> I started to notice something called Islam. Up until that point, all I had associated with Islam was women covered in “tents,” wife beaters, harems, and a world of terrorism.

As a feminist libertarian, and an activist who was pursuing a better world for all, my path crossed with that of another activist who was already at the lead of indiscriminately furthering causes of reform and justice for all. I joined in the ongoing campaigns of my new mentor which included, at the time, election reform and civil rights, among others. Now my new activism was fundamentally different. Instead of “selectively” advocating justice only to some, I learned that ideals such as justice, freedom, and respect are meant to be and are essentially universal, and that own good and common good are not in conflict. <span style="color:#FFCC00">For the first time, I knew what “all people are created equal” really means. But most importantly, I learned that it only takes faith to see the world as one and to see the unity in creation.

<span style="color:#FFCC00">One day I came across a book that is negatively stereotyped in the West--T<span style="color:#33CC00">he Holy Qur’an. <span style="color:#FFCC00">I was first attracted by the style and approach of the Qur’an, and then intrigued by its outlook on existence, life, creation, and the relationship between Creator and creation. I found the Qur’an to be a very insightful address to heart and soul without the need for an interpreter or pastor.

Eventually I hit a moment of truth: my new-found self-fulfilling activism was nothing more than merely embracing a faith called Islam where I could live in peace as a “functional” Muslim.

I bought a beautiful long gown and head cover resembling the Muslim woman’s dress code and I walked down the same streets and neighborhoods where only days earlier I had walked in my shorts, bikini, or “elegant” western business attire. Although the people, the faces, and the shops were all the same, one thing was remarkably distinct--I was not--nor was the peace at being a woman I experienced for the very first time. <span style="color:#FFCC00">I felt as if the chains had been broken and I was finally free. I was delighted with the new looks of wonder on people’s faces in place of the looks of a hunter watching his prey I had once sought. Suddenly a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I no longer spent all my time consumed with shopping, makeup, getting my hair done, and working out. Finally, I was free.


Of all places, I found my Islam at the heart of what some call “the most scandalous place on earth,” which makes it all the more dear and special.

While content with Hijab I became curious about Niqab, seeing an increasing number of Muslim women in it. I asked my Muslim husband, whom I married after I reverted to Islam, whether I should wear Niqab or just settle for the Hijab I was already wearing. My husband simply advised me that he believes Hijab is mandatory in Islam while Niqab is not. At the time, my Hijab consisted of head scarf that covered all my hair except for my face, and a loose long black gown called “Abaya” that covered all my body from neck to toe.

A year-and-a-half passed, and I told my husband I wanted to wear Niqab. My reason, this time, was that I felt it would be more pleasing to Allah, the Creator, increasing my feeling of peace at being more modest. He supported my decision and took me to buy an “Isdaal,” a loose black gown that covers from head to toe, and Niqab, which covers all my head and face except for my eyes.

<span style="color:#FFCC00">Soon enough, news started breaking about politicians, Vatican clergymen, libertarians, and so-called human rights and freedom activists condemning Hijab at times, and Niqab at others as being oppressive to women, an obstacle to social integration, and more recently, as an Egyptian official called it--“a sign of backwardness.”

<span style="color:#FFCC00">I find it to be a blatant hypocrisy when Western governments and so-called human rights groups rush to defend woman’s rights when some governments impose a certain dress code on women, yet such “freedom fighters” look the other way when women are being deprived of their rights, work, and education just because they choose to exercise their right to wear Niqab or Hijab. Today, women in Hijab or Niqab are being increasingly barred from work and education not only under totalitarian regimes such as in Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt, but also in Western democracies such as France, Holland, and Britain.


Today I am still a feminist, but a Muslim feminist, who calls on Muslim women to assume their responsibilities in providing all the support they can for their husbands to be good Muslims. To raise their children as upright Muslims so they may be beacons of light for all humanity once again. To enjoin good--any good--and to forbid evil--any evil. To speak righteousness and to speak up against all ills. To fight for our right to wear Niqab or Hijab and to please our Creator whichever way we chose. But just as importantly to carry our experience with Niqab or Hijab to fellow women who may never have had the chance to understand what wearing Niqab or Hijab means to us and why do we, so dearly, embrace it.

Most of the women I know wearing Niqab are Western reverts, some of whom are not even married. Others wear Niqab without full support of either family or surroundings. What we all have in common is that it is the personal choice of each and every one of us, which none of us is willing to surrender.


<span style="color:#FFCC00">Willingly or unwillingly, women are bombarded with styles of “dressing-in-little-to-nothing” virtually in every means of communication everywhere in the world. As an ex non-Muslim, I insist on women’s right to equally know about Hijab, its virtues, and the peace and happiness it brings to a woman’s life as it did to mine. Yesterday, the bikini was the symbol of my liberty, when in actuality it only liberated me from my spirituality and true value as a respectable human being.

<span style="color:#FFCC00">I couldn’t be happier to shed my bikini in South Beach and the “glamorous” Western lifestyle to live in peace with my Creator and enjoy living among fellow humans as a worthy person. It is why I choose to wear Niqab, and why I will die defending my inalienable right to wear it.

Today, Niqab is the new symbol of woman’s liberation to find who she is, what her purpose is, and the type of relation she chooses to have with her Creator.

<span style="color:#FFCC00">To women who surrender to the ugly stereotype against the Islamic modesty of Hijab, I say: You don’t know what you are missing.

To you, the ill-fated corrupting conquerors of civilization, so-called crusaders, I say: BRING IT ON.

Sara Bokker is a former actress/model/fitness instructor and activist. Currently, Sara is Director of Communications at "The March For Justice," a co-founder of "The Global Sisters Network," and producer of the infamous "Shock & Awe Gallery."

[horseonwheels]

good read, cheers:)

In Denmark they are passing the same laws in the name of "freedom" you are free to belive what you want to (as long as it isnt islam), and you are free to wear what you want (as long as it isnt hijab, niqab etc), and you are free to live as you want (As long as it isnt according to the Quran).

my wife and i will leave Denmark soon, it has become too much. The laughing matter is that when it comes to equal rights, you know equal pay for equal work? saudi arabia is ranking better than denmark.....that was saudi arabia!? yet, Denmark is protecting all our freedoms from the terrible islam :drunk: :sad:

The people who will get insuilted enough by a hijab ban to leave, are those who are well educated. The others will take it off, if the choice is between that and their survival. But our (wife and me) freinds wearing it are dentists, doctors, engineers, scholars, biologists etc... If you go to the university called Panum in Denmark, youll see that a large part of those getting doctor degrees as doctors, scientists are muslim females. They are always pushed by their family to "become something" in another way than the boys are, who are more left to their own merrits, for good and bad. And much different from native Danish kids who are taught to "realise themselfes", which often leads to ...well nothing really.

I think the message is quite clear tho... its ok to be a serf wearing a hijab but its not ok being a master, and thats what they are doing. Scare away all the qualified muslims, so that muslims in denmark will always be taxi drivers, kebab serfs, busdrivers, toilet scrubbers, illeterrates and gangmember, where the "elite" of muslims...were leaving for places that value us for what were worth as members of an organised society.

my wifes a dentist, and a damned good one too. She had a patient ask her if she was really a dentists and not an assitant, as in "youre wearing that middleage symbol of opression of women, how can you be educated". She told me that what she felt was that he couldnt accept that she was a dentist, but could accept that she was a assistant. the serf....

Their war on "primitive islam" doesnt look so good to the people in denmark when they go to see a doctor, dentist etc, and keep running into the hijab.

[mastermg]

Thanks lovelyk, I read this somewhere before but I wasn't sure where.

[shZ]

Yeah, it's usually convert who understand or appreciate the function of a hijab. It's pretty sad though how Muslim women are being discriminated against for excercising their right to dress as they feel appropriate, which doesn't involve stripping me layers of clothing off, so how anyone can be offended by it is simply beyond me... and the only explanation I have is that they're bigoted assholes who can't stand strong women.

[nietzscheansuperman]

Let me give you my interpretation:

"I am an extremely ugly woman who looks really bad in a bikini, therefore I chose to remain fully clothed and wear a hijab so that I can cover up my hideously ugly features!"

[0110110]

We were all born naked, if God wanted us to be clothed, we would come out of vaginas wearing those silly outfits, ROFL

[itmakesmewonder]

Interesting article. Its a personal choice. We were all born naked, but everyone is obsessed and enslaved by fashion and the aquiring of youth.
Live somewhere without a tv and a mirror for a week and feel the difference!

[shZ]

Quote:Let me give you my interpretation:

"I am an extremely ugly woman who looks really bad in a bikini, therefore I chose to remain fully clothed and wear a hijab so that I can cover up my hideously ugly features!"

Let me give you my interpretation of your statement:

"I am an extremely insecure and degenerate excuse of a man, therefore I insist that a woman who doesn't conform to my patriarchal expectation of revealing as much skin and form as possible has no value and is worthy of denigration. I would like to see women, particularly western women, enslaved by social expectations to appeal to the lustful aspects of my nature, but in a degenerate form."

Go fuck yourself asshole.