Oh those Afghan girls, the way they wear their clothes, they keep the mullahs warm at night…
Nearly six years after the overthrow of the strict Islamist Taliban government, almost all women in deeply conservative Afghanistan still only appear in public wafting past in the burqa’s pale blue, their dark eyes only occasionally visible behind the bars of its grille.
But in the relatively liberal northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a local television station has started to show a different image of Afghan women with an extremely low-budget take on the hit “America’s Next Top Model,” a reality TV show in which judges choose prospective models from a group of contestants over several weeks.
Be still my heart! An Afghan “Top Model” show? Wearing skimply clothes? Like what?
Four girls in brightly colored traditional costumes with baggy pants and long loose-fitting shawls and headscarves strode down the impromptu catwalk decked out in traditional Afghan rugs. Seemingly less confident than their Western counterparts, they avoided the gaze of the all-male film crew and press.
Hold your camels, Omar! They’re not wearing the head-to-toe burqas?
A quick change later, the same four appeared in camouflage combat trousers, sneakers and embroidered smocks. Then came denim jeans, open-toed sandals and colorful lightweight jackets.
Holy crap! Toes! They exposed their toes! Ahmed, call out the morality police! Get the whips and canes! Beat them! Hurt them!
“According to Sharia law, Islam is absolutely against this,” said Afghan Muslim cleric Abdul Raouf. “Not only is it banned by Islamic Sharia law, but if we apply Sharia law and to take this issue to justice, these girls should be punished.”
Not to worry. The religious police will hunt them down and punish them.
Model Timour said she wanted the outside world to see a different image of Afghan women.
“I have seen outside Afghanistan they have a different kind of idea about women in Afghanistan — they think they are always wearing the burqa and sitting at home but it is not like that,” she said. “Girls in Afghanistan are beautiful.”
Yeah. Tell us about it when you get out of prison, honey. Gee. Why do we think you’re all sitting around in burqas? Could it be because, well, you’re all sitting around in burqas?
Who? Me? Skeptical? Well, yeah.
afghanistan burqa era feminism
Camels and toes. This post is just begging for remarks loaded with sexual innuendo BUT I shall refrain…
Camels and toes. This post is just begging for remarks loaded with sexual innuendo BUT I shall refrain…
I’m not really anonymous but I am trigger happy. Sorry for the double post.
I love a post that starts with an allusion to a Beach Boys’ hit.
Off topic here a bit: In reference to an earlier post where you say “if I get married…” and then tell us there are no eligible Jewish men in Richmond. Forgive me if it sounds like I’m suggesting anything dishonorable, but it seems to me that (as a Jewish woman) you hold the keys to that Kingdom. Isn’t it true that your children would be Jewish? So it seems to me you just need to do the Christian trick and get busy evangelizing. (And no, that doesn’t mean start wearing heavy makeup and a big-hair wig and start smeering your mascara and blubbering on your TBN TV show.)
I think it’s shocking that most American don’t know that half the countries in the world are Muslim countries. The women in alot of these countries are beautiful and very fashion forward. Has any of you even been to these countries? Women in some of these countries know more about fashion than girls in some American states. You can’t just take few cases and apply it to all the Muslims in the world?Did you know that most women in Dubai wear the latest designer clothes.? Most Muslim countries are very prosperous.I know most people are brain washed to hate all Muslims by the media,but it’s very ignorant to hate half the world without doing any research on your own.
Muslim women are very beautiful. They don’t have to show their bodies in order to attract men. They have good sex life without trying so hard.
I think it’s shocking that you equate criticism of a post criticizing the Saudi and Afghan Muslim attitudes towards women with hatred of all Muslims. I notice you don’t have a thing to say about their reprehensible behavior.
As for doing my own resarch: Iran is a Muslim nation. Women can’t watch soccer games there because there are men in the stands and on the field. I’m pretty sure there aren’t any women Muslim imams, either. Kuwaiti women only just got the right to vote and run for office last year. Women and men do not worship together in the mosque, as they can in churches and synagogues. Women inherit half of a man’s share. In many Muslim nations, a woman’s testimony in court is equal only to half that of a man’s. In Iran, a woman who was raped was executed as an adulteress. “Honor” killings happen in many Muslim nations, and are not punished (cf: Jordan, the Palestinian territories, etc.), and are spreading to Muslim communities in the Western World (Great Britain, Europe). Muslim men can divorce their wives with almost no trouble; the reverse is not true.
I’ve done the research. You’ve read exactly one post. Which of us is the one lacking in infromation?
But go ahead, complain about the “hatred” in the post. You have the CAIR talking points down, baby.
Wah, wah, wah. Islamophobia. Yeah, we got the memo on 9/12.
And
nameless cowardanonymous, they don’t have to show their bodies because you arrange their marriages for them. And beat them if they don’t agree. Or if they show their bodies. As to their sex lives, yeah, sure. It’s gotta be great to be one of four wives, sharing one man. That’s SO much better than having only one husband. The sex life has to be great! Let me go line up a few husbands, try it out, and get back to you.By the way, nice implication there, that western women don’t have good sex lives unless they “show their bodies” to attract men. That’s not bigotry against Western women at all.
Hey! Westernophobia!
“Has any of you even been to these countries?”
(Raising hand and waving it wildly in the air)
I have!!! I have!!! I used to LIVE in a Muslim country, so neener.
Excellent post. To Jen and apologists, unless you’ve actually done any freakin’ research, shut the hell up. Do not confuse countries that are considered infidel by other Muslims (such as Dubai) as the “norm.” It is not the norm. The norm is women are property to be treated the same as we used to treat black slaves.