Moslem Fashion: Crossing the ages behind the veil

Moslem Fashion: Crossing the ages behind the veil

By Dini S. Djalal

Say to the believing women, that they... reveal not their adornment... and let them cast their veils over their bosoms... -- Koran, Sura XXIV:31

JAKARTA (JP): In accordance with the above verse in the Koran, veiling is Islam's most striking symbol.

Whether cloaked from head to toe in a black shroud, or in colorful shalwar kameez pantsuits, the modest Moslem woman stirs both admiration and debate. In Indonesia, more and more Moslem women are buying busana Muslim (Moslem fashion), veiling their heads as well as their bodies.

Cultural prejudices are often the source of the controversy. Even with the recent recognition of Moslem feminists like Fatima Mernissi, North American and European feminists judge veiling as constraining women's freedom. Correspondingly, some men use Islam's modesty recommendations to restrict opportunities for women.

The opinions of the veiled women themselves are often lost in the heat of argument.

"I wear a veil not just because the Koran tells me to, but because it makes me feel safe from male harassment," explains 24- year-old Erna. Erna wears a veil and long-sleeved gowns when working at the Golden Truly Supermarket. At home, however, her veil hangs in the closet -- even when men are present.

Sita Aripurnami, a member of the women's rights group Yayasan Kalyanamitra, knows many active, veiled women like Erna.

"Many revolutionary minds reside behind a veil. Busana Muslim does not necessarily restrict women's activities," said Aripurnami. She counts the many female students, journalists and other professionals wearing jilbab (head scarves) as proof of the relative freedom.

The physical environment in Moslem countries also makes busana Muslim practical, argued Aripurnami.

"When I was in Cairo, the afternoon winds blew sand all over the streets. Wearing jellaba (long, loose-fitting robe) protected both men and women from the sand and wind," Aripurnami said.

Whether it's the Egyptian jellaba, the Turkish dolman, or the Algerian dishdasha, Moslem dress serves more than just a religious purpose. The ankle-grazing robe has protected its advocates from heat, dust and the blazing sun for centuries.

Historically, dressing modestly was a cultural prerogative rather than a consecrated instruction. The staunchest upholders of the hijab (Arabic for veiling), for example, did not always have such stringent rules on propriety. At the Battle of Uhud, for example, the women of Mecca bared their breasts in support of their men, as was the Arab custom in that pre-Islamic era.

In contrast, veiling predated Islam in Persia (modern-day Iran), Syria and Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Styles of dress traversed continents through trade and invasion. Both veiling and the shalwar kameez pantsuit, for example, originated in Persia, but were popularized by the elite of Arabia in the 7th century.

Modest dress has always been a privilege, a status symbol of the rich. Women in purdah (seclusion) are women who do not have to work. Up to this day, Moslem women from the nomadic Berber and Kirghiz tribes, as well as rural women of the Middle East in general, have more freedom than their urban counterparts.

The same is true in India, where purdah prevails more in the cities than the villages. Yet the influence of the Moslem Mughal empire on this multicultural nation is not to be underestimated. In northwest India, for example, women of both Hindu, Sikh and Islamic faith veil themselves in the shalwar kameez.

Navrikha Sherma, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy, is a Punjabi Sikh, but wears both the sari and the shalwar kameez.

"The Moslems have been with us for 900 years, and has affected our culture," said Sherma. The dress habits of your peers are as influential as the rules of religious texts.

"Dress is to do with culture, and religion is only one aspect of culture," Sherma explained.

Sherma adds that the trend towards modesty intensified with British colonization in India. Indeed, prior to the 20th century, many European women were in the habit of veiling.

"Veiling a woman shows that there is something to be ashamed of, and that sense of shame has a lot to do with Victorianism. It addressed our own unspoken fears and confounded them," said Sherma.

The women of South India, however, are surprisingly less affected by both Middle Eastern and European traditions. The basic dress of many Moslem women in South India remains the coli, a short-sleeved breast-length blouse, covered by a sari. As the women go about their daily duties unashamed of their bare midriff, the conservative dress trend in Indonesia continues to pass them by.