All the News That’s Fit to Print? The Gulf Times Forgets the Definition of ‘News’

Last updated on: December 8, 2011 at 11:35 pm by Muslimah Media Watch

All the News That’s Fit to Print? The Gulf Times Forgets the Definition of ‘News’ 2011-12-08T23:35:09-04:00 Muslimah Media Watch

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Qatar’s Gulf Times published three different articles in its February 15, 2008 “Islam” section that have an unsettling theme: telling women how to act.

The first article, by Fatima Barakatullah, is titled “Reviving Our Sense of Gheerah,” and has run in several other outlets that are specific to conservative Islamic interpretations.

For any readers unfamiliar with the word “gheerah,” Barakatullah defines it as “protectiveness or jealousy.” According to her, it’s “a good type of jealousy, like when a man feels jealous or protective over his wife or sisters and other-womenfolk and doesn’t like other men to look at them. It is a natural inbuilt feeling Allah has given men and women.”

Barakatullah ostensibly admonishes both Muslim men and women for “los[ing] their sense of shame,” blaming feminism for the suppression of “natural emotions” in men and women:

“We live in societies in which most men and women have lost their sense of modesty, women are obsessed with their appearances and wear clothes to be seen by others and to attract the attention of other men even if they are married! … Men are not even embarrassed when their wives are dressed up and attract the attention of other men…”

But the rest of the article berates only women for being shameless if they don’t do what their “menfolk” tell them to: “If your husband asks you not to wear a certain colour of khimaar [scarf] because it brings out the beauty of your eyes, or if he wants you to cover your face – by Allah, be thankful!”

The second article, titled “Hijaab and the real beauty” and written by Aboo ‘Abdul-Fattaah Salaah bin Bernard Brooks, is more of the same. He presents this article as “a reminder of the excellence of the women who wear hijaab” because “A sister who does not truly know the superiority of hijaab will always remain envious of disbelieving women. Why? Because they observe these misguided disbelievers attempting to look beautiful for all to see. Hence, the Muslim woman then compares herself to that woman which causes her to feel ashamed of her own hijaab.”

The author does not describe what he means by “disbelieving women,” so we’re left to guess whether he means non-Muslims, Muslim women who don’t wear hejab, or both. His ambiguity doesn’t stop him from throwing around judgments and condemnations: “…displaying oneself is indeed unlawful. Further, it is a quality of the most evil of women! Therefore, do not be envious of the disbelieving women. They only have this life to enjoy, while the believing women will have Paradise.”

The third article, by ‘Ifrat Azad, discusses the haraam-ness of women’s aspirations to beauty. In “In search of the body beautiful,” Azad beings with “There seems no limit nowadays to the extent that women (and men) are prepared to go to for that ‘perfect look.’” This is the only instance in which the author includes men. The entire rest of the article is aimed at women’s beauty practices (none of which Ms. Azad partakes in, I’m sure) such as plastic surgery and hair removal.

When Ms. Azad rages against the beauty industry, I rage with her. I completely agree with her statement that

“Beauty today is big business. Beauty contests are very profitable …The cosmetics market is a multi-billion dollar industry; the demand for cosmetic surgery is growing at a tremendous rate. All three industries promote the same notions of beauty that women everywhere are expected to meet: mainly a white, European, “Barbie-doll” like standard. The pressures on women to conform to these standards are enormous and few are able to withstand them.”

But in her attempt to comfort her sisters, Ms. Azad merely criticizes them for doing things that are considered “un-Islamic” and yet she is surprised that “Muslim women too develop inferiority complexes about themselves.”

Since the Gulf Times considers itself to be “a cornerstone of the Qatari information media,” maybe it should rethink how it views journalism. Newspapers are for news, not for patronizing women and their choices.

News

Previous Post

February 20, 2008

Some Happy News

Next Post

February 22, 2008 Friday Links -- February 22, 2008

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advertisements Art/Theater Books/Magazines Cinema Comics/Cartoons Culture/Society Events Fashion Film Friday Links Merchandise/Commodities MMW Announcements MMW Highlights Music/Radio News Photography Politics Profile Ramadan 2012 Ramadan 2013 Ramadan 2014 Ramadan 2015 Roundtable Satire Social Media Sports Technology/Science Television Uncategorized Video Web

Select a Month November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was made mute and only spoke God's word until Jerusalem fell?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ezekiel Jonah Daniel Amos