Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Muslimah Next Door

Home
Muslim
Enough With the Melania-Headscarf Headlines

Enough With the Melania-Headscarf Headlines

Last updated on: May 24, 2017 at 12:07 pm by Dilshad Ali

Enough With the Melania-Headscarf Headlines 2017-05-24T12:07:00-04:00 Dilshad Ali

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.

By U.S. Department of State – Public Domain,

Why is this a new story? A headline? Something we want people to care about?

I’m talking about today’s article I’m seeing in various news outlets about how First Lady Melania Trump will not have to wear a headscarf when she accompanies President Trump on his official visit to Saudi Arabia. Or, let me quote to get it right: “Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir was quoted as telling media Thursday that America’s First Lady won’t be required to dress conservatively or tone down her usual high-fashion look, which often includes bold colors, stiletto heels and the occasional low neckline,” according to The Mercury News.

I feel so much better and relieved knowing that.

The article goes on to say in a breathless update:

Update: Ivanka Trump is also accompanying her father to Saudi Arabia as his White House assistant. She and husband Jared Kushner, a White House adviser, are both practicing Orthodox Jews and had to receive a rabbinical dispensation to travel on Friday, the Jewish Sabbath, a White House official told Politico. Ivanka will presumably be giving the same pass in terms of dress as her stepmother.

Well, whew.

I understand that how and what First Ladies wear in various official and unofficial capacities continues to be of interest to the general public. Fashion, style, designers are newsworthy. But this continued (un)debate over what female heads of states, government officials and First Ladies wear when visiting Muslim countries is getting to be a bit too much. Will they be “allowed” to go uncovered? Will they show bare shoulders (gasp!)? Will they refuse to cover their head? If they dress modestly, are they kowtowing to religious politics?

I know many things (justifiably) continue to be criticized in Saudi Arabia with regards to the country’s laws against women, with change crawling at a snail’s pace. Just recently the country made headlines by finally declaring that women could travel, study or make police complaints. without having to seek permission from a male guardianship, which is inaccurately reported in the Mercury News article (other things, however, are factually reported):

Saudi Arabia faces international criticism for its oppressive laws against women. These laws include its system of male guardianship, in which girls and women are forbidden from traveling, conducting official business, or even undergoing certain medical procedures without permission from their male “guardians” — their fathers, husbands, brothers or uncles. They also can’t drive or participate freely in sports.

To critics, this oppression extends to dress, where women are required to hide any outward displays of beauty.

Women in Saudi Arabia, including most foreign visitors, are expected to wear floor-length black dresses — not pants — that cover their entire bodies, including their legs and arms. They should also wear a head scarf that covers their head and even hides their hair. More conservative women wear veils that also cover their faces, save for a slit that makes their eyes visible.

Last April, British Prime Minister Theresa May made headlines by refusing to wear a head scarf during a visit in early April in order to “be an inspiration to oppressed women in Saudi Arabia by showing people there ‘what women can achieve.'”

These political optics seem just that — optics. I think the Kingdom of Saud well knows what women can achieve, but that doesn’t influence their laws. There are women in Saudi Arabia making great strides in all areas of life. There are headscarf-wearing Muslim women (and non-headscarf-wearing Muslim women) kicking butt all over the world. Whether Theresa May wore a headscarf or not was not going to change anything — just another way to grab some headlines.

Let’s put the attention back where it belongs — on what this visit actually means in terms of geopolitical and economic relationships between the two countries, in terms of arms deals and the U.S.’s support of Saudi’s wretched campaign in Yemen, in terms of what possible things Trump could have to say to Muslims and Muslim dignitaries and heads of states regarding Islam when his campaign and now administration has perpetually elevated anti-Muslim rhetoric and pursued Muslim-targeted executed orders.

Let’s examine Saudi Arabia’s own twisted relationship with the U.S. and in the Middle East, where it is failing to lead the charge against violence and terrorism and its own agendas in terms of powers, women’s rights, human rights, oil reserves and so much more.

Enough with the Melania/headscarf headlines. I appreciate heads of states and government officials who respect the customs and traditions of other countries on official visits (while remaining true to themselves and their own countries) in manners of decorum, dress and speech. I appreciate it when countries accommodate the personal, religious and cultural traditions and preferences of their visitors.

But let’s put the attention back where it belongs.

Previous Post

May 18, 2017

Our Ramadan Preps are with Autism in Mind

Next Post

June 7, 2017 6 Ways to Create an Autism-Friendly Ramadan and Eid

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Global Voice for Autism Autism Awareness Month 2016 Autism Awareness Month 2017 Autism Interlude Hajj and Eid ul Adha Jenin Autism Project Ramadan Three Questions Uncategorized WISE Global Conference

Select a Month November 2018 October 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 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 October 2011 September 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many books are in the New Testament?

Select your answer to see how you score.

66 39 22 27