The Hajj

I was really disapointed to realize the level the Saudi government will go to keep non-Muslims (and some actual Muslims) from entering Mecca. As someone who finds religions incredibly interested, I love visiting religious sites, so it is sad for me to realize I will probably never get a chance to visit this one. It was so strict, it actually reminded me a little of watching Lisa Ling in the National Georgraphic video of North Korea filmed before her sister was detained there for five months. It was almost the same level of crazy histeria involved keeping people out with the same amount of danger for those who sneak in.

I wish we had learned more about the American woman from the video as well as Hammoudi's family life. It would have been fascinating to talk to their familes and learn how they were raised. Watching the video, it was hard not to think of the woman as being naive. Had she not had cameras following her around (and I'm guessing, acting as protection of a sort, along with the group she went with) I wonder if she would have been treated different, as had one of the men featured in the video. This is not a critisism of Islam, so much as a critism of human nature. One of my Jewish friends is blonde and blue-eyed and I know she was looked at a little oddly when she went to Israel.

Hair

I found Carol Delaney's article "Disentangling the Meaning of Hair in Turkish Societies" really interesting. Hair has been on my mind ever since I witnessed a massive argument between friends over- of all things- Uhura's straight hair in the new Star Trek movie. Uhura, my friend argued, was supposed to be the epitone of black beauty, so why did she have to have unnatural, chemically straightened hair? Then I heard about Chris Rock making a documentry about the depiction of black women's hair in the media and as well as everyday life. Before hearing these things, I'd never really thought about hair like that. It appears Turkish women have their own drama assosciated with hair as well.

I've heard about hair as being sacred, or particulrly feminine or being cut off for mourning, but I'd never heard or thought of the human head as phallic before this article. It was really fascinating to think of hair as being a metaphor for discipline- with young boys and men having well-groomed, "disciplined" hair and girls having crazy, tangled hair. It was also really interesting to me that up until the age of two, children are clothed the same regardless of gender. How strange to think of in this society! Here children are often born with a supply of pink or blue clothes waiting for them! I also never knew of Trkish people who remove all their body hair! How painful!

I thought the notion of girls being forbidden from wearing headscarves in school horrible on several levels. I do believe it is a matter of freedom of religion, but worse than that it can be used as means of discouraging girls (and their fathers who decide how long they stay in school) from continuing on past primary school! Since it is seen as being "dirty" for girls to show their hair past this age, it makes sense many families would not be okay with girls continuing to be educated where they would forced to. How is this more Western? How is this more modern??

First Entry!!

Ok, so I'm writing this for a class entitled- you guessed it- "The Many Faces of Islam"! I'm taking this class, because it's A) an anthropology class and because B) I'm desperately trying to figure out a way to study abroad in Jordan and figure I should know as much about Islam and the Middle East as possible just in case the nice, wonderful people at S.I.T. are crazy enough to let me in. And if not, I've always been fascinated by religions and well knowledge is power, right?

For my first entry I thought I'd talk about one of the two things I've always found the most fascinating (and positive) about Islam from "History of Islam". The first would be how progressive toward women the Qur'an actually was for the time period. Prior to Islam, the women in the region we now know of as Saudi Arabia did not inherit anything upon the death of their fathers or husbands. Though Islam stated they still inherit less than men, the fact that they inherit anything at all, was actually a step foward for the women in that region. Also, in order to accuse a wife of adultry, one must have four witnesses. In addition, they were given the right to divorce their husbands- though it was much more complicated for a woman to divorce her husband than vice versa- should their husband contract a contagious disease or become impotent. In addition, if a husband divorces his wife, than he must feed and house her for three months afterwards to ensure there is absolutely no chance that she is pregnant. If it is discovered she is, and if he still desires a divorce, then it is his obligation to provide for that child until the child is weaned. Though that still seems unbelievable harsh today, for that time period and that region it was definitely a step foward. In addition, there are plenty of passages in the Qur'an that ensure orphaned children will not be abandoned or taken advantage of either.