Addressing dress issues, disrobing discrimination
Salbiah AhmadPublished: Mar 16, 2001 4:33 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Who would think that a brouhaha about a dress code would prompt demonstrations and pre-empt a scheduled regional meeting of governments? For those who think that the chador, purdah, hijab or tudung issue is trivial, think and think again. These issues haunt us whether in Tehran or in Malaysia.
It was the threat of a demonstration in the streets of Tehran which prompted the Asian Preparatory Meeting on the World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) to be rescheduled from its 3.30pm slot to before lunch on the last day of the WCAR on Feb 21.
It was reported that sections of Iranian civil society had staged a demonstration the day before in the holy city of Qom. They were protesting the presence of foreigners who allegedly defied the dress code for women of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Who would think that a brouhaha about a dress code would prompt demonstrations and pre-empt a scheduled regional meeting of governments? For those who think that the chador, purdah, hijab or tudung issue is trivial, think and think again. These issues haunt us whether in Tehran or in Malaysia.
It was the threat of a demonstration in the streets of Tehran which prompted the Asian Preparatory Meeting on the World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) to be rescheduled from its 3.30pm slot to before lunch on the last day of the WCAR on Feb 21.
It was reported that sections of Iranian civil society had staged a demonstration the day before in the holy city of Qom. They were protesting the presence of foreigners who allegedly defied the dress code for women of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
According to the Farsi daily, Reyhan and the English daily, Teheran Times, Iranians were incensed by photos of three women whose sarees had slipped off their heads sitting at the back of the conference room of the NGO Forum on Feb 17. The Teheran Times in its headline news, 'A shameful display' laid blame on the foreign ministry of the Khatami government for the affront and insult to the Islamic values of Iran.
At the conclusion of the NGO forum the next day, conveners were officially informed by letter from authorities of "dire consequences" if participants breach the dress code during their stay in Tehran. It was separately conveyed to conveners that the saree would not be considered appropriate apparel.
Culturally insensitive
All NGO participants funded by the coordinating committee of the NGO forum were informed of the dress code. Women obliged as soon as they landed in Mehrabad airport. Women however expressed reservation at the NGO forum that the recognition of cultural diversity of peoples, beliefs and the right to choose must be upheld by all governments, including Iran.
NGOs conveyed their concern to Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, that her office could not negotiate for the conference centre to be a space that respects cultural diversity and free of all forms of discrimination and intolerance. A letter to this effect was handed to her on the opening day of the inter-governmental meeting on Feb 19.
Some of the Iranian NGO women participants at the forum expressed concern that these sentiments were culturally insensitive and urged women to abide by the dress code which was stated as the law of Iran.
It was difficult to assess if there were other views from Iranian NGOs. Very few non-Iranian groups have had access to groups inside of Iran. It would be fair to say that the main Iranian opinions at the WCAR were as stated.
After several days of making the point, the Iranian women on the last day stated that there are larger issues like globalisation and cultural hegemony at the WCAR and dress issues are trivial. A handful of men agreed, some evidently relieved that the dispute appeared to be at an end.
Not trivial
Hello? Did we miss something? If dress is not ever an issue, then surely to observe or not observe a dress code is not the issue either. So what was the brouhaha about in the first place? Why the fuss if only to diminish it subsequently?
Dress is an issue for women who had to struggle against the imposition of the dress code by the state or their community. It is an issue for women where dress marks a symbol of their majority or oppressed minority identity. It is an issue for women in countries whose religious or cultural identity is threatened by a global or national hegemonic culture. It is an issue for women, whose choice of religious and cultural expression are denied or defined by men and the state. It may be freedom or patriarchal oppression.
What this means is, the issue of dress is complicated by the levels of complexity in the interplay of politics, myths, religion, culture, symbolism, identity, difference and defiance in women's experiences. Women's experiences are not trivial.
Women who are engaging with Muslim discourses on dress will find that the Qur'anic verses in al-A'raf, al-Baqarah, An-Nur and al-Ahzab address a diversity of views. These views are not incongruous with the cultural context of the Arab peninsula and the history spanning from the Mecca period to Medinan state. Rather than espousing one mode of dress, the text invites the reader to embrace the message of diversity created by time and place. This is the reality of women's experiences.
In some accounts of the Iranian revolution, women who wore the chador in the early days of the Iranian uprising against the Pahlavi regime have worn it as a mark of united resistance. Some in Iran may find the imposition of the dress code today as state oppression as women no longer have a right to choose. Yet, some others have identified with the dress code as a symbol of national or state resistance against global 'Islamophobia'.
Muslim women in South Asia have struggled against the use of their bodies (and dress) as a community marker and the bearers of its honour. Dress becomes the marker of an ethnic or religious identity. In communities under siege from Eastern Europe to Indonesia, the rape and mutilation of women become a tool of strife in ethnic cleansing and communal clashes.
Critical lessons
In the light of these experiences, the imposition of a dress code in the WCAR in Tehran was abhorrent in its denial of choice and its failure to recognise the cultural diversity and plurality of beliefs of peoples including the diversity of Muslim beliefs pertaining to dress and modesty. It was a cultural hegemony of sorts and a form of discrimination, matters crucial to the intent and objectives of the WCAR.
The NGO statements at the forum and to Mary Robinson were not done as an affront to the religion of Islam or even the sovereignty of Iranian laws. There was general observance of the dress code. Rather, the statements of the 'international civil society' were in the tradition of an intervention and an invitation for a cross-cultural exchange in the hope of a greater understanding within and among civilisations.
The discourse of human rights and culture is unending. Culture is a historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols by which women and men communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life.
Every society is dependent on its women and men for the development of its institutions, norms, values and action. Each individual is also dependent on society for his or her existence and for the prospects of realising a meaningful and gratifying life. There are tensions between individuals and their society and among individuals. People may find it possible to conform or are pressured into conforming with prevailing attitudes and behavorial patterns, others refuse fail or refuse to do so.
Open and systematic non-conformity gravely threatens those in authority over the society - the ruling class or group that has a vested interest in the status quo. The suppression of non-conforming behaviour is often made in the name of stability and vital interests of society at large.
This self interest of those in power in political, economic or religious spheres, who claim to have a monopoly over the determination of what is in the public good tends to shape public policy and action in terms of the cultural ideal.
However, individual action is the ultimate resource in any society. What are the critical lessons?
No exuberance
In so far as a person believes in the validity of a norm, that person is unlikely to accept an opposing norm as the more strongly we believe in our values, the less likely we are to tolerate the values of others. However, the strong evidence of a contrary view should invite a person to re-examine her or his position.
Cultures are different because they are associated with different modes of thought. It is however extremely unlikely that any culture will condone bad or inhuman or seriously objectionable practices for very long.
The starting point must be based on the inherent dignity and integrity of every human person. One should not tolerate for another person any treatment that one would not accept for oneself. In placing ourselves in the position of the other, we should refrain from imposing our own perceptions on the other's position.
This principle of reciprocity together with the inherent dignity and integrity of every human person are articles of faith to be applied for gender, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and other victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, related intolerance and other human rights violations.
It must be noted that there was no exuberance nor competition by Asian governments to host the Preparatory Meeting. Very few governments want an 'international civil society' to descend on their shores demanding engagement. Indeed the NGO statement at the final plenary of the WCAR recorded its appreciation to the people and government of Iran for the hospitality extended to civil society.
The statement hopes that the dialogue initiated in Tehran with Iranian NGOs will continue, thus deepening our understanding of common concerns and joining in common struggles for social justice and peace and against all forms of discrimination as we proceed to the world conference in Durban this August and beyond.
SALBIAH AHMAD was in Tehran for the Asian Preparatory Meeting of the World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
It was the threat of a demonstration in the streets of Tehran which prompted the Asian Preparatory Meeting on the World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) to be rescheduled from its 3.30pm slot to before lunch on the last day of the WCAR on Feb 21.
It was reported that sections of Iranian civil society had staged a demonstration the day before in the holy city of Qom. They were protesting the presence of foreigners who allegedly defied the dress code for women of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
According to the Farsi daily, Reyhan and the English daily, Teheran Times, Iranians were incensed by photos of three women whose sarees had slipped off their heads sitting at the back of the conference room of the NGO Forum on Feb 17. The Teheran Times in its headline news, 'A shameful display' laid blame on the foreign ministry of the Khatami government for the affront and insult to the Islamic values of Iran.
At the conclusion of the NGO forum the next day, conveners were officially informed by letter from authorities of "dire consequences" if participants breach the dress code during their stay in Tehran. It was separately conveyed to conveners that the saree would not be considered appropriate apparel.
Culturally insensitive
All NGO participants funded by the coordinating committee of the NGO forum were informed of the dress code. Women obliged as soon as they landed in Mehrabad airport. Women however expressed reservation at the NGO forum that the recognition of cultural diversity of peoples, beliefs and the right to choose must be upheld by all governments, including Iran.
NGOs conveyed their concern to Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, that her office could not negotiate for the conference centre to be a space that respects cultural diversity and free of all forms of discrimination and intolerance. A letter to this effect was handed to her on the opening day of the inter-governmental meeting on Feb 19.
Some of the Iranian NGO women participants at the forum expressed concern that these sentiments were culturally insensitive and urged women to abide by the dress code which was stated as the law of Iran.
It was difficult to assess if there were other views from Iranian NGOs. Very few non-Iranian groups have had access to groups inside of Iran. It would be fair to say that the main Iranian opinions at the WCAR were as stated.
After several days of making the point, the Iranian women on the last day stated that there are larger issues like globalisation and cultural hegemony at the WCAR and dress issues are trivial. A handful of men agreed, some evidently relieved that the dispute appeared to be at an end.
Not trivial
Hello? Did we miss something? If dress is not ever an issue, then surely to observe or not observe a dress code is not the issue either. So what was the brouhaha about in the first place? Why the fuss if only to diminish it subsequently?
Dress is an issue for women who had to struggle against the imposition of the dress code by the state or their community. It is an issue for women where dress marks a symbol of their majority or oppressed minority identity. It is an issue for women in countries whose religious or cultural identity is threatened by a global or national hegemonic culture. It is an issue for women, whose choice of religious and cultural expression are denied or defined by men and the state. It may be freedom or patriarchal oppression.
What this means is, the issue of dress is complicated by the levels of complexity in the interplay of politics, myths, religion, culture, symbolism, identity, difference and defiance in women's experiences. Women's experiences are not trivial.
Women who are engaging with Muslim discourses on dress will find that the Qur'anic verses in al-A'raf, al-Baqarah, An-Nur and al-Ahzab address a diversity of views. These views are not incongruous with the cultural context of the Arab peninsula and the history spanning from the Mecca period to Medinan state. Rather than espousing one mode of dress, the text invites the reader to embrace the message of diversity created by time and place. This is the reality of women's experiences.
In some accounts of the Iranian revolution, women who wore the chador in the early days of the Iranian uprising against the Pahlavi regime have worn it as a mark of united resistance. Some in Iran may find the imposition of the dress code today as state oppression as women no longer have a right to choose. Yet, some others have identified with the dress code as a symbol of national or state resistance against global 'Islamophobia'.
Muslim women in South Asia have struggled against the use of their bodies (and dress) as a community marker and the bearers of its honour. Dress becomes the marker of an ethnic or religious identity. In communities under siege from Eastern Europe to Indonesia, the rape and mutilation of women become a tool of strife in ethnic cleansing and communal clashes.
Critical lessons
In the light of these experiences, the imposition of a dress code in the WCAR in Tehran was abhorrent in its denial of choice and its failure to recognise the cultural diversity and plurality of beliefs of peoples including the diversity of Muslim beliefs pertaining to dress and modesty. It was a cultural hegemony of sorts and a form of discrimination, matters crucial to the intent and objectives of the WCAR.
The NGO statements at the forum and to Mary Robinson were not done as an affront to the religion of Islam or even the sovereignty of Iranian laws. There was general observance of the dress code. Rather, the statements of the 'international civil society' were in the tradition of an intervention and an invitation for a cross-cultural exchange in the hope of a greater understanding within and among civilisations.
The discourse of human rights and culture is unending. Culture is a historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols by which women and men communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life.
Open and systematic non-conformity gravely threatens those in authority over the society - the ruling class or group that has a vested interest in the status quo. The suppression of non-conforming behaviour is often made in the name of stability and vital interests of society at large.
This self interest of those in power in political, economic or religious spheres, who claim to have a monopoly over the determination of what is in the public good tends to shape public policy and action in terms of the cultural ideal.
However, individual action is the ultimate resource in any society. What are the critical lessons?
No exuberance
In so far as a person believes in the validity of a norm, that person is unlikely to accept an opposing norm as the more strongly we believe in our values, the less likely we are to tolerate the values of others. However, the strong evidence of a contrary view should invite a person to re-examine her or his position.
Cultures are different because they are associated with different modes of thought. It is however extremely unlikely that any culture will condone bad or inhuman or seriously objectionable practices for very long.
The starting point must be based on the inherent dignity and integrity of every human person. One should not tolerate for another person any treatment that one would not accept for oneself. In placing ourselves in the position of the other, we should refrain from imposing our own perceptions on the other's position.
This principle of reciprocity together with the inherent dignity and integrity of every human person are articles of faith to be applied for gender, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and other victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, related intolerance and other human rights violations.
It must be noted that there was no exuberance nor competition by Asian governments to host the Preparatory Meeting. Very few governments want an 'international civil society' to descend on their shores demanding engagement. Indeed the NGO statement at the final plenary of the WCAR recorded its appreciation to the people and government of Iran for the hospitality extended to civil society.
The statement hopes that the dialogue initiated in Tehran with Iranian NGOs will continue, thus deepening our understanding of common concerns and joining in common struggles for social justice and peace and against all forms of discrimination as we proceed to the world conference in Durban this August and beyond.
SALBIAH AHMAD was in Tehran for the Asian Preparatory Meeting of the World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
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