Month: June 2010

History of Veil10 Comments

History of Veil – Part 2: Veil In Pre-Islamic Arabia

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias Surrounded by the hostile terrains of the Arabian Desert and under its blazing sun, Arabs dwelled in diverse nomadic tribal communities. Each had its own laws, language and lifestyles. As the traditions, customs, and culture varied from one tribe to the other, so did their women’s status. And unlike river banks that attracted settlers and allowed civilizations to flourish, the nomads who roamed the harsh deserts left behind no monuments for archeologists to peek at their evolution.  However, Arabs were talented poets and their poetry passed on from one generation to the other. It became a rich … Continue reading History of Veil – Part 2: Veil In Pre-Islamic Arabia

History of Veil23 Comments

History of the Veil. Part One: Veil in the Ancient World

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias Painting of Nineveh Women by: Paul Batou With the passionate cries for wearing the veil,  the controversy it is causing in the West and since it only shrouds the bodies, heads and faces of Muslim women, it left no shred of doubt that it is an Islamic dress code. And how can one dare argue that when clerics, based on their interpretations of the holy scripts, left everything else behind and are condensing their efforts to preach, direct and scare Muslim women to comply with it after reaching puberty. However, researchers who have tracked the history of … Continue reading History of the Veil. Part One: Veil in the Ancient World

Violence against women, Women's Rights5 Comments

My Deep Condolences For Your Daughter’s Wedding

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias Caption: A Child Bride In Afghanistan.  By:  Stephanie Sinclair,winner of UNICEF photo of the year 2007 While most eight years old girls go to bed dreaming of doll houses, ballet classes, crayons and scrapbooks, princesses in sequence dresses and tiaras, nightmares keep others awake in fear that the sunlight of the new day will rob them of their childhood; in one of the most heinous crimes that are still committed to humanity: Underage Marriages.  Unfortunately in regions where it is practiced,  communities keep a blind eye on these illegal marriages, which in reality legalize pedophilia, prostitution, rape … Continue reading My Deep Condolences For Your Daughter’s Wedding

Violence against women6 Comments

When Divorce Is Unattainable, Murder May Be the Answer

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias Caption: Irene and Rizk’s wedding. I often question divine laws when lives are wasted in their names. These Holy Scriptures that are still rigorously practiced  were certainly useful 2000 years ago. But in today’s time and age when they contribute to man’s misery, their credibility should be questioned. It is no longer a matter of faith, but a human right. We should not just watch when a life of a young woman violently ends because the church refuses to grant her a divorce. We should stop and think, evaluate and object. Another beautiful life was wasted when … Continue reading When Divorce Is Unattainable, Murder May Be the Answer