The Report on the International Symposium of the Islamic Area Studies
The Kazusa Ark, Kisarazu, Chiba, Japan
October 5-8, 2001

NORFALIZA ISMAIL

1ST YEAR MASTER STUDENT
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIOLOGY

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
UTSUNOMIYA UNIVERSITY
JAPAN

It was somewhere at the end of September 2001 when I received information from Professor SHIMIZU, Manabu regarding the final and concluding of the 5 years' research in the International Symposium of the Islamic Area Studies. The symposium marked the successful gathering of respected scholars and researchers from all over the world and inside Japan itself, irrespective of our races and religions. It is where every different background of human being came together under one roof to seriously penetrate the complicated, contemporary term of Islamic Area studies, and I considered myself as lucky to be one of the participants of this memorable and significant event.

Within its limited time, seven sessions were planned over the 4-day symposium and one that captured my integrity attention was the Session 2; The Public and Private Spheres in Muslim Societies Today: Gender and the New Media. Panelists argued mostly on women roles and her dressing codes while they are outside the private peripheral of ones domestic spaces, and the emergence of a new 'public sphere' owing to the remarkable spread of new media communications in the Middle East and in Muslim-majority societies. As more than one panelists have stressed during their presentations, the phenomenon where the emergence of many Muslim-women from their private spaces to more open-public spaces while wearing a head-cover was liken to the secular reason rather than religious ones. I agree there is no point in arguing that wearing a veil has became a 'new fashion' or 'trend' among Muslim-women; for it is true not only in Arab countries but also the other part of Muslim-countries in every continent. But, as the panelists keep indulging themselves that wearing a veil is more like a distinction of social status where women have came to use it to differ themselves from other women of other classes, and as panelists also made it sound as if wearing one of those scarves will only limited Muslim-women' role in social activities, I have to disagree with this.

Even if it is true that women with a veil in this modern day tend to put themselves under the stream of new fashion mode, it is still true that in most part of the contemporary Muslim-world such as the country where I came from; Malaysia, women have covers on their head mostly based on religious reasons rather than secular ones. And they see it neither as handicapped, nor as seclusion; instead they see it as fulfillment of the religious duty asked of them. And to make themselves more presentable and 'up to date' to the public or outside world, that is where they joined with the current fashions. It is not wrong to keep both criterions well balanced. There should be a great co-existence concept between the secularization in modern way of living and Islamization in traditional way of religious practices. It is the matter of willingness of all parties involved.

But what should be stressed here is, the root of Muslim-women behaviors before taking this great step to change their women-personal-outlook was mostly and purely based on religious demand. It is undeniable that some convert to this by the attractive fashion mode only, but those with this intention do not last long in keeping their veils on. More to the contrary, these people are seen as mocking the religion as a whole. Ironically, during this symposium, I was the only one with a veil on where other Muslim-women counterparts did not!! I did not see myself restricted to any academic or social involvement what so ever; thanks to the country I came from. But more ironically, one of the Muslim-women present there even refused to admit that her country has more women population with a veil on than women with westernized dressing code!!! One cannot help but think that maybe she was ashamed of what others might say; her people are too religiously-conservatives where they are not competent in the modern, secular way of living... Which is not the case, I guess. As one of the panelists has mentioned that most of the Muslim-Iranians in Japan do not practice their religious activities such as praying or fasting anymore, it is sad to admit that in this modern world, we cannot even differentiate a Muslim to non-Muslim anymore where the only clue to that answer lies on their dressing code (mostly for women) and religious practices of the 5 pillars. The trends of modern society are blowing a cold wind on the warmth of these religious teachings, and we are actually paying a dearly price for this.

This overview; mostly on the Muslim-women dressing code under the Session 2, after all reflected my personal views as a Muslim-woman in particular and a researcher in general. A Muslim-woman myself, my points here might be thought as biased. But bias as it may seem, these are expressed through my most inner feeling, with some questions left unanswered ever since; What is left to our Muslim identities if these 'basic' but the most important elements are not being practiced? How do we define ourselves as a Muslim in the sphere of religion, if we do nothing to commemorate as being one? Are we actually no different from those of other religions?
Ancient Muslim tradition has it that when skilled artisans finished weaving their finest tapestries, they intentionally left a loose thread hidden in some obscure corner, in deference to the belief that perfection is the exclusive attribute of Almighty Allah. I would really like to say that I have spared you that tedium with this overview, but UNFORTUNATELY, I cannot!! Many things still left behind to find its answers, and until this is fulfilled, you have to strain to find that loose threads!

Thank you for giving some of your precious time to read this.