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.