Mousing along the slushy roads of Vancouver, British Columbia, dressed in a goretex raincoat and snowboots, I couldn't help but think of warmer days at the beach.
But while I was feeling nostalgic about sun and sand, a woman in Sydney, Australia was getting practical about it.
Designer Aheda Zanetti is filling a market gap with her new line of two-piece Islamic swimsuits, apparently called the "Burkini." The head-to-ankle lightweight costume comes with a head scarf and is made of quick-drying polyester. Read the Middle East Times for more details on its design and inspiration.
Surf Life Saving Australia is now recruiting and training more Muslims as volunteer surf lifesavers in the country's beaches. This is part of a solution to the internal tension between Australia's Muslims and non-Muslims. The incident that sparked the effort was the Cronulla Beach riot. Australians attacked Lebanese Muslim teenagers and tried to drive them out of the beach in December 2005. Find out more about the incident from this story in the Guardian.
To enable female Muslim lifeguards to participate in this effort, Lebanese-born Zanetti produced in January a special line of Islamic swimsuits in red and yellow- the traditional colours of the Australian lifesavers.
The concept of Islamic two-piece swimswuits is by no means a new one. As early as 2000, Egyptian clothing stores were selling the "Shari'ah swimsuits" in fashionable but modest designs. Veiled Muslim women of all ages and sizes could be seen sporting the costume on the beaches of Marina, Alexandria, and other beaches on the coast of Egypt. This BBC story has more details
Pros and Cons
It is empowering that veiled Muslim women are able to strike a balance between modesty and participating in sports activities such as swimming or becoming lifeguards. It is one of many examples that the veil is not a barrier between Muslim women and the public sphere. Compared to the times when veiled women went swimming in their regular clothes or abayas, the "Burkini" is more comfortable and aesthetic.
However one has to ask whether or not the "Shar'ia swimsuit" actually adheres to Islamic standards of modesty. Islam teaches that women's clothing should neither define the body nor be transparent. Read the English translation of the Holy Quran, Sourah al Nour, chapter 24, verse 64 and Sourah al Ahzab, chapter 33, verse 59.
The fabric of the swimsuit would have to be such that it did not cling to and define the woman's body on contact with water.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
According to the article, it seems that the Australian swimwear line is selling quite well and many women are responding positively to it. However, there are some sheikhs that oppose the idea, so that may deter some women from buying it on the grounds that it may be "unislamic."
With regards to men looking at women however they are dressed, the Qur'an does order men to "lower their gaze" away from non-Mehrem women. I think more efforts should go toward reminding men of that fact, rather than simply having a one-way conversation about female modesty.
Muslim Women now have a wider choice of Islamic Swimwear. Just do a google on "Islamic Swimwear" and you will be presented with many choices. One of them is from this company "Ruby'z Enterprise" which offers "affordable yet fashionable, modest, Islamic Swimwear" (http://www.rubyzent.com). Check it out!
i saw that site, but there is a new one in Dubai called mycozzie. Everyone who is anyone wears these divine swimsuits! You just have to go to wild wadi to see.
I dont know where the shop is but they do sell online at www.mycozzie.com
The Burqini is available to buy from:
- modestswimsuits.co.uk
Shipping Worldwide
Post a Comment