The Veil : Women Writers on Its History, Lore, and Politics

This groundbreaking volume, written entirely by women, examines the vastly misunderstood and multilayered world of the veil. Veiling— of women, of men, and of sacred places and objects—has existed in countless cultures and religions from time immemorial. Today, veiling is a globally polarizing issue, a locus for the struggle between Islam and the West and between contemporary and traditional interpretations of Islam. But veiling was a practice long before Islam and still extends far beyond the Middle East. This book explores and examines the cultures, politics, and histories of veiling. Twenty-one gifted writers and scholars, representing a wide range of societies, religions, ages, locations, races, and accomplishments, here elucidate, challenge, and/or praise the practice. Expertly organized and introduced by Jennifer Heath, who also writes on male veiling, the essays are arranged in three parts: the veil as an expression of the sacred; the veil as it relates to the emotional and the sensual; and the veil in its sociopolitical aspects. This unique, dynamic, and insightful volume is illustrated throughout. It brings together a multiplicity of thought and experience, much of it personal, to make readily accessible a difficult and controversial subject. Contributors: Kecia Ali, Michelle Auerbach, Sarah C. Bell, Barbara Goldman Carrel, Eve Grubin, Roxanne Kamayani Gupta, Jana M. Hawley, Jasbir Jain, Mohja Kahf, Laurene Lafontaine, Shireen Malik, Maliha Masood, Marjane Satrapi, Aisha Shaheed, Rita Stephan, Pamela K. Taylor, Ashraf Zahedi, Dinah Zeiger, Sherifa Zuhur This Groundbreaking Volume, Written Entirely By Women, Examines The Vastly Misunderstood And Multilayered World Of The Veil. Veiling - Of Women, Of Men, And Of Sacred Places And Objects - Has Existed In Countless Cultures And Religions From Time Immemorial. Today, Veiling Is A Globally Polarizing Issue, A Locus For The Struggle Between Islam And The West And Between Contemporary And Traditional Interpretations Of Islam. But Veiling Was A Practice Long Before Islam And Still Extends Far Beyond The Middle East. This Book Explores And Examines The Cultures, Politics, And Histories Of Veiling. Twenty-one Gifted Writers And Scholars, Representing A Wide Range Of Societies, Religions, Ages, Locations, Races, And Accomplishments, Here Elucidate, Challenge, And/or Praise The Practice. Expertly Organized And Introduced By Jennifer Heath, Who Also Writes On Male Veiling, The Essays Are Arranged In Three Parts: The Veil As An Expression Of The Sacred; The Veil As It Relates To The Emotional And The Sensual; And The Veil In Its Sociopolitical Aspects. This Unique, Dynamic, And Insightful Volume Is Illustrated Throughout. It Brings Together A Multiplicity Of Thought And Experience, Much Of It Personal, To Make Readily Accessible A Difficult And Controversial Subject. Introduction / Jennifer Heath -- From Her Royal Body The Robe Was Removed : The Blessings Of The Veil And The Trauma Of Forced Unveilings In The Middle East / Mohja Kahf -- Shattered Vessels That Contain Sparks Of The Divine : Unveiling Hasidic Women's Dress Code / Barbara Goldman Carrel -- Going The Whole Nine Yards : Vignettes Of The Veil In India / Roxanne Kamayani Gupta -- Out Of The Cloister : Unveiling To Better Serve The Gospel / Laurene M. Lafontaine -- The Amish Veil : Symbol Of Separation And Community / Jana M. Hawley -- What Is Subordinated, Dominates : Mourning, Magic, Masks, And Male Veiling / Jennifer Heath -- I Just Want To Be Me : Issues In Identity For One American Muslim Woman / Pamela K. Taylor -- She Freed And Floated On The Air : Salome And Her Dance Of The Seven Veils / Shireen Malik -- He Hath Couerd My Soule Inwarde And Myn Heed With A Veyle : Veiling In Medieval Europe And The Early Church / Désirée G. Koslin -- Nubo : The Wedding Veil / Sarah C. Bell -- After Eden : The Veil As A Conduit To The Internal / Eve Grubin -- Virtue And Sin : An Arab Christian Woman's Perspective / Rita Stephan -- Drawing The Line At Modesty : My Place In The Order Of Things / Michelle Auerbach -- On The Road : Travels With My Hijab / Maliha Masood -- Purdah, Patriarchy, And The Tropical Sun : Womanhood In India / Jasbir Jain -- The Veil : From Persepolis / Marjane Satrapi -- Concealing And Revealing Female Hair : Veiling Dynamics In Contemporary Iran / Ashraf Zahedi -- That (afghan) Girl! : Ideology Unveiled In National Geographic / Dinah Zeiger -- Burqas And Bikinis : Islamic Dress In Newspaper Cartoons / Kecia Ali -- Dress Codes And Modes : How Islamic Is The Veil? / Aisha Lee Fox Shaheed -- From Veil To Veil : What's In A Woman's Head Is A Lot More Important Than What's On It / Sherifa Zuhur. Edited By Jennifer Heath. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction / Jennifer Heath From her royal body the robe was removed : the blessings of the veil and the trauma of forced unveilings in the Middle East / Mohja Kahf Shattered vessels that contain sparks of the divine : unveiling Hasidic women's dress code / Barbara Goldman Carrel Going the whole nine yards : vignettes of the veil in India / Roxanne Kamayani Gupta Out of the cloister : unveiling to better serve the Gospel / Laurene M. Lafontaine The Amish veil : symbol of separation and community / Jana M. Hawley "What is subordinated, dominates" : mourning, magic, masks, and male veiling / Jennifer Heath I just want to be me : issues in identity for one American Muslim woman / Pamela K. Taylor "She freed and floated on the air" : Salome and her dance of the seven veils / Shireen Malik "He hath couerd my soule inwarde and myn heed with a veyle" : veiling in medieval Europe and the early church / Désirée G. Koslin Nubo : the wedding veil / Sarah C. Bell After Eden : the veil as a conduit to the internal / Eve Grubin Virtue and sin : an Arab Christian woman's perspective / Rita Stephan Drawing the line at modesty : my place in the order of things / Michelle Auerbach On the road : travels with my hijab / Maliha Masood Purdah, patriarchy, and the tropical sun : womanhood in India / Jasbir Jain The veil : from Persepolis / Marjane Satrapi Concealing and revealing female hair : veiling dynamics in contemporary Iran / Ashraf Zahedi That (Afghan) girl! : ideology unveiled in National geographic / Dinah Zeiger Burqas and bikinis : Islamic dress in newspaper cartoons / Kecia Ali Dress codes and modes : how Islamic is the veil? / Aisha Lee Fox Shaheed From veil to veil : "what's in a woman's head is a lot more important than what's on it" / Sherifa Zuhur Epilogue. Contents Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1 1. From Her Royal Body the Robe Was Removed: The Blessings of the Veil and the Trauma of Forced Unveilings in the Middle East 2. Shattered Vessels That Contain Divine Sparks: Unveiling Hasidic Women’s Dress Code 3. Going the Whole Nine Yards: Vignettes of the Veil in India 4. Out of the Cloister: Unveiling to Better Serve the Gospel 5. The Amish Veil: Symbol of Separation and Community 6. “What is subordinated, dominates”: Mourning, Magic, Masks, and Male Veiling 7. I Just Want to Be Me: Issues in Identity for One American Muslim Woman Part 2 8. “She freed and floated on the air”: Salome and Her Dance of the Seven Veils 9. “He hath couerd my soule inwarde”: Veiling in Medieval Europe and the Early Church 10. Nubo: The Wedding Veil 11. After Eden: The Veil as a Conduit to the Internal 12. Virtue and Sin: An Arab Christian Woman’s Perspective 13. Drawing the Line at Modesty: My Place in the Order of Things 14. On the Road: Travels with My Hijab Part 3 15. Purdah, Patriarchy, and the Tropical Sun: Womanhood in India 16. The Veil: From Persepolis 17. Concealing and Revealing Female Hair: Veiling Dynamics in Contemporary Iran 18. That (Afghan) Girl! Ideology Unveiled in National Geographic 19. Burqas and Bikinis: Islamic Dress in Newspaper Cartoons 20. Dress Codes andModes: How Islamic Is the Veil? 21. From Veil to Veil: “What’s in a woman’s head is a lot more important than what’s on it” Epilogue About the Contributors Index

The twenty-one essays here, all by women, provide an exciting, first hand account of the significance of veiling, past and present, in various countries, religions and cultures. The editor's introduction is a wonderful exposition of the current scholarship regarding the sacred, sensual and sociopolitical connotations of the veil. The book brilliantly illuminates the universality of the veil, and reveals that it is not confined to Islam. The book should be compulsory reading for policy-makers all over the world. Anyone interested in the human condition (not only researchers in the fields of sociology or economics or literary and cultural studies) can profit from this scholarly yet jargon-free book.—Shyamala A. Narayan, Jamia Millia Islamia University

A refreshingly three-dimensional portrait of the veil in history and in our contemporary world. This collection of essays turns the veil into a mirror, reflecting back upon us our own presumptions and prejudices. You will learn something about yourself in these pages.—Asifa Quraishi

Veiling is a globally polarizing issue, a locus for the struggle between Islam and the West and between contemporary and traditional interpretations of Islam. This book examines the vastly misunderstood and multi-layered world of the veil. It explores and analyzes the cultures, politics, and histories of veiling.