The Veil as Resistance: Muslim Women and Social...

Comments: 10

J. Clifford C. Aug 20, 2007, 11:51am EDT

Thanks for putting up this video. We need more substantive material than just people's home movies of their cats and cute babies. Please consider joining the group - The Video Debate - and posting it there.

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Dalal A. Aug 20, 2007, 2:39pm EDT

Thank you for sharing wit us these images from Egypt. It is interesting to hear you commets on what you call "interesting", "symbol" and "fashion" with regards to the veil. I wonder why however you would interpret it as a "rebellion of youth"? The views from the "muslim world" perspective is that this generation is far more educated in their religion than previous generations blinded by foreign supressions. In many ways, islamic movements have been more active than ever before, especially in Egypt. Nevertheless, I appreciate your "Western"perspective.

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Tom Gerace Aug 21, 2007, 10:21am EDT

Thanks Krista- this is a terrific piece to share. The intersection of religion, social expression, and fashion is a generally interesting topic. Seeing veil use changing as indicative of social change in Egypt provides a different perspective on a region that I sometimes struggle to understand. This is a great way to learn more about it.

Generally speaking, I agree with J. Clifford above that this piece really captures the potential of video here on Gather as a tool for learning and sharing. The narrator's voice carries something that just reading the text would not, particularly when combined with slides that describe her meaning. (That said, I love seeing videos of my family and friends, so I see a place for that kind of personal expression too.)

Thanks for sharing this!

- Tom
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Tom Gerace is founder and CEO at Gather.com

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Krista Tippett Sep 3, 2007, 4:32pm EDT

Tom and J. Cliff, thanks for the kind words about the piece. We discovered Diana Matar, the photographer and narrator, while searching the Fifty Crows site. They showcase some fabulous photojournalism taking place here and abroad.

We admired Diana's photographs because they convey a sensitivity and a likeness to ourselves, as Westerners, rather than many of the hyperbolic depictions we see in our daily papers and on the nightly news. They're not sensational -- mothers picking up children from school, women waiting for the bus to go to work, couples standing on the street and dancing . It's that elegance and beauty conveyed in her photographs that that caught our eye. Her background and perspective grounds those images in ways we might not have known.

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sharon SugarMomma is a wise woman, Sep 7, 2007, 4:24pm EDT

Extremely interesting and informative - when thinking about the veil we often think of it as a wall or an obstruction - westerners come at these things with our own perspectives and prejudices. In order to understand and embrace other women it is necessary to come to some level of understanding.

Thank you.

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