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	<title>Comments for Kaleidoscope</title>
	<atom:link href="http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/comments/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com</link>
	<description>A Kuwaiti &#38; Middle Eastern literary blog magazine where writers and thinkers meet to exemplify, vivify, and stylistically liquefy</description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:06:17 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Comment on Overworked and Underappreciated by flutterby</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/overworked-and-underappreciated/#comment-8274</link>
		<dc:creator>flutterby</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:58:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=151#comment-8274</guid>
		<description>People here are so caught up in stereotypical gender roles! Like men are BIOLOGICALLY superior to women.. Allow me to say, men are superior to women. For one thing, men can urinate from a speeding car lol. Don't you notice that all our problems begin with MEN? MENtal anxiety! MENstrual cramps! MENopause!

Listen, if you want to get your man to stand the racket a lil, the best way to do it is to suggest he is too old for it (^_^). And don't be too judgemental of him because, you see, God gave 'em all a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time. Besides, they are like government bonds... They take so long to mature! so cut him a lil slack will ya ;)</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>People here are so caught up in stereotypical gender roles! Like men are BIOLOGICALLY superior to women.. Allow me to say, men are superior to women. For one thing, men can urinate from a speeding car lol. Don&#8217;t you notice that all our problems begin with MEN? MENtal anxiety! MENstrual cramps! MENopause!</p>
<p>Listen, if you want to get your man to stand the racket a lil, the best way to do it is to suggest he is too old for it (^_^). And don&#8217;t be too judgemental of him because, you see, God gave &#8216;em all a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time. Besides, they are like government bonds&#8230; They take so long to mature! so cut him a lil slack will ya <img src='http://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /></p>
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		<title>Comment on Where Have All the Arab Knights Gone? by ali</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2005/11/24/where-have-all-the-arab-knights-gone/#comment-8273</link>
		<dc:creator>ali</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:34:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2005/11/24/where-have-all-the-arab-knights-gone/#comment-8273</guid>
		<description>ineed friend</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>ineed friend</p>
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		<title>Comment on A Postmodern Invitation: Modernity Is a Holy Practical Joke by Devil Finch</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/a-postmodern-invitation-modernity-is-a-holy-practical-joke/#comment-8272</link>
		<dc:creator>Devil Finch</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:09:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=162#comment-8272</guid>
		<description>Hayat
I, frankly, don't think postmodernism has a texture. It is simply a provocative idea challenging our notion of modernity.  Many people think postmodernism says that we’re living a post modern era. To the contrary, postmodernism says we're still living an illusion we call “modernity” and we need to snap out of it and “find a nicer path.” It’s a radical invitation :)

Thanks for taking the time to read and to share your diligent thoughts.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hayat<br />
I, frankly, don&#8217;t think postmodernism has a texture. It is simply a provocative idea challenging our notion of modernity.  Many people think postmodernism says that we’re living a post modern era. To the contrary, postmodernism says we&#8217;re still living an illusion we call “modernity” and we need to snap out of it and “find a nicer path.” It’s a radical invitation <img src='http://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to read and to share your diligent thoughts.</p>
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		<title>Comment on A Postmodern Invitation: Modernity Is a Holy Practical Joke by hayat</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/a-postmodern-invitation-modernity-is-a-holy-practical-joke/#comment-8271</link>
		<dc:creator>hayat</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:08:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=162#comment-8271</guid>
		<description>Interesting combination of negative aspects of modern times! It was really fun reading this but dont you think "postmodern" texture of our lives is getting worn-out too? Is not "postmodernism" growing and being identified through modern terminology and modern concepts? (Just thinking out loud):)

Hope to find a nicer path...</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Interesting combination of negative aspects of modern times! It was really fun reading this but dont you think &#8220;postmodern&#8221; texture of our lives is getting worn-out too? Is not &#8220;postmodernism&#8221; growing and being identified through modern terminology and modern concepts? (Just thinking out loud):)</p>
<p>Hope to find a nicer path&#8230;</p>
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		<title>Comment on Escort by palak</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/escort/#comment-8270</link>
		<dc:creator>palak</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:13:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=179#comment-8270</guid>
		<description>Your blog is very informative and helpful. Keep it up.   Thanks</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Your blog is very informative and helpful. Keep it up.   Thanks</p>
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		<title>Comment on Perfect by Anonymous</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2006/04/16/perfect/#comment-8269</link>
		<dc:creator>Anonymous</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:39:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2006/04/16/perfect/#comment-8269</guid>
		<description>i dont know but i want to have anorexia ...i want to be thin sooo bad</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>i dont know but i want to have anorexia &#8230;i want to be thin sooo bad</p>
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		<title>Comment on A Postmodern Invitation: Modernity Is a Holy Practical Joke by Devil Finch</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/a-postmodern-invitation-modernity-is-a-holy-practical-joke/#comment-8262</link>
		<dc:creator>Devil Finch</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=162#comment-8262</guid>
		<description>Eshda3wa
I'm sure not all women like to be pushed around. I've only exagerated and generalized to have some cartoonish effect. Appreciate your time to read an comment.

Jewaira
I agree with you "few have grasped the real meaning of modernity and civilized behaviour," talking in conceptual terms. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.

Anonymous
Thanks for reading and commenting.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Eshda3wa<br />
I&#8217;m sure not all women like to be pushed around. I&#8217;ve only exagerated and generalized to have some cartoonish effect. Appreciate your time to read an comment.</p>
<p>Jewaira<br />
I agree with you &#8220;few have grasped the real meaning of modernity and civilized behaviour,&#8221; talking in conceptual terms. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.</p>
<p>Anonymous<br />
Thanks for reading and commenting.</p>
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		<title>Comment on False Employment by justpassingthrough</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/false-employment/#comment-8261</link>
		<dc:creator>justpassingthrough</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:38:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=165#comment-8261</guid>
		<description>Hadija, what I've always liked about your posts is that they're simply a direct hit of the hammer on the nail.  This is one subject close to my heart, and I want you to take heart because in this dark sea of ignorance and abuse there does exist a legally sanctioned organization called The Kuwait Social Work Society http://www.q8sws.com/

Please please, anyone who reads this or sees a victim that is not protected by our current laws you can contact q8sws (contact info found on provided link).  It is a human rights organization founded and run in obscurity by a small group of people that I perceive as modern angels.  

Remember these names: Bibi Nasser al-Sabah, Faisal Al-Massoud. The Kuwait Social Work Society.

Know of a housekeeper rotting in jail after being raped or pushed out the 2nd floor window by her sponsor? Any domestic or other laborer who is suffering and has caught your attention? contact them PLEASE.  They really do help these men/women.  Ive asked before and they've answered.  They make a difference for the mesaakeen and so can you.  They are the people behind the minute changes you have seen over the last few years on minimum wage and any development on the bedoon rights, etc.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hadija, what I&#8217;ve always liked about your posts is that they&#8217;re simply a direct hit of the hammer on the nail.  This is one subject close to my heart, and I want you to take heart because in this dark sea of ignorance and abuse there does exist a legally sanctioned organization called The Kuwait Social Work Society <a href="http://www.q8sws.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.q8sws.com/</a></p>
<p>Please please, anyone who reads this or sees a victim that is not protected by our current laws you can contact q8sws (contact info found on provided link).  It is a human rights organization founded and run in obscurity by a small group of people that I perceive as modern angels.  </p>
<p>Remember these names: Bibi Nasser al-Sabah, Faisal Al-Massoud. The Kuwait Social Work Society.</p>
<p>Know of a housekeeper rotting in jail after being raped or pushed out the 2nd floor window by her sponsor? Any domestic or other laborer who is suffering and has caught your attention? contact them PLEASE.  They really do help these men/women.  Ive asked before and they&#8217;ve answered.  They make a difference for the mesaakeen and so can you.  They are the people behind the minute changes you have seen over the last few years on minimum wage and any development on the bedoon rights, etc.</p>
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		<title>Comment on Call of Prayer by k5 g.</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/call-of-prayer/#comment-8259</link>
		<dc:creator>k5 g.</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:05:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=154#comment-8259</guid>
		<description>woooow ... i really have been touched by this amazing topic !
it's soOoOo sweet and nice ..
thanx  for sharing this it with us</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>woooow &#8230; i really have been touched by this amazing topic !<br />
it&#8217;s soOoOo sweet and nice ..<br />
thanx  for sharing this it with us</p>
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		<title>Comment on False Employment by jewaira</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/false-employment/#comment-8258</link>
		<dc:creator>jewaira</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:35:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=165#comment-8258</guid>
		<description>I think it's time an unbiased, comprehensive study is made in Kuwait specifically to understand the situation of domestic helpers: their backgrounds, their ambitions, the shortcomings and problems faced as well as the positive side to employment in Kuwait.

We need to understand the problem before applying haphazard solutions that are difficult to implement.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I think it&#8217;s time an unbiased, comprehensive study is made in Kuwait specifically to understand the situation of domestic helpers: their backgrounds, their ambitions, the shortcomings and problems faced as well as the positive side to employment in Kuwait.</p>
<p>We need to understand the problem before applying haphazard solutions that are difficult to implement.</p>
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		<title>Comment on False Employment by Anonymous</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/false-employment/#comment-8257</link>
		<dc:creator>Anonymous</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:11:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=165#comment-8257</guid>
		<description>I love this post. My blame lies in the government of the maids and their families. Their government sells their citizens for money because its their best export...and families send their mother,daughters, sisters, even sons so that they can have money. I try my very best to follow the prophets teachings because he eats from the same plate as his servant (anas bin malik).</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I love this post. My blame lies in the government of the maids and their families. Their government sells their citizens for money because its their best export&#8230;and families send their mother,daughters, sisters, even sons so that they can have money. I try my very best to follow the prophets teachings because he eats from the same plate as his servant (anas bin malik).</p>
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		<title>Comment on The Customized Hijab by Azarie</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8256</link>
		<dc:creator>Azarie</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:09:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8256</guid>
		<description>The man who posted this one doest not seem to be a Muslim, and if he/she is may Allah give him/her right path and believe Hijaab What mention in Quraan and Hadith is the only way for us to enter the Paradise and to achieve Allah’s Mercy / May Allah shower us with his mercy........very sad</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The man who posted this one doest not seem to be a Muslim, and if he/she is may Allah give him/her right path and believe Hijaab What mention in Quraan and Hadith is the only way for us to enter the Paradise and to achieve Allah’s Mercy / May Allah shower us with his mercy&#8230;&#8230;..very sad</p>
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		<title>Comment on False Employment by Adel</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/false-employment/#comment-8255</link>
		<dc:creator>Adel</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:14:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/?p=165#comment-8255</guid>
		<description>Very well said. All human beings have rights &#38; should be treated with dignity.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Very well said. All human beings have rights &amp; should be treated with dignity.</p>
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		<title>Comment on Loose Rap by Life in Queerate</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/loose-rap/#comment-8254</link>
		<dc:creator>Life in Queerate</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:37:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/loose-rap/#comment-8254</guid>
		<description>I agree. Queerate as I like to call it has so many extremes that juxtapositions and paradoxes are understatements. Many of the same people who enforced such laws probably practice homosexuality in private. In Kuwait, they know how to uphold a wide range of personalities for different people, and for different circumstances. One inshalla, for example, is often misconstrued as "fuck off" or "unlikely." Seldom is "God-willing" meant. 

It's without question, a loose rap.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I agree. Queerate as I like to call it has so many extremes that juxtapositions and paradoxes are understatements. Many of the same people who enforced such laws probably practice homosexuality in private. In Kuwait, they know how to uphold a wide range of personalities for different people, and for different circumstances. One inshalla, for example, is often misconstrued as &#8220;fuck off&#8221; or &#8220;unlikely.&#8221; Seldom is &#8220;God-willing&#8221; meant. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s without question, a loose rap.</p>
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		<title>Comment on Asylum by Life in Queerate</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/asylum/#comment-8253</link>
		<dc:creator>Life in Queerate</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:25:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/asylum/#comment-8253</guid>
		<description>Shrink, are you bipolar or schizophrenic in any way? I do not mean to pry, but you appear to have the symptoms of both. Is there also any connection to the patient resembling you as a obsessive-compulsive disordered (OCD) therapist? Why would the simplest human emotion, crying, get to you when shrinks are trained to absorb so much? Could it be because shrinks are just as much patients too?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Shrink, are you bipolar or schizophrenic in any way? I do not mean to pry, but you appear to have the symptoms of both. Is there also any connection to the patient resembling you as a obsessive-compulsive disordered (OCD) therapist? Why would the simplest human emotion, crying, get to you when shrinks are trained to absorb so much? Could it be because shrinks are just as much patients too?</p>
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		<title>Comment on The Customized Hijab by Life in Queerate</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8252</link>
		<dc:creator>Life in Queerate</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:27:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8252</guid>
		<description>The new remodeled hijab in the Gulf is a cock teasing instrument that prostitutes an alter ego more than shows sincerity that would abide to Islam. 

It's even more troubling to see mothers, who are fully veiled in black, allow their daughters to prance around looking like cheap hookers with their funked-out fluorescent and alien-headed hijabs, and do it right in front of them out in public for all men to mentally, and physically, masturbate to. 

Queerish, indeed.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The new remodeled hijab in the Gulf is a cock teasing instrument that prostitutes an alter ego more than shows sincerity that would abide to Islam. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s even more troubling to see mothers, who are fully veiled in black, allow their daughters to prance around looking like cheap hookers with their funked-out fluorescent and alien-headed hijabs, and do it right in front of them out in public for all men to mentally, and physically, masturbate to. </p>
<p>Queerish, indeed.</p>
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		<title>Comment on The Customized Hijab by sara bokker</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8251</link>
		<dc:creator>sara bokker</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:45:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8251</guid>
		<description>The New Symbol of Women’s Liberation 

Why I Shed Bikini For Niqab 
   

Now available in:
عربي            Español            Portugês      فارسى       Kiswahili          Deutsch           Bahasa Indonesia        Français            Italiano            Čeština            Svenska           Nederlands      中文
Türkçe 

Also available in: Hindi, &#38; Urdu (By E-mail)

By Sara Bokker 

I am an American woman who was born in the midst of America’s “Heartland.”   I grew up, just like any other girl, being fixated with the glamour of life in “the big city.”  Eventually, I moved to Florida and on to South Beach of Miami, a hotspot for those seeking the “glamorous life.”  Naturally, I did what most average Western girls do.  I focused on my appearance and appeal, basing my self-worth on how much attention I got from others.  I worked out religiously and became a personal trainer, acquired an upscale waterfront residence, became a regular “exhibiting” beach-goer and was able to attain a “living-in-style” kind of life. 

Years went by, only to realize that my scale of self-fulfillment and happiness slid down the more I progressed in my “feminine appeal.” I was a slave to fashion. I was a hostage to my looks.  

As the gap continued to progressively widen between my self-fulfillment and lifestyle, I sought refuge in escapes from alcohol and parties to meditation, activism, and alternative religions, only to have the little gap widen to what seemed like a valley.  I eventually realized it all was merely a pain killer rather than an effective remedy.

By now it was September 11, 2001.  As I witnessed the ensuing barrage on Islam, Islamic values and culture, and the infamous declaration of the “new crusade,” I started to notice something called Islam.  Up until that point, all I had associated with Islam was women covered in “tents,” wife beaters, harems, and a world of terrorism.  

As a feminist libertarian, and an activist who was pursuing a better world for all, my path crossed with that of another activist who was already at the lead of indiscriminately furthering causes of reform and justice for all.  I joined in the ongoing campaigns of my new mentor which included, at the time, election reform and civil rights, among others.  Now my new activism was fundamentally different.  Instead of “selectively” advocating justice only to some, I learned that ideals such as justice, freedom, and respect are meant to be and are essentially universal, and that own good and common good are not in conflict.  For the first time, I knew what “all people are created equal” really means.  But most importantly, I learned that it only takes faith to see the world as one and to see the unity in creation.

One day I came across a book that is negatively stereotyped in the West--The Holy Qur’an.  I was first attracted by the style and approach of the Qur’an, and then intrigued by its outlook on existence, life, creation, and the relationship between Creator and creation.  I found the Qur’an to be a very insightful address to heart and soul without the need for an interpreter or pastor.

Eventually I hit a moment of truth:  my new-found self-fulfilling activism was nothing more than merely embracing a faith called Islam where I could live in peace as a “functional” Muslim.

I bought  a beautiful long gown and head cover resembling  the Muslim woman’s dress code and I walked down the same streets and neighborhoods where only days earlier I had walked in my shorts, bikini, or “elegant” western business attire.  Although the people, the faces, and the shops were all the same, one thing was remarkably distinct--I was not--nor was the peace at being a woman I experienced for the very first time.  I felt as if the chains had been broken and I was finally free.  I was delighted with the new looks of wonder on people’s faces in place of the looks of a hunter watching his prey I had once sought.  Suddenly a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  I no longer spent all my time consumed with shopping, makeup, getting my hair done, and working out. Finally, I was free. 

Of all places, I found my Islam at the heart of what some call “the most scandalous place on earth,” which makes it all the more dear and special.

While content with Hijab I became curious about Niqab, seeing an increasing number of Muslim women in it. I asked my Muslim husband, whom I married after I reverted to Islam, whether I should wear Niqab or just settle for the Hijab I was already wearing.  My husband simply advised me that he believes Hijab is mandatory in Islam while Niqab is not.  At the time, my Hijab consisted of head scarf that covered all my hair except for my face, and a loose long black gown called “Abaya” that covered all my body from neck to toe.

A year-and-a-half passed, and I told my husband I wanted to wear Niqab.  My reason, this time, was that I felt it would be more pleasing to Allah, the Creator, increasing my feeling of peace at being more modest.  He supported my decision and took me to buy an “Isdaal,” a loose black gown that covers from head to toe, and Niqab, which covers all my head and face except for my eyes.

Soon enough, news started breaking about politicians, Vatican clergymen, libertarians, and so-called human rights and freedom activists condemning Hijab at times, and Niqab at others as being oppressive to women, an obstacle to social integration, and more recently, as an Egyptian official called it--“a sign of backwardness.”

I find it to be a blatant hypocrisy when Western governments and so-called human rights groups rush to defend woman’s rights when some governments impose a certain dress code on women, yet such “freedom fighters” look the other way when women are being deprived of their rights, work, and education just because they choose to exercise their right to wear Niqab or Hijab.  Today, women in Hijab or Niqab are being increasingly barred from work and education not only under totalitarian regimes such as in Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt, but also in Western democracies such as France, Holland, and Britain.

Today I am still a feminist,  but a Muslim feminist,  who calls on Muslim women to assume their responsibilities in providing all the support they can for their husbands to be good Muslims. To raise their children as upright Muslims so they may be beacons of light for all humanity once again. To enjoin good--any good--and to forbid evil--any evil.  To speak righteousness and to speak up against all ills.  To fight for our right to wear Niqab or Hijab and to please our Creator whichever way we chose.  But just as importantly to carry our experience with Niqab or Hijab to fellow women who may never have had the chance to understand what wearing Niqab or Hijab means to us and why do we, so dearly, embrace it.

Most of the women I know wearing Niqab are Western reverts,  some of whom are not even married.  Others wear Niqab without full support of either family or surroundings.  What we all have in common is that it is the personal choice of each and every one of us, which none of us is willing to surrender.  

Willingly or unwillingly, women are bombarded with styles of “dressing-in-little-to-nothing” virtually in every means of communication everywhere in the world.  As an ex non-Muslim, I insist on women’s right to equally know about Hijab, its virtues, and the peace and happiness it brings to a woman’s life as it did to mine.  Yesterday, the bikini was the symbol of my liberty, when in actuality it only liberated me from my spirituality and true value as a respectable human being.

I couldn’t be happier to shed my bikini in South Beach and the “glamorous” Western lifestyle to live in peace with my Creator and enjoy living among fellow humans as a worthy person.  It is why I choose to wear Niqab, and why I will die defending my inalienable right to wear it.

Today, Niqab is the new symbol of woman’s liberation to find who she is, what her purpose is, and the type of relation she chooses to have with her Creator.   

To women who surrender to the ugly stereotype against the Islamic modesty of Hijab, I say:  You don’t know what you are missing.

To you, the ill-fated corrupting conquerors of civilization, so-called crusaders, I say:  BRING IT ON.

Sara Bokker is a former actress/model/fitness instructor and activist. Currently, Sara is Director of Communications at "The March For Justice," a co-founder of "The Global Sisters Network," and producer of the infamous "Shock &#38; Awe Gallery."</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The New Symbol of Women’s Liberation </p>
<p>Why I Shed Bikini For Niqab </p>
<p>Now available in:<br />
عربي            Español            Portugês      فارسى       Kiswahili          Deutsch           Bahasa Indonesia        Français            Italiano            Čeština            Svenska           Nederlands      中文<br />
Türkçe </p>
<p>Also available in: Hindi, &amp; Urdu (By E-mail)</p>
<p>By Sara Bokker </p>
<p>I am an American woman who was born in the midst of America’s “Heartland.”   I grew up, just like any other girl, being fixated with the glamour of life in “the big city.”  Eventually, I moved to Florida and on to South Beach of Miami, a hotspot for those seeking the “glamorous life.”  Naturally, I did what most average Western girls do.  I focused on my appearance and appeal, basing my self-worth on how much attention I got from others.  I worked out religiously and became a personal trainer, acquired an upscale waterfront residence, became a regular “exhibiting” beach-goer and was able to attain a “living-in-style” kind of life. </p>
<p>Years went by, only to realize that my scale of self-fulfillment and happiness slid down the more I progressed in my “feminine appeal.” I was a slave to fashion. I was a hostage to my looks.  </p>
<p>As the gap continued to progressively widen between my self-fulfillment and lifestyle, I sought refuge in escapes from alcohol and parties to meditation, activism, and alternative religions, only to have the little gap widen to what seemed like a valley.  I eventually realized it all was merely a pain killer rather than an effective remedy.</p>
<p>By now it was September 11, 2001.  As I witnessed the ensuing barrage on Islam, Islamic values and culture, and the infamous declaration of the “new crusade,” I started to notice something called Islam.  Up until that point, all I had associated with Islam was women covered in “tents,” wife beaters, harems, and a world of terrorism.  </p>
<p>As a feminist libertarian, and an activist who was pursuing a better world for all, my path crossed with that of another activist who was already at the lead of indiscriminately furthering causes of reform and justice for all.  I joined in the ongoing campaigns of my new mentor which included, at the time, election reform and civil rights, among others.  Now my new activism was fundamentally different.  Instead of “selectively” advocating justice only to some, I learned that ideals such as justice, freedom, and respect are meant to be and are essentially universal, and that own good and common good are not in conflict.  For the first time, I knew what “all people are created equal” really means.  But most importantly, I learned that it only takes faith to see the world as one and to see the unity in creation.</p>
<p>One day I came across a book that is negatively stereotyped in the West&#8211;The Holy Qur’an.  I was first attracted by the style and approach of the Qur’an, and then intrigued by its outlook on existence, life, creation, and the relationship between Creator and creation.  I found the Qur’an to be a very insightful address to heart and soul without the need for an interpreter or pastor.</p>
<p>Eventually I hit a moment of truth:  my new-found self-fulfilling activism was nothing more than merely embracing a faith called Islam where I could live in peace as a “functional” Muslim.</p>
<p>I bought  a beautiful long gown and head cover resembling  the Muslim woman’s dress code and I walked down the same streets and neighborhoods where only days earlier I had walked in my shorts, bikini, or “elegant” western business attire.  Although the people, the faces, and the shops were all the same, one thing was remarkably distinct&#8211;I was not&#8211;nor was the peace at being a woman I experienced for the very first time.  I felt as if the chains had been broken and I was finally free.  I was delighted with the new looks of wonder on people’s faces in place of the looks of a hunter watching his prey I had once sought.  Suddenly a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  I no longer spent all my time consumed with shopping, makeup, getting my hair done, and working out. Finally, I was free. </p>
<p>Of all places, I found my Islam at the heart of what some call “the most scandalous place on earth,” which makes it all the more dear and special.</p>
<p>While content with Hijab I became curious about Niqab, seeing an increasing number of Muslim women in it. I asked my Muslim husband, whom I married after I reverted to Islam, whether I should wear Niqab or just settle for the Hijab I was already wearing.  My husband simply advised me that he believes Hijab is mandatory in Islam while Niqab is not.  At the time, my Hijab consisted of head scarf that covered all my hair except for my face, and a loose long black gown called “Abaya” that covered all my body from neck to toe.</p>
<p>A year-and-a-half passed, and I told my husband I wanted to wear Niqab.  My reason, this time, was that I felt it would be more pleasing to Allah, the Creator, increasing my feeling of peace at being more modest.  He supported my decision and took me to buy an “Isdaal,” a loose black gown that covers from head to toe, and Niqab, which covers all my head and face except for my eyes.</p>
<p>Soon enough, news started breaking about politicians, Vatican clergymen, libertarians, and so-called human rights and freedom activists condemning Hijab at times, and Niqab at others as being oppressive to women, an obstacle to social integration, and more recently, as an Egyptian official called it&#8211;“a sign of backwardness.”</p>
<p>I find it to be a blatant hypocrisy when Western governments and so-called human rights groups rush to defend woman’s rights when some governments impose a certain dress code on women, yet such “freedom fighters” look the other way when women are being deprived of their rights, work, and education just because they choose to exercise their right to wear Niqab or Hijab.  Today, women in Hijab or Niqab are being increasingly barred from work and education not only under totalitarian regimes such as in Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt, but also in Western democracies such as France, Holland, and Britain.</p>
<p>Today I am still a feminist,  but a Muslim feminist,  who calls on Muslim women to assume their responsibilities in providing all the support they can for their husbands to be good Muslims. To raise their children as upright Muslims so they may be beacons of light for all humanity once again. To enjoin good&#8211;any good&#8211;and to forbid evil&#8211;any evil.  To speak righteousness and to speak up against all ills.  To fight for our right to wear Niqab or Hijab and to please our Creator whichever way we chose.  But just as importantly to carry our experience with Niqab or Hijab to fellow women who may never have had the chance to understand what wearing Niqab or Hijab means to us and why do we, so dearly, embrace it.</p>
<p>Most of the women I know wearing Niqab are Western reverts,  some of whom are not even married.  Others wear Niqab without full support of either family or surroundings.  What we all have in common is that it is the personal choice of each and every one of us, which none of us is willing to surrender.  </p>
<p>Willingly or unwillingly, women are bombarded with styles of “dressing-in-little-to-nothing” virtually in every means of communication everywhere in the world.  As an ex non-Muslim, I insist on women’s right to equally know about Hijab, its virtues, and the peace and happiness it brings to a woman’s life as it did to mine.  Yesterday, the bikini was the symbol of my liberty, when in actuality it only liberated me from my spirituality and true value as a respectable human being.</p>
<p>I couldn’t be happier to shed my bikini in South Beach and the “glamorous” Western lifestyle to live in peace with my Creator and enjoy living among fellow humans as a worthy person.  It is why I choose to wear Niqab, and why I will die defending my inalienable right to wear it.</p>
<p>Today, Niqab is the new symbol of woman’s liberation to find who she is, what her purpose is, and the type of relation she chooses to have with her Creator.   </p>
<p>To women who surrender to the ugly stereotype against the Islamic modesty of Hijab, I say:  You don’t know what you are missing.</p>
<p>To you, the ill-fated corrupting conquerors of civilization, so-called crusaders, I say:  BRING IT ON.</p>
<p>Sara Bokker is a former actress/model/fitness instructor and activist. Currently, Sara is Director of Communications at &#8220;The March For Justice,&#8221; a co-founder of &#8220;The Global Sisters Network,&#8221; and producer of the infamous &#8220;Shock &amp; Awe Gallery.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Comment on The Customized Hijab by sumando</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8250</link>
		<dc:creator>sumando</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:25:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8250</guid>
		<description>it's a new life style. n thats amazing. horas. toba. indonesia</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>it&#8217;s a new life style. n thats amazing. horas. toba. indonesia</p>
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		<title>Comment on The Customized Hijab by Xu</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8247</link>
		<dc:creator>Xu</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:14:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/the-customized-hijab/#comment-8247</guid>
		<description>This is the harsh truth. Im a Muslim. But this is the truth and I loathe it. I get goosebumps while reading this..but not because of the picture..and what the fellow had said..but of the thought that Judgement Day is near. Its getting closer by the minute and this is one of the signs. There will be worse .. and theres nothing we can do about it but pray for our family and for ourselves; So we could be guided by Allah. آلله يستر علينا
And as for the case of those whom misuses the Hijab ..who very badly misuses the Hijab.. remember my fellow Muslims..cussing them is not the way..remember that there is no punishment like Allah's.

God bless. Peace.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is the harsh truth. Im a Muslim. But this is the truth and I loathe it. I get goosebumps while reading this..but not because of the picture..and what the fellow had said..but of the thought that Judgement Day is near. Its getting closer by the minute and this is one of the signs. There will be worse .. and theres nothing we can do about it but pray for our family and for ourselves; So we could be guided by Allah. آلله يستر علينا<br />
And as for the case of those whom misuses the Hijab ..who very badly misuses the Hijab.. remember my fellow Muslims..cussing them is not the way..remember that there is no punishment like Allah&#8217;s.</p>
<p>God bless. Peace.</p>
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		<title>Comment on Contemplation by anon</title>
		<link>http://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2005/11/08/contemplation/#comment-8246</link>
		<dc:creator>anon</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:21:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://inkaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2005/11/08/contemplation/#comment-8246</guid>
		<description>Ali Naqvi, it is a personal matter of choice as to how one chooses to lead their lives.  If I incur the wrath of God and contradict my religion, as you say, then I shall suffer the consequences and not you.  Who are you to impose how I want to live? Are you God? Are you me? God gave me the gift of free will and the ability to evolve as a human based on my intention- not yours or your wisdom and personal morality. The greatest folly of the Islamic nation is that we violently impose our morality on others. Let everyone live thier lives in peace, for judgement is not yours, but Gods.

wa salaam alaycom.

PS Ayya you rock, as always.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ali Naqvi, it is a personal matter of choice as to how one chooses to lead their lives.  If I incur the wrath of God and contradict my religion, as you say, then I shall suffer the consequences and not you.  Who are you to impose how I want to live? Are you God? Are you me? God gave me the gift of free will and the ability to evolve as a human based on my intention- not yours or your wisdom and personal morality. The greatest folly of the Islamic nation is that we violently impose our morality on others. Let everyone live thier lives in peace, for judgement is not yours, but Gods.</p>
<p>wa salaam alaycom.</p>
<p>PS Ayya you rock, as always.</p>
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