A lot of the women here are Muslims and do cover up their bodies and their hair. Some even wear a veil over their whole face (which is really strange when passing in an aisle or on a narrow street, because it appears as if they can’t see you, just because you can’t see them, but these veils are see through after all), some only cover their mouths, some cover all but their eyes, wearing a mask which also covers their noses and foreheads. When they come into the bathrooms (and young women do tend to hang out in these location at times, it seems), they take their “disguise” off and seem relieved for the first moments. When they cover up again to go out, I get the understanding that they “hide” – it appears as if these women like to hide – at least some of them. They slip out – undiscovered and anonymous AND comfortable. …………Now, this observation is clearly from an outside observer and I don’t really know a Muslim woman on a personal level. I have talked to some –in a store, or in an elevator, or on the street. All of them seem proud, holding their heads up high.
There seems to be a choice, even when wearing black robes. There are stores of black robes all in different shapes and decoration, with beads around the edges. Stores FULL of them and many stores too. I watched a woman in a bank, she was working behind the counter, she was barefoot with bright red painted toenail. The robe was long, all the way to the ground, but she left it unbuttoned, so with some moves the robe would open up and revealed a beautiful body shape, a pair of tightly worn jeans covering her legs. She moved as if she wore a bathing suit. Her hair was covered up, but her beautiful face was accentuated with some make up. (A few robe- wearing women wear a lot of makeup). So, in all that there are choices and there is a range. I like the idea of being able to hide, I like it!
Wish I had a picture, but they won’t let me take one………….sorry!
