I think it's because it just doesn't go with the hijab in westerner's minds. Too many people associate Syria (and other middle eastern countries) primarily with the image of a woman so shrouded in fabric only her eyes are visible. Doesn't fit the western "let it all hang out" version of sexuality, and so it gets attention. Now, find the Americans who have developed a fascination with Middle Eastern bellydance, and I promise you no one will be surprised!
It seems strange to Americans because ... forgive me if I presume to speak for all Americans -- I am sure that I do not, but this is my perception of us ... because we see the traditional clothing of women in primarily Islamic countries as being a reflection of their attitudes toward women: that in Islamic cultures, women are not human, not people. They are the tasks they perform, no more and no less. They have no bodies, no faces, no thoughts, no dreams, and no value beyond what they can provide to the men who claim ownership over them.
To Americans, the burqa, the hijab, the niqāb -- these exist to enforce the idea that a woman is not a person, not a human. Simply a faceless possession, like a cow or a goat.
So it seems extremely strange to (some of) us that anyone in an Islamic culture would buy lingerie, which is seen by (some) Americans as a celebration of female beauty, power, and independence.
This is my perception. I am sure there are many who would disagree.
I always found it strange that in Arab countries which are more socially conservative, lingerie sales people tend to be men while that is not the case in the west.
I was watching that video thinking, hey that's kinda neat, but then they got to the part where women don't always have a choice in whether or not they wear it. Also the bit about the 'role' of the wife is to look 'elegant' for her husband.
Women like to look sexy for their lovers, but it's their choice, you know? From here it looks like a big facet of the lingerie markets plays into the objectification of women. :(
I wouldn't appear as if I consider west culture is best (and if it appears I'm sorry in advance) but... In my opinion the unpleasent thing is that in middle east countries buying lingerie don't appear to be a willing of a woman that want to express her personality or to show her seduction style or so on... It appears instead like a task: lingerie like an instrument to do the task to satisfy their men... (but It satisfies women too?). In the footage someone clearly expresses this role division: "My task is go to work every day, my wife's task is to be elegant and sexy for me when I come back home..." In this I don't find a lot of attractiveness... sexual satisfaction is an exchange I think. I'm sorry if I hurt someone...It wasn't my intention.
The deep secret of how women dress almost everywhere is ... it's mostly for other women ... if you have a great new pair of boots and wear them to work, the men won't notice (and if they compliment them, they likely are not straight anyway)
Women dress up for other women. Even sexy stuff. Lingerie is gifted by straight women here to each other ...
8 comments:
I think it's because it just doesn't go with the hijab in westerner's minds. Too many people associate Syria (and other middle eastern countries) primarily with the image of a woman so shrouded in fabric only her eyes are visible. Doesn't fit the western "let it all hang out" version of sexuality, and so it gets attention.
Now, find the Americans who have developed a fascination with Middle Eastern bellydance, and I promise you no one will be surprised!
It seems strange to Americans because ... forgive me if I presume to speak for all Americans -- I am sure that I do not, but this is my perception of us ... because we see the traditional clothing of women in primarily Islamic countries as being a reflection of their attitudes toward women: that in Islamic cultures, women are not human, not people. They are the tasks they perform, no more and no less. They have no bodies, no faces, no thoughts, no dreams, and no value beyond what they can provide to the men who claim ownership over them.
To Americans, the burqa, the hijab, the niqāb -- these exist to enforce the idea that a woman is not a person, not a human. Simply a faceless possession, like a cow or a goat.
So it seems extremely strange to (some of) us that anyone in an Islamic culture would buy lingerie, which is seen by (some) Americans as a celebration of female beauty, power, and independence.
This is my perception. I am sure there are many who would disagree.
I always found it strange that in Arab countries which are more socially conservative, lingerie sales people tend to be men while that is not the case in the west.
I was watching that video thinking, hey that's kinda neat, but then they got to the part where women don't always have a choice in whether or not they wear it. Also the bit about the 'role' of the wife is to look 'elegant' for her husband.
Women like to look sexy for their lovers, but it's their choice, you know? From here it looks like a big facet of the lingerie markets plays into the objectification of women. :(
The book has already been written-
The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie: Intimacy and Design, Malu Halasa and Rana Salam (ed.), Chronicle Books San Francisco, 2008, 176 pages
I wouldn't appear as if I consider west culture is best (and if it appears I'm sorry in advance) but...
In my opinion the unpleasent thing is that in middle east countries buying lingerie don't appear to be a willing of a woman that want to express her personality or to show her seduction style or so on... It appears instead like a task: lingerie like an instrument to do the task to satisfy their men... (but It satisfies women too?).
In the footage someone clearly expresses this role division: "My task is go to work every day, my wife's task is to be elegant and sexy for me when I come back home..."
In this I don't find a lot of attractiveness...
sexual satisfaction is an exchange I think.
I'm sorry if I hurt someone...It wasn't my intention.
The deep secret of how women dress almost everywhere is ... it's mostly for other women ...
if you have a great new pair of boots and wear them to work, the men won't notice (and if they compliment them, they likely are not straight anyway)
Women dress up for other women. Even sexy stuff. Lingerie is gifted by straight women here to each other ...
At least that's my experience
When I got married (to a Tunisian) I was given a sexy pair of pajamas by his family.
I hate pressure to be sexy or to be pretty--all I want to be is myself.
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