Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Like many Westerners, I'm intrigued and perplexed by the tradition of women
in religious families or communities needing to be covered in public for modesty.
Modesty requirements are not unique to Muslims. Some conservative Christian wo-
men are expected to cover their heads in church. Some ultra-Orthodox Jewish wo-
men are expected to shave their heads and to wear a wig in public. And many
Muslim women cover their heads. In Palestine, far more women wear scarves in
Hebron and Nablus than in the more cosmopolitan cities of Bethlehem and Ramal-
lah. For Muslim men, it's a sin to look lustfully at a woman who's not your wife.
Around here, hair is sexy, and in the strictest of Muslim societies, women carefully
cover up every strand in public. (Of course, in the privacy of their own domestic
world, they are welcome to be as sexy as they like for their husbands.)
Happily for many men, the scarf—while meant to downplay a woman's
beauty—has morphed into something stylish and sexy in itself. Women can be tech-
nically proper with their faith while still looking good. These days, scarves are
worn like peacock tails. For many women, much care is put into coordinating their
scarves, nail polish, handbags, and lipstick. One woman I met told me that she has
over a hundred scarves, and each morning, she enjoys choosing one that fits her
mood. It's an ensemble. You never wear pattern-on-pattern or solid-on-solid. If the
dress is solid, the hijab will be patterned. I picked up another fashion tip: Propping
up the back end with an empty yogurt cup as you tie it gives it a fetching lift.
The women I talked with agreed that women are free to be individuals in
Palestine, and that choosing to wear the hijab was entirely up to them. The woman
who covers up is just as socially active, and in on all of the jokes and fun. But when
she walks in public, she feels she gets more respect.
