Most religions, East and West, have inconsistencies in how we view them. Not all Moslems are terrorists...just as all Christians are not White Aryan Nation freaks from Idaho; not all Southern Baptist speak in tongues and play with snakes, and everyone in Texas is not a Waco Whack Job like David Koresh or Guyana's Jim Jones. As for the Middle East, that requires a writer much more informed and educated than I am. I was raised Catholic, and still today, Catholics and Protestants don’t have it together in Northern Ireland! Crosses and Crucifixes have been replaced decades ago by bombs and guns.
There are sociological earthquakes today along the fault lines in pockets of the Islamic world that are creating a state of subtle revolt when it comes to the traditional Islamic gender roles of male domination and the subjugation of the fairer sex to the bottom rung of the sexuality food chain. Some more orthodox Islamic communities adhere to the absurd status quo that relegates the female to a subordinated role as a servant in the man’s household and as a mere sexual piece of property.
Moslem morality calls for faithful women to follow the mantra of Moslem modesty in dress while in public. to protect women from the temptations of men whose penis may overrule common sense and wish opt for a romp in Aladdin’s vagina garden of Moslem delights.
Islamic culture forbids the unwed female to show their faces in public, let alone be seen in hot pants or bikini’s. This culture has flourished for centuries. Another by-product of this culture, or rather the dark side, that is not a part of Islamic law and theory, is the predatory practice of human trafficking, rape and violence of women in emerging nations. In Indonesia, despite government attempts to curb these practices and prosecute them as crimes, they are as common as rush hour in Chicago.
Bob Dylan said..”The Times Are a Changin’ and in the Moslem world, women are starting to revolt against centuries of cultural and religious slavery. The shackles are coming off, the hot pants are going on and the Moslem woman is morphing into her own version of Xena...Islamic Warrior Princess!
One Indonesian woman who personifies the new Islamic Xena is Adeela (Equal), a 20 year old model from Jakarta. She not only defies these concepts, but is embarking on a modeling career that has her out of a burqa and into a pair of tight fitting form enhancing Guess Jeans.
According to Adeela there are many misconceptions about Islamic culture as a whole. “Islam is a religion that loves peace, humanity, dignity. In Islam, the highest roles, yes are by men. Now, however Islam is changing for modern era which means now men and women are becoming equal. In Islam, women are considered precious diamonds,” she said, “So this is why, in Islam, Women have to wear hijab to covers the body, from top on down. The use of hijab covers a woman’s body from other men who are not husband.” So are women regarded as slaves, property?
Adeela explains passionately the Jekyll and Hyde Yin and Yang of this concept. “Usually people say, Islam treats women like slaves, and yes it is true, however if read between the lines of the Islamic Prophet, Muhammad, he says, women are like diamonds, and you should treat them like a princess. In this modern era now men and women are equal thanks to women who are changing the gender rules, but, some people still treat women as slaves. Slave as in “must do this, that” perspective. As a housewives yes, it is all a woman must do, but sometimes in Islam, people say too much pressure on it so this is why its created to appear as a “slave” mentality and culture. In Islam, women usually can’t work outside, or can’t do business. They have to stay at home. This has become a controversy, which means this treats women like a prisoner. Many perspectives of this comes from the women themselves,” she said.
Indonesia has marched to it’s version of democracy allowing for equality to prevail over the veil, and has one of the largest Islamic populations in the world but still has a path to equality not yet taken. “Because Indonesia has created a nation of diversity of culture and religion, women’s rights in Indonesia are equal, but, sometimes rights are not always equal so there is still a gap. Many domestic violence case happen. Sometimes this happens because of economic reasons and some say marriage misunderstandings area reason, and less communication. So the rights are still not in synchronous balance or harmonious alignment with enlightened democracies, like say in the West’s more industrial nations,” she said.
As a model emerging from and Islamic community in a state of cultural metamorphosis she faces not only gender discrimination, but body shape discrimination as well where “tall and thin” is considered desirable over short and enhanced. Not a BBW as it is termed in the west but full bodied.
Actually her attractiveness is not just a matter of beauty...she has a power packed physique that literally drips with sexuality and sensuality, or as she says, “Chubby Power”
She talked about this form of pervasive mental persecution she and others faced. “Shape discrimination in Asia is usually in favor of a great body shape usually identified with skinny girls. Even sometimes when you apply for a job in Indonesia sometimes you can see the qualifications of getting a job means you “have to look perfect, slim body, 165cm tall” for teller. This is a matter of shape discrimination. I mean, getting a job it shouldn’t have to be about what you have on the outside, but the emphasis should center on the skills on the inside. Chubby women in Indonesia get cornered, and it hurts very deep when people call her words like elephant and many other derogatory names.”
This also affects the non-skinny female in relationships. “It is hard to get a life partner. Mostly Asian men see a woman merely from a physical standpoint, and the whole woman is not taken into account. Skinny is nice too, but well endowed woman such as myself can also pack a powerful sexual punch, and, ha they don’t know what they are missing,” she said.
Adeela is not just power packed and stacked but she exudes a femininity and sexuality that now defines the modern Moslem woman emerging on the horizon where women like Adeela are leading the charge with a fury. Look out those of us in the West, we’re about to meet in a head on collision with the East as Islamic Woman will soon uncover and be on the cover of Vogue as she goes from burqa to bikini on the drag strip of change, as they say goodbye to “ “haiyaa” (timidity) and say Hi Ya to Hot Pants!