I was given a tip to check out an episode tonight (Saturday) on the Oprah show -- about the world's happiest women. One of the interviewees was an Emirati woman from Dubai named Dr. Lamees Hamdan, a mother of four. The segment starts off with a brief introduction of where and what Dubai is -- since Oprah explains that "not many people know about this place" -- which is kinda funny because even my red-neck Uncle Cletus has heard of Dubai -- and cuts to clips of Dr. Lamees' residential neighbourhood which include her family's large villas. Dr. Lamees is wearing a deep purple jalabiya and an elderly woman is seen sitting at the lunch table wearing a burga, shayla & abaya.
OKay so let's get down to what I liked and didn't like about the image that was portrayed by Dr. Lamees:
Before anyone says "Hey Aalia -- do you even know who this woman is?" and the answer is YES, I do know who she is -- and that's all I need to say LOL!!
Alhamdulillah, I liked how Dr. Lamees explained why families here have maids, drivers and other household staff -- that it's normal and can be beneficial for both the employer and employee. She added that the regular role of a "local woman" is to be pampered by the men in her family ie. father and husband. I can testify to this %100, hehehe ;-)
Meanwhile I was waiting for Oprah to ask something like, "do all the women in your country wear the shayla, abaya and burga?" Now if I were given this question, I would have said a completely different answer than Dr. Lamees... Anyways, she explained that the abaya and shayla are seen as purely cultural, not religious symbols (wrong). And no one under the age of 60 would be seen wearing a burga (wrong again). Then she said the whole "why is covering my body seen as oppression" which I thought was really irrelevent on the read-between-the-lines question about how the girls' thoughts are like on wearing abaya w/shayla.
My cousin-in-law expressed her dissatisfaction with the interview, explaining that she did not feel Dr. Lamees represented the entire Emirati community as a whole. My worry was that the stereotype that every single local in the UAE has a Mercedes Benz, carries a LV bag and enjoys unlimited access to money would prevail in the West.
I personally feel that other issues should have been brought up as to why ladies in the Emirates feel that they are "one of the happiest women in the world". Issues such as how important it is for many of us to cling to our religious morals -- actually Oprah herself did mention how the UAE is "rooted in deep Islamic traditions" -- and to maintain values like modesty, humility and the belief that everything we have is a BLESSING from God. The ladies from Denmark who were interviewed made a remark that "it's funny how we are ranked as being the happiest women in the world but we are also known to be the least religious".
Riiiiight.
You can check out the 3-something minute clip and I am interested what YOU thought or have to say, inshaa'Allah!!
36 And you thought...:
i watched it...
i want her life...loool
ASA I too have seen this show and had a great conversation about the issue of her saying that the shayla and abaya are cultural. It really burns me when Muslims equate something that is totally Islamic with culture and then we have the terrorist that use Islam for cultural issues!!!! I agree with you totally about what you said about her saying that we are happy and blessed because Allah has blessed us!!! The way I look at it is like this she had the perfect opportunity to present Islam is a beautiful manner and seemed to want to run away from the very issue. I feel that I find more and more that Muslims want to hide their Islam so they maybe more acceptable. We need so desperately to show good examples of Islam and Muslims especially if they are on TV. Last week on Greys Anatomy there was a character who was Muslim and a patient and his presence and attitude towards life was remarkable, then they showed a shot of him praying and it was the best portrayal of a Muslim I have seen on TV in a long while!!!! Even my sister who is not Muslim said that a lot of her friends had commented on how they portrayed a
Muslim is a good light. Then Fort Hood happens and I feel like we are back to square one....
I think this interview gives a very narrow view of what life in Dubai is actually like for most of the residents, esp. the foreign workers and the Bedu who still live a very traditional life outside the city. Not everyone has a 4000 sq. foot home and AC.
Thanks for posting the link, I completely forgot to watch it...
You're right, she could have said so much more but she didn't. She nourished the whole 'rich Emirati' stereotype and barely touched on Islam. However, it's been heavily edited so maybe she said stuff that was edited out?
i dont like life.
hmmm (sort of hmmm from your previous post lol)
I would say this is what the people (outside islam) sees or wants to see a muslim as... they judge by the people not by the book..
For example.. Bollywood is filled till the neck with muslim names, (I say muslim names as they may or may not be muslim) So non-muslim thinks that this is what a "good muslim" should be. They dont know that the sister living in their neighbour, who wears a hijab and lives her life, is a better muslim.
Javed Akhtar for eg, many people think he is a muslim, I am not sure but if in any of the interviews he says he doesnot believe in god i really doubt it.
Bottomline, people show what they like to see, By showing a affluent, educated and intellectual lady in dubai, who doesnot wear a hijab they really want to infuse in people's mind that wearing a hijab is not necessary thus taking away from Quran and hadith...
May Allah Guide us all...
Salaam Aleykum Aalia sis!!!
Thanks for sharing, I looked at a longer clip on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo0DpesN9gY)which has the interview as well, and I found it a very typical portrayal of life in the Emirates. You know many people do have this misconception that everyone is somehow super rich and have all these luxuries and awesome life styles, but inequality presists everywhere in the world, and Dubai is no exception. Where ever you have the super rich you also have the super poor (who else would be her cook, driver, maid? right) There is nothing wrong with having such advantages, but let's face it not everyone is as fortunate as Dr. Lamees. It kind of boldens that stereotypical image of Dubai.
I agree with you on that abaya coment. She said herself she is a 'feminist' which usually negates the idea of islam in some way or another. I would say her Jalabiya is more traditional then the black abaya and sayla! Isn't it?
I have never been to Dubai myself, but like any girl, I dream of going there one in my lifetime lol --- inshaAllah --- so I couldn't tell you much more about the episode. I never liked Oprah that much - she comes off like a big hypocrite to me, but that's another issue.
Also - why is happiness equated with wealth? She should have defined what 'happiness' means?!!
we have to die someday and we can all get into severe trouble right now
and i dunno why people go on and on about money and fame
Rubber
While Oprah coverage in Dubai is a cool feat for the UAE, this just seems to be a bit too 'Pollyana'-esque.
Sure, there will be people like that living here and kudos to them. But that is just one facet of living here - not the entire population, Emirati or both expat/Emirati.
hiii was waiting for a post on this one..well i agree with u...yes she should have said that the aabaya abd shayla are islamic and she just chose not to wear it..also about the burqa maybe she was talking only about dubai and not the other emirates coz she is kinda right about that..in dubai not many wear it except the old..however in abu dhabi and other emirates yes u do find ppl who are younger wearing it but still rare...
Hi There, Its Steph (Amira) living in Dubai. I think what she was trying to say as far as abaya and shayla being cultural is that covering the body properly IS Islamic but the abaya and shayla are cultural in the gulf. All the different cultures that are Islamic have thier own method of covering as per Islamic standards and in the gulf region it is the abaya and shayla which would put it into a cultural category. I had a conversation with a girl once that tried to tell me that the Quran states that one should wear the abaya and shayla and when I got a written fatwa on it just to settle the matter once and for all with her, the Imam confirmed that convering is by the Islamic standards but abaya and shayla are the prefered choice in the gulf. The methods of covering differ culturally. So I know what she was trying to say but she said it not clear for everyone to understand.
Assalaamu alaikum Alia,
I may be way off base here, but from my contact with a lot of khaleejis they do see the abaya and shayla as something purely related to culture/ tradition--rather than islamic. I haven't been to Dubai, but my city has LOADS of international students from the Gulf and I can count on one half of one hand those who wear any sort of abaya and hijab combo. So I don't think she's alone in her belief that shayla/abaya are part of Gulf culture (sadly enough).
Ah well, I never expect much from Oprah or the people she picks to interview.
Insha'Allah everyone is well and with high imaan
-Rayanne
What an interesting interview.
But I agree with others, it really leaves out a whole 'nother part of Dubai. I didn't really have an issue with her not wearing hijab, her choice and it doesn't make her 'less' of a muslim, but I didn't agree with the fact that she labeled hijab as cultural.
Dubai must have more layers than the local, rich, pampered women who often represent it.
@Rubber: whaaat...? O_o
well.. to be honest, from what you said I'm not very interested in seeing this interview. I'm tired of people and the whole "hijab/oppression/tradition" deal. drives me nuts. why can't someone just say - as simplistic as it is - something like "it's a religious garment so that women are not to be judged by their appearance". some ppl would go "ooooh... i never thought about it that way". because that was exactly my reaction when I learned about hijab from a Muslim girl 10 years ago. I was like "oh that makes a lot of sense now thinking about it".
but no... no... ppl want to hang to stereotypes and common place ideas such as the ever annoying "religion = oppression of thiking" and the whole "secular" deal that I still don't really get.
oh... sorry I'm cranky today... hehehe :)
Salaamu `alaikum and HI to everyone who shared their opinions!! I'll be replying from top to bottom this time :-D
Wa`alaikum asalaam wa rahmatullah Nida!!
I agree with u %100 -- of course my tipster told me to watch out for the "everyone in Dubai is living it up" image that is so often portayed.
***On a completely different note, I was just told my new maid is ready to be picked up so please excuse me. I'll come back as soon as I show her around inshaa'Allah!!***
Rayanne wrote:
from my contact with a lot of khaleejis they do see the abaya and shayla as something purely related to culture/ tradition--rather than islamic
I agree with that. dr Lamees is not alone but still they are a minority and inshallah will always be a minority. Many times I heard of how bad (islamically improper) khaleeji girls, studying in the West, dress. No wonder they view abaya as cultural and not religious because they dont know much about their religion.
In my opinion most of those khaleeji girls studying abroad do not come from traditional Emirati families with strong Islamic and cultural values. Otherwise they would not let their precious daughters study far away from home (mix with boys, wear bad clothes etc). So for me those khaleejiyat studying abroad or those hijabless local women living and working here in the UAE are not representative for majority of Emirati women. And trust me a lot of traditional local women view them as bad role models and don't approve of them.
From the other hand, at least they choose for Oprah show someone good looking, educated and who knows how to speak English.
But it made me feel a bit like they wanted to show that "an educated woman" and hence she's not religious or traditional. As if it's one or another. While I've met many religious educated women here mashallah...
assalam alaikum
That Dr. Lamees was a bad choice to represent Emirati women because she's not what an average local woman is.
Most local women wear abaya and shaila and those who don't are really few, they are exceptions.
All Emirati women I've ever met wear abayas and sheilas and view it rather religious than cultural clothes. They love their abayas and headscarves. And even if they viewed it as cultural they would still love to cover because Locals are proud of their traditions and culture.
I don't really understand what women like her (dr Lamees) try to manifest by "choosing" not to cover. Maybe by their Western look they make it obvious that they love Western values, tradition and lifestyle more than their own- Islamic and Emirati. Her husband (if he lets his wife not to cover) should also be not a common Emirati man but westernized and far from his roots as much as she is.
Salaam peeps
I'll be on tomorrow morning inshaa'Allah to reply to everyone, but I just wanted to add quickly that I really liked what Alice said. But more on that later!!
Good night <3
As Salaam Alaikum Aalia,
Is Dr. Lamees an Emirati? I think that she is originally Syrian or Jordanian?...anyway, I wish that a true Emirati woman with deep roots in this country would have been picked who would have represented Islam and this country much better. This segment would make everyone in her audience (gullible and influenced as they are) that all Emiratis live a luxurious life...another rich Arab-stereotype.
I don't think that Oprah has ever interviewed a Muslim woman unless they are a "modern Muslim"...Queen Rania was interviewed by Oprah a few years ago and she presented herself as a "modern Muslim" and I forgot what Oprah said...but you know...Oprah influences sooo many people all over the world.
I am not really a fan of Oprah anymore since Queen Rania's interview on Oprah.
MaryAnn
@ Odna
I am always cranky.
Rubber.
Jazakum Allah Khair Alice! I feel much more enlightened lol!!! :)
I do feel that most Western shows deliberately choose a "non practicing" (or at least portrayed so) woman to represent an 'islamic' society --- it's part of their propaganda to say "you see this is progress" or "the muslim woman who adapts western femininist values is a liberated woman" kinda statement!
It's quite frustrating!!!
They seldmoly get a practicing muslim woman who is also quite educated and knows how to truly represent our communities! And they are out there!!!
Hey Alia,
Assalamalikum
I agree with you on some points.I was born and brought up in the UAE and have lived there for 23 years.Most of my Emirati friends admit to the abaya and sheila being a cultural thing.I would ask them about their colorful sequinned sheilas or when they would wear the sheila with their curls or fringes shown.They would tell me its cultural rather than religious.Also, some of their abayas would have a long slit on the front and you could see stylish jeans or fancy skirts.
of course, there was another group of emirati friends who would wear the abaya and sheila the right manner with full length closed abayas and sheilas which covered the hair completely.
My emirati friends who would wear abaya and sheila in the UAE would wear regular western wear when traveling abroad on vacation or on exchange program from school.
I'm not judgin that its wrong or anything.Hijab has certain conditions which need to be fulfilled.Its not restricted by culture as in just the abaya is the right form of hijab.You can wear loose clothing like a tunic and loose trousers.You need to make sure your body is fully covered.The head gear should cover your hair completely as well as your neck and ears.
I agree with Alice.I have an Emirati friend who was in Washington during summer to do her research.She's presently pursuing a MS/PhD in Petroleum Engineering from the Petroleum Institute of Abudhabi.She's also attending quran memorization classes at Ibn katheer and also chooses to cover her face.mashAllah she's one of those women who strive to excel in all fields and do a great job at it.She is well versed in matters of religion as well as an excellent student.While I was at school doing my engineering, she was my senior by 2 years.She was an Honors student.She was also our lab instructor.
Ooooh everyone -- guess who is sick with a head cold???
I am resting in bed and feel very tired so I will not be responding to any comments until I feel well enough to sit up for long periods of time :-(
Make du`a for me plz!!
Me back, hehe!!
So let's get started, shall we ;-)
Nida -- when u come to the UAE let me know okay????
Hey Ghost Writer -- maybe she said some other things that were edited out, but then again, maybe she didn't? I don't like to play the Doubt Game, just that some of the answers Dr. Lamees gave I would have worded differently :-)
LoL Angie Nader!! Yes, it sure looks good on the outside, eh? But there are some flaws that come with this type of lifestyle -- trust me ;-)
Yes AFAQ (LOL @ hmmm) -- I can see where you are coming from and I remember a particular interview featuring Queen Rania of Jordan... The media wants to show that a woman who is not covered is "liberated" while the rest of us poor girls in black cloaks are not.
But anyone who is in the UAE can see that we have more fun with our abayaat & shayla than outsiders may think ;-)
Wa`alaikum asalaam wa rahmatullah Malek!! Huh I didn't know about the Muslim character on Grey's Anatomy -- but then again I have never seen that show LOL!! But far too many a time we are shown as violent, angry and inhumane ppl -- and I applaud anything or anyone who portrays what %99.99991 of us actually are like.
Many, MANY Muslims themselves get confused with what is Islamic & what is CULTURE or vice-versa. This is what happens when we do not seek `ilm (knowledge) or just rely on the next person to tell us about our faith.
Never do that!!
Hmmmm Stacy AKA Fahiima -- I heard there was a debate in one of the English-language newspapers about that exact topic. One side of the argument was, "well Oprah was asking about the LOCALS, not the foreigners or the expats". My thoughts, "what about people like ME?" I am not an expat and I am not classed as a foreigner either -- I am someone who has come to UAE to make this place my home!! Not only that but my status here is "wife of a local" so I pretty much get the same rights & treatment of that of a local Emirati -- and I can say from both my POV and others that we feel Dr. Lamees did not speak for all of us.
Sure, she did a good job showing how awesome it can be to live here -- but there always more than one opinion :-)
As- Salaamu Alaaykum, very good points from nida and alice. I want to say the portrayal of "good" Muslimahs through the Western Media will almost always look modernized, which leaves us to search for the truth. Its Oprah we r talking about she will choose the story that will make her ratings look good and telling the full truth is just not her style. It’s not surprising to see that the representation of Emirati women was not fully captured. Again this question about cultural and religious as far as the abaaya or any type of outer garment is very much so explained in Qur'an and the Sunnah.
Qur'an: Tran:Ya ayyuha annabiyyuqul li-azwajika wabanatika wanisa-ialmu/mineena yudneena AAalayhinna min jalabeebihinna thalikaadna an yuAArafna fala yu/thayna wakanaAllahu ghafooran raheema
English:O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. 33:59
From the word jalabeebihinna which is translated to mean outer garment for the wives and the daughters of the Prophet (saas) and beleiving women. We all should now this verse very well. jilbaab is used in this ayat. And an abaaya is similar in design to a jilbaab with the same purpose of being a outer garment. Now for those saying that the abaaya is cultural then u are basically inferring that the Qur'an is cultural. We have to lay down the truth even if we dont like it. for example we cant say that a man cant have 4 wives because we will be going against what Allah (swt) said in the Qur'an. Just as we cant say this jilbaab/abaaya is cultural b cuz Allah tells not just the women who have been promised Jannah to cover yourself with an outer garment but also the believing women to not be annoyed. From my understanding there are two major categories of people Believers and Disbelievers so when reading and understanding this ayat I and other Muslimahs have put ourselves under the believing category. As far as a jilbaab/abayaa goes it is a religious garment understood to be worn by Muslimahs who have been honored by Allah (swt) and we should try to emulate the most pious women amongst us. Now to say other garments can’t take the same effect as a jilbaab or abaaya then I would be foolish but to say that the Jilbaab is only cultural then that’s like saying parts of the Qur’an is cultural when the Qur’an was sent to All Of Mankind which includes everybody.
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Well... I live in the UAE and I lived in Dubai for more than 9 years. I have to agree with Steph, I think most Emirati girls see the abaya as cultural. This is the way their culture dresses - Veils existed even before Islam and yes Islam made it a practice that stuck, but that particular form of dress is theirs. Other muslim communities have developed other ways to cover. In their eyes, the abaya does not make or not make them Muslim but for many of them it does identify them as Emirati - I am pretty sure that is how many Emiratis see it. At my work, the local ladies wear abayas to work every day, but when one of them went to Europe recently she wore a scarf - more European looking design - and a coat not an abaya and regular sheyla.
In this clip, they were also talking specifically about Dubai, not even Abu Dhabi or elsewhere - as is evidenced by the bit about 10% locals - the UAE as a whole has 18.2% locals and some of the other emirates - like Ras Al Khaimah for example have around 40% locals.
I think Dr. Lamees is a beautiful woman and she looks great for being the mother of four especially a 6 week old!
I think she was wearing that dress because she was at home and trying to represent how she dresses at home not outside.
I belonged to a gym in Dubai. There were a several local women who went there who exercised in the mixed gym with the men and wore normal exercise clothes. From my observation, Dubai (not necessarily the whole UAE) has a lot of "liberal" Arabs.
OMG everyone!! I feel like such a lame-o for not replying like I said I would be!!
But give me my excuses ;-)
A few things came up -- including one which was a total surprise -- and I am asking for you all to pray for me. My wisdom tooth is infected and these damn pain killers they gave me do NOTHING. Arghhhhhh!!!!!
I really need your guys' prayers <3
sorry about your tooth... did they give you antibiotic too? i hope you will get it removed once the infection is gone
Yay I got NEW medicine for me because the others ones are NOT %100 SAFE TO TAKE lol... only in Abu Dhabi will you find a doctor prescribing the wrong medicine for u... pfft :/
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