GUEST BLOG: Gerard Otto – Head coverings and Du PLessis Allan
As some of you know, Heather Du Plessis Allan gave oxygen to the notion that PM Jacinda Ardern should not have worn a hijab because it just oppressed women – in some countries where it is law.
Heather concluded that despite this, PM Ardern was right to wear one in symbolic solidarity with muslims who were attacked by a terrorist in Christchurch.
Head coverings have been worn by many religions for thousands of years and mostly relate to modest behaviour.
Wikipedia says :
“Until at least the 18th century, the wearing of a head covering for the hair was regarded as customary for Christian women in Mediterranean, European, Middle Eastern, and African cultures, to agree with contemporary notions of modesty and as an indication of married status; the “matron’s cap” is a general term for these”
A casual look around at Christian Nuns and there are veils still in use around us.
Modesty.
The images of Mary mother of Jesus – always comes with a head covering.
Madonna and Child by Duccio in 1300 is a famous example. So is Madonna of the Book by Sandro Botticelli around 1480.
Plus Westerners may have seen all of those modern day nativity scenes that Christians display around Christmas – there is that head covering on Mary’s head, centre of the scene.
Nearly every Catholic church has a statue inside it of Mary wearing a head covering too.
I think young girls may wear a veil at their first communion – at least they used to when I was a kid.
Brides wear veils.
Nobody complains much about oppression with regard to these symbols and images from history.
But obviously complaining is selective.
Wikipedia also has this to say about Judasim :
“Religions such as Judaism under Halakhah (Jewish Law) promote modest dress among women and men. Many married Orthodox Jewish women wear a scarf (tichel) to cover their hair. The Tallit is commonly worn by Jewish men especially for prayers, which they use to cover their head in order to recite the blessings, although not all men do this. It also may not apply to the entire prayer service, sometimes only specific sections such as the Amidah. The Kohanim (priests) also cover their heads and shoulders with the tallit during the priestly blessing so as to conform to Halakah which states that the hands of the priests should not be seen during this time as their mystical significance to the hand position.”
Highly symbolic in my opinion.
Plus there are several types of head covering worn by muslims and mostly these are about modesty.
Wikipedia says :
“Islam promotes modest dress among women. Many Muslim women wear a headscarf, often known as a hijab and in Quranic Arabic as the khimar. Many of these garments cover the hair, ears and throat, but do not cover the face. The Keffiyeh is commonly used by Muslim men, as for example Yasser Arafat who adopted a black and white fishnet-patterned keffiyeh as a hallmark.
Headscarves and veils are commonly used by observant Muslim women and girls, and required by law for women and girls in certain Muslim countries (Saudi Arabia for example). The Muslim religious dress varies, and various cultures include burqa, chador, niqab, dupatta, or other types of hijab. The religion prescribes modest behaviour or dress in general, and in particular the headscarf worn by Muslim women and girls.”
So whilst – there is some oppression in some nations about wearing these head coverings ( or full body coverings ) – there is a much larger, pan religious tradition at work here.
Thousands of years, spanning multiple religions – which should come into focus as a total context, which includes all the people who choose freely to wear a head covering – rather than these people being entirely omitted from our thinking.
I am no expert, but I think it was one of the most powerful things I have seen, when PM Jacinda Ardern donned the modest dress at the heart of these traditions – to bring us all together in a time of terrible loss.
Instead of always demanding others change to fit with the latest secular western norms – it was about us making a small step to embrace all of our people at a time where no words could speak so powerfully of our common humanity.
They are us.
Gerard Otto is an activist and a writer.
Entirely appropriate that PM Arden wore a hijab on that occasion.
However, there is no getting away from the fact that all the rules and regulations on women’s clothing, dreamed up over centuries by men of every religious stripe, are nothing more than a plan to save men from themselves – or some men from fancying other men’s property.
Most religions are bad news for women.
HDPA is a South African and does not understand caring New Zealanders, maybe she should go back to Yarpiesville ?
Interesting that you say she is South African. I thought she was a New Zealander, born in South Africa. My neighbours are kiwis, and also rabid All Blacks & Hurricanes supporters. They were born in India.
The Fallen Angels were attracted to the women of earth and interbred with them producing Nephilim. Veils are demanded by men of women to ensure modesty. So much for emancipation eh.
You are obviously using Gen 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
It helps if you read Luke 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
The simple explanation is that sons of God refers to those faithful to God & daughters of men refer to descendants of those who rejected God.
I’m all for freedom to express and practice any religion. As a practising atheist I expect my beliefs to be considered as well. New Zealand is a model for inclusiveness, tolerance, understanding and democracy. Here we don’t bury hijab-adorned women in dirt up to their shoulders and crush their skulls with boulders on the suspicion of adultery. I’m afraid that is mass hysteria masquerading as medieval psychopathy. We also don’t kill gay men in our country. You know homosexuals, MEN WHO LIKE COCK. Nor do we lop off hands and heads with Islamic swords in public, or murder rock throwing protestors with Jewish snipers, or use Christian weapons of mass destruction to murder the women, children and elderly of peaceful sovereign countries. That is not religion.