Normally, whenever I see anything with the phrase “Behind the veil” I automatically cringe and get myself ready for Orientalist stereotypes and generalizations about Muslim women. Na’ima B. Robert’s “Behind the veil: the online diary of a British Muslim woman” isn’t quite so bad. Although at first glance it does seem that way, especially considering that a picture of a niqabi is accompanies the ad for the piece on the Times website (below left). Robert actually does wear niqab, so that maybe why there is a picture of a niqabi.
Even though the piece is entitled “online diary of a British Muslim woman” there is actually very little about Robert’s own life. In fact, most of the essay is Robert telling us that veiled women (whether in niqab or hijab) are just ordinary women trying to negotiate Islam and living in the West. I appreciate Robert reinforcing that point, but I didn’t appreciate how she went about it.
The one thing that I found so wrong with this essay is that Robert committed the same exact mistake that is committed by non-Muslims: she made Muslim women into this monolithic group. There is no diversity in Robert’s view of Muslim women. We are all caught between “secular” society and the “dunya” (worldly life), we all wear the veil, we’re all looking to get married and we all have lots of babies if we are married. It seems that Robert thinks you are an unobservant Muslim if you do fit these characteristics. In fact, she mentions “religious Muslim woman” and “observant Muslim woman” in the same paragraph of her essay almost as if to say “I’m speaking about the real Muslim women.” It’s a very limiting view of Muslim women and it’s even a limiting view of Muslim women who consider themselves “observant”. In fact, I wonder what Robert’s definition of “religious” and “observant” would be. If a woman observes all the five pillars of Islam but doesn’t wear hijab is she non-observant? If a woman wears the veil but has no intention of having lots of children despite being married is she non-observant? Should she be the one to define “observant”?
Additionally, I think Robert actually did more of a disservice to her goal than a service. What is I mean is that even though she sought to normalize Muslim women, she once again otherized us. She made us seem as if we’re just in a Western society instead of a part of Western society. She constantly made the point that Muslim women are negotiating space between two worlds, Islamic and Western, once again setting up the “Islam/West” binary. Why is it that Muslims are only assumed to negotiate two spaces in a Western context? No one assumes that Indian Muslims, Filipino Muslims, or Chinese Muslims are negotiating two spaces even they are all minorities in their societies. This isn’t to say that Muslims don’t have unique customs and practices. However, all groups in every society do. Thus, I wonder why Robert felt the need to differentiate between her “Islamic” world and the “dunya” throughout her article. She does feel part of her community, even saying that chooses to “have a foot” in “both camps”. Thus, I wish that she didn’t feel the need to constantly differentiate and to let her readers know that Muslims are one group among many in a hetergenous society.
Tags: British Muslims, hijab, Muslim women, Na'ima B. Roberts
i am glad u commented on this, i also read Roberts book abt a year ago and i found it to be mundane and actually yawn-worthy. There was hardly any inspiration for the reader be it muslim or non-muslim. The part that made me laugh was when she was describign a scenefrom her registry wedding where she wore socks with sandals as part of her outfit and she coudlnt understand why her sister was lookign at her so strangely!
Roberts is the creator of Sisters magazine, which also has the same “There is only one type of real Muslim woman” feel. I wrote about it in August (http://muslimahmediawatch.org/2008/08/28/where-my-sisters-at/)
It comes as no surprise that she is so exclusive in her definition of Muslim woman. I wasn’t too impressed with her when I covered her magazine before but now this just confirms what I believed about her before.
Interesting. And Faith makes a great analysis.
Reading a few other links on the “behind the veil” diary, I actually liked her piece on Ramazan in Britain, about having suhoor with her son. I liked that personal stuff; the rest of this general stuff doesn’t resonate with me because of the preachy statements.
Also, I get the feeling that the woman in niqab IS Roberts.
@ everyone: ‘Eid mubarak and thanks for the comments!
@ Naseema: Yeah, I have to honest and say that this wouldn’t make me want to read her book although I would be interested in reading her graduate research.
@ Sobia: I remember that piece. I also got the same vibe when looking at the magazine.
@ Fatemeh: Her Ramadan entry was nice. You’re right, she shines best when focusing on her personal life. When I saw the picture, I thought it was an African American in niqab. Then I thought it could be her.
I am similarly annoyed while reading Roberts’ book, her section on the hijab goes – I started with a head wrap, then wore a headscarf, then obviously I started to wear an abaya with a headscarf and then a Somali jilbab/khimar and then of course I wore niqab. As if that is how every convert approaches Muslim dress! I have been Muslim for three years, worn and taken off hijab although I am back wearing it now. I have sometimes wore abaya but only to Muslim events and would only ever wear niqab if I was in a conservative Mid East country. The innevitability and monolithicness of Muslim opinion on women clothing and practice really really annoys me. Just as it irritates me when a non-hijabi pretends to be a huge expert on hijab fashion I find it really irritating when a niqabi jilbab wearer claims that her satorial experience is the norm.
Great Analysis.
Personally, I enjoyed her book. And just like with Lipstick Jihad, I enjoyed it because I was reading it as a personal memoir-type book, rather than a representation of Muslim women. If she had just thought to add that as a disclaimer—”by the way, this is my personal viewpoint and that of the ’sisters’ I talk about, and does not necessarily represent the views of other Muslim women,” I think many others would have enjoyed it as well.
Asalaamu alaikum warahmatullah, sisters,
Many thanks for your comments on my book and the online diary – interesting, masha Allah! I guess we all feel the need to carve out a space for ourselves without trying to define or second-guess others. I am sorry if you find my approach or that of SISTERS magazine too overtly religious or preachy – it just goes to show that though we are all Muslim women, we have different understandings and priorities. It’s funny because one of the things our readers like so much about SISTERS is that they can get benefit for the Akhira at the same time as having a light read. It’s great that we have magazines like Aziza, emel and Muslim Girl for sisters who don’t want to relate EVERY aspect of their lives to Islam (as I think you mentioned in your review). At any rate, we do try to accommodate all our readers and love to hear the negative comments too so jazakAllahu khairan to all of you.
And I am only qualified to relay my own experiences of hijab, marriage etc as I am not a qualified researcher or academic. I had hoped that From my sisters lips would be read as one woman’s journey and an affirmation of the values that many (though not all) Muslim women hold dear.
May Allah accept all our good deeds and forgive us for our shortcomings, ameen.
With much love and du’a
Na’ima B. Robert
Assalamu Alaykum
I enjoyed your book very much, and so did every woman I came across, that read it. If a person reads it in the context it was written, to relate the difficulties and challenges women face when they try to practise their Islam in a manner that pleases Allah, then yes it supplied the message in a way, that was both humorous and real. May Allah Most High grant you the strength and perseverance to continue in a manner that pleases HIM and only HIM. I love you for His Sake. Your sister in Islam, Fatimah
Asslamu Alaykum, this is a message for Naima B Roberts. Sis, i am reading your book “From My sisters lips” i love the book and it makes so much sense to me about Hijab i am struggling on wether or not i should cover!!Everytime i put down your book i think to myself i have to meet this sister, i had so much to say to you but my minds just gone blank! I’d love to hear from you sis. Zaynab
Asalaamu alaikum dear sisters
Thank you Na’ima for being prepared to put yourself in the limelight for the Muslim women and for being prepared to take the flack (and the praise of course) that inevitably comes with the job. My dear sister, you’re never going to be able to please all of the people all of the time so just keep on doing what you’re doing for the sake of Allah.
As for the rest of us, we should be proud to have articulate and practising sisters who are prepared to describe to the rest of the world what Islam is about and how we live it, even if this description doesn’t represent with pinpoint precision all of our lives.
Surely we should forgive our sister’s shortcomings and ask Allah to increase her and others in Guidance.
wasalam
umm AbdurRahman
Assalaamu alaikum. What was the intention of the book? Was it for the sake of Allaah. And where has this sister nai’ma studied islamically?
JazakAllaah.
Rizwaana