Salaams sister and thank you so much for reminding me of the brilliance of Fanon. Studied Fanon’s works at Uni as a student of Social Anthropology which is in its essence a practice of Neo-Colonialism. Years later I was chosen to be a Muslim by our beloved creator. Reading your piece so poignantly brought me back to the essence of why I love my hijab. It’s not just about hiding my hair, deflecting male attention, holding onto my hayah, or representing and preserving my Muslim identity…it’s an extension of Allah’s love that cascades down from the Quran, and eloquently and elegantly drapes me in mercy, protection and infinite love. It’s my ‘piece of cloth’ that I hold onto to keep me connected to Allah swt. And what could be more beautiful than that? Alhumdullilah.
Do you feel any attempt to use the hijab as a talking point for a political agenda cheapens your personal relationship to Allah swt, or does it exist independently from it?
I've never worn a hijab, but I cringe whenever someone tries to politicize my faith into an opportunity of political solidarity. I understand they have good intentions, but for me it cheapens my relationship to Allah swt if there's strings attached.
People will always have something to say about women in hijabs, and I was wondering if you ever offer space for those beliefs ("A hijab exercises a woman's right to her body", "Hijabs are expressions of your personal identity", etc) or maybe those beliefs, regardless of your agreement to them, would undermine your faith.
Salaam aleikom and I just read this comment a few times to try to understand it. But really it’s not important for me to define my relationship to my hijab, another’s hijab, or anyone’s opinion about hijab. It’s incredibly deep but also not that deep. It’s mine and it’s Allah’s and I am Allah’s soul and creation. The noise of dunya is dimmed by my hijab. It covers my ears, my mind, my soul, and heart 💓 It is everything and nothing. I don’t hear the options or fetishisation of others. And I always have mercy on the actions and beliefs of others. Bless them…forgive them if required…alhumdullilah for everything 👆🏼
The foundational principle for both sexes is haya(modesty), which encompasses dress, gaze, mannerisms, and behavior. The Quran commands believing men and women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. For men, the basic requirement (known as awrah) is to cover the body from the waist to the knees. Men are also expected to act and speak modestly.For women, the traditional interpretation by the majority of classical scholars defines the awrah as the entire body except for the face and hands when in public or in the presence of non-mahram men (men outside of a specific range of blood relations).
One of the first books one of my colleagues recommended to me to open up my mind to new ideas of de-colonization (which is a process I felt very related to, in a way I didn't expect) was Fanon's "The Wretched of the Earth"... I've been craving to find a book that challenges my beliefs as much has this one did, as it opened up my mind to new historical parallels I had never studied/known before. Loved the deconstruction of his work, and while I agree that it's both psychological and political, I would be even more inclined that it affects more in a psychological sense. Excellent read!
Hi, I loved reading this although I do think one more scholar, a psychologist like Fanon that may add to your reading of Colonialism being a psychological endeavour is Ashis Nandy. His work called, The Intimate Enemy, delves deep into the experiences of the Orient and the Occident drawing from Fanon, Gandhi, Freud and Said.
the hijab is perhaps the most disruptive anti-colonial symbol. It is a conscious refusal to let a woman’s worth be defined by how consumable she is. WOW, this captures so much of what I felt off about the western characterization of hijab.
the colonizer’s imposition of belief constructs the “Other,” which actually collapses a multitude of identities into a single narrative of absence nothingness. thought provoking and brilliantly written!
Beautifully written, full of things I want to underline. I just read Wretched of the Earth and stopped to read and reread so this post was timely and helpful. I love when smart people help me take the next leap! Thank you.
If Decolonization is not a metaphor, Dis-alienation is not a theory.
This piece is a super-clear distillation of Fanon’s central and essential contributions and how potently they can be applied to the present day. Bonus points for your brief detour through the disruptive power of hijab, allowing the wearer to see all, but be seen only on their own terms.
Salaams sister and thank you so much for reminding me of the brilliance of Fanon. Studied Fanon’s works at Uni as a student of Social Anthropology which is in its essence a practice of Neo-Colonialism. Years later I was chosen to be a Muslim by our beloved creator. Reading your piece so poignantly brought me back to the essence of why I love my hijab. It’s not just about hiding my hair, deflecting male attention, holding onto my hayah, or representing and preserving my Muslim identity…it’s an extension of Allah’s love that cascades down from the Quran, and eloquently and elegantly drapes me in mercy, protection and infinite love. It’s my ‘piece of cloth’ that I hold onto to keep me connected to Allah swt. And what could be more beautiful than that? Alhumdullilah.
Wsalams, beautiful! I’m so glad the essay resonated in the way it did for you.
Do you feel any attempt to use the hijab as a talking point for a political agenda cheapens your personal relationship to Allah swt, or does it exist independently from it?
I've never worn a hijab, but I cringe whenever someone tries to politicize my faith into an opportunity of political solidarity. I understand they have good intentions, but for me it cheapens my relationship to Allah swt if there's strings attached.
People will always have something to say about women in hijabs, and I was wondering if you ever offer space for those beliefs ("A hijab exercises a woman's right to her body", "Hijabs are expressions of your personal identity", etc) or maybe those beliefs, regardless of your agreement to them, would undermine your faith.
Salaam aleikom and I just read this comment a few times to try to understand it. But really it’s not important for me to define my relationship to my hijab, another’s hijab, or anyone’s opinion about hijab. It’s incredibly deep but also not that deep. It’s mine and it’s Allah’s and I am Allah’s soul and creation. The noise of dunya is dimmed by my hijab. It covers my ears, my mind, my soul, and heart 💓 It is everything and nothing. I don’t hear the options or fetishisation of others. And I always have mercy on the actions and beliefs of others. Bless them…forgive them if required…alhumdullilah for everything 👆🏼
Why did Allah mandate the hijab only for women?
The foundational principle for both sexes is haya(modesty), which encompasses dress, gaze, mannerisms, and behavior. The Quran commands believing men and women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. For men, the basic requirement (known as awrah) is to cover the body from the waist to the knees. Men are also expected to act and speak modestly.For women, the traditional interpretation by the majority of classical scholars defines the awrah as the entire body except for the face and hands when in public or in the presence of non-mahram men (men outside of a specific range of blood relations).
One of the first books one of my colleagues recommended to me to open up my mind to new ideas of de-colonization (which is a process I felt very related to, in a way I didn't expect) was Fanon's "The Wretched of the Earth"... I've been craving to find a book that challenges my beliefs as much has this one did, as it opened up my mind to new historical parallels I had never studied/known before. Loved the deconstruction of his work, and while I agree that it's both psychological and political, I would be even more inclined that it affects more in a psychological sense. Excellent read!
Thank you so much! Glad to hear that
Yes, but sadly westerners’ minds are also colonized in their own respect. And things are getting worse. All over the world.
Hi, I loved reading this although I do think one more scholar, a psychologist like Fanon that may add to your reading of Colonialism being a psychological endeavour is Ashis Nandy. His work called, The Intimate Enemy, delves deep into the experiences of the Orient and the Occident drawing from Fanon, Gandhi, Freud and Said.
Fascinating, thank you for sharing! I’ve actually not heard of Ashis Nandy and look forward to delving in.
the hijab is perhaps the most disruptive anti-colonial symbol. It is a conscious refusal to let a woman’s worth be defined by how consumable she is. WOW, this captures so much of what I felt off about the western characterization of hijab.
the colonizer’s imposition of belief constructs the “Other,” which actually collapses a multitude of identities into a single narrative of absence nothingness. thought provoking and brilliantly written!
Thank you Fatima! ‘Absent nothingness’ indeed.
Beautifully written, full of things I want to underline. I just read Wretched of the Earth and stopped to read and reread so this post was timely and helpful. I love when smart people help me take the next leap! Thank you.
Thank you Melanie! So glad to hear that 🙏🏻
Absolutely brilliant piece. Well done 👏
Thank you!!
Thank you for this piece, translated in French here : https://zanzibar.substack.com/p/frantz-fanon-guerisseur-de-lame-colonisee
Amazing thank you!🙏🏻
With pleasure. I post once a day an article connected with Palestine.
Thank you for teaching me something new
A phenomenal exploration. Thank you so much for sharing this and free, free Palestine 🇵🇸
gorgeous piece!! thanks for writing. struck by your and Fanon’s insights. will have to dig into his work
Thank you! That’s high praise 🙏🏻
If Decolonization is not a metaphor, Dis-alienation is not a theory.
This piece is a super-clear distillation of Fanon’s central and essential contributions and how potently they can be applied to the present day. Bonus points for your brief detour through the disruptive power of hijab, allowing the wearer to see all, but be seen only on their own terms.
Thank you!
I’m grateful you enjoyed it and that is high praise, thank you!
Brilliant, profound, and timely. I hope that many read this and reach that consciousness.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for writing this. I loved it immensely and it resonated so deeply. It made me feel more in touch with the why of wearing hijab. 💗💗
Beyond glad to hear that! Thank you 🙏🏻
This is cool for later 😎