The Experiment

The higab cultural experiment had begun about a week ago. The endless files of honking cars and taxis, shouting men, long violating stares, had driven her to see what happened if she did enough to make herself look Egyptian at first glance. She knew her Egyptian friends received their fair share of inappropriate attentions as well. But she wanted to see how drastic the difference was, between being Egyptian and being a Western as a lone female walking on a sidewalk.

She walked out and at first noticed the drastic drop in noise she had come to acquaint with Cairo’s busy streets. Oh, the noise was there but the honking had dropped to maybe a quarter of what it had been before. She keep walking wondering if perhaps she had stepped out in a freak moment. She passed the Coptic church, no one, especially the leering security guards, gave her a second look. She did not feel herself being undressed with raw and shameless stares that felt no compulsion to look away, even though they were aware that she was aware of what they were doing. Even better, she knew she would be free to “stroll” through Cairo a bit more and enjoy the scenery. Perhaps she could stop and draw or take pictures without being swarmed. She did remember being told if you walk too slow, Egyptian or not, and seem as though you have no purpose then men will think you are “looking for something.” Well, she had a tool to make herself more invisible at least.

Here men did not like their women to laugh loud, especially in public. Laughter and a loud voice draw attention to a woman. They suggest that she would like this attention brought to her. She should want no male attention or attraction except for that of her husband. Therefore, loud laughter is nearly as provocative as tight clothing that shows the body’s shape and form.

She sat with a friend who, in addition to his wife and family, had become her friend over the past few months. She liked to listen to the thoughts of an Egyptian man who she already knew was a good person, a good friend, and with whom she had an agreement for both sides to be open minded and not take offense. He and his wife, both quite educated, were of a conservative mindset with regard to Islam. He had lightly, though not overtly, suggested through the months that she might try wearing the higab and loose clothes to better her experience. Many Egyptian women wear the higab as a form of fashion, their bodies are fully covered but clothes are brightly and beautifully colored, shapely, and even tight, just like the match stick jeans worn in the US. But according to some, this is not the correct; the true higab is something that does not show the shape of body parts, specifically areas like the chest and hips.

“But why is this necessary? Should a woman be ashamed of her body? Should she think her body evil in some way?”

“No, no of course not. But she should not attract men to her with her body. The only person allowed to feel attraction towards her is her husband.”

“Yes, but is not this the problem of the man and not the woman if he feels this attraction? Should he not exert control over himself?” She asked.

“I understand what you think but here is not like the west. There are no relations before marriage. This is utterly forbidden. If a man has no money, etc then he cannot marry. So he may be a young man but unable to have relations. It is very hard for him to bear seeing women and not feel attraction. Seeing the shape of a woman’s body causes this and it is wrong. This is why our prophet said to marry as early as possible, so that there is an appropriate outlet for these feelings.” He said.

“Again, did not God make women’s bodies in this shape? How could his creation be something that must be covered? And did He not also make men driven to be with women? Why is it only the women who must suffer from this circumstance? Why is there not more solution directed towards the man and controlling himself? And do you think women suffer no desire for men? Do you think women do not look upon the bodies of men?”

“A woman must only attract her husband. And the direction for dress is clear, I cannot argue this. Whether we agree or not there must be faith, for this is what is said.”

“It does not say these things in the Quran from what I understand.”

But the Quran is not the source for all things in the religion, such as the five prayers. These come from the Hadith and the life of Mohammed. She already knew this. Ah well, it was only a discussion anyway. Sometimes she thought of it as only a culturally relative situation with arguments found world wide voiced more strongly. For example, a young teenager, or any woman really, who dressed a bit on the “scandalous” side with respect to American culture would be seen to have loose morals or look somewhat inappropriate. Why do we have these thoughts? Do we think she is drawing undue attention to herself and her body? She is probably knowingly doing it as well, perhaps making it more justified to criticize her. Granted, the American “lines” have significantly more freedom and are without much of overt language of Islam. But in the end, some of the same feelings about women and their bodies are harbored world wide.

Ah well, she had her invisibility cloak for Cairo now. She felt protected by it. She had more appreciation now for why some women might choose to wear it. A friend of hers had commented that he was surprised she had lasted as long as she did without eventually covering up. Was she giving in by doing it or was it simply opening a few more doors and windows into life here? She couldn’t answer that question.