Monday, September 17, 2012

"Women Only" Exhibition in NZ Causes Anger



I went for a photography exhibition. There were exhibits from a variety of photographers. But one was a video which was causing an angry reaction from a few NZ males. Why? Because only women were allowed to view it. This is something we, in India, would not make an outcry about. You don't want us to see your video? Okay. But in NZ it has caused many to speak out against and for.

Sophia Al-Maria from Qatar filmed some friends dressing up for a wedding. The idea was to show Muslim women as normal - totally ordinary - as fond of dressing up as the next person. They were shown without their hijabs and face veils and Sophia was bound by a condition. No male would be allowed to see the video as it went against Muslim tradition.

Many NZ males were annoyed. They said their taxes paid for the Dowse museum where the exhibition was being held as much as anyone else’s; that the exhibits in the museum should therefore be open to everyone. They said they would have no objections to the exhibition being held privately. Many others rose to the Dowse’s defence. We should respect and be sensitive towards other cultures and traditions, they said, and the Dowse did the right thing by respecting the wishes of the photographer.

 
Delving a bit deeper and from the Indian perspective, I have a few questions. I know we would accept this decision of Sophia’s if the exhibition were held in India. But I can’t help wondering what exactly our reasons for doing so would be. Have we, who’ve lived with religious differences since centuries in India – 7 to 8 different religions? – decided we are not going to stir up any controversy about things because we are sensitive to other cultures? Or because we don’t really care? Or does it go deeper than that?

Do we believe that some of them are fanatical enough to threaten our lives if we do object on principle and that it isn't worth the effort? That if male eyes saw those faces, those poor women would be in mortal danger from some fanatical Muslim men? Is our attitude, let the Muslim women not show their faces if they don’t want to as long as we aren’t forced to do the same? Would we rather ignore the fact that in India the Muslim women were less concerned about showing their faces not too long ago when we were growing up in the sixties to the nineties? That many more Muslim women have started covering their faces since then? That they were freer and more relaxed in larger numbers then than now? That we don’t wish to get into any controversy and if they really want things to change the effort has to come from them and not us?

I would feel relaxed about it all except I often keep wondering if they have been coerced into changing from those days to the women they are today – with their freedom more curtailed than ever before or if they’ve changed of their own volition. And I keep wondering if the intolerant in their community would like to try and impose their values on women of other faiths in India.

Even as I was writing this another controversy overtook this issue. They showed a movie with the Muslim prophet, Mohammed, being mocked and shown in a poor light. The consequences were dire. Riots, anti American sentiment, even the killing of an American ambassador. I saw bits of that movie on Youtube. To my mind it was tasteless and offensive. I would give it a very poor review. I would even call it disgusting. I would stop watching it half way. But, I wouldn't blame the entire American world for it.

There are good Americans and stupid, insensitive ones just as there are people of all kinds all over the world.

15 comments:

  1. That is one of the eternal questions, KayEM! At what point does cultural sensitivity stop and submission to intolerance begin?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Too true, CS. Wish someone would enlighten us in this case.

    ReplyDelete
  3. When we paint a whole country or a religion black, we do not stop to think that we are raising fingers at people who might be good and leading their own peaceful lives. It is typically human.
    Also, I do not understand the reason of creating a video which half of the people will not be able to see because of religious restrictions. Why segregate when you want to change mindsets?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We've lived with Muslims for centuries in India so we don't feel uncomfortable about hijabs and veils. Hopefully some women of the west who saw the video might understand that Muslim women are just like them - enjoying dressing up etc. In a way the objective might have been self defeating as not allowing NZ men to see something so ordinary would appear strange to them anyway.

      Delete
  4. Every sentiment needs to be respected , KayEM!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am okay with that, Rahul, as long as they don't expect us to follow their sentiments and ignore our own.

      Delete
  5. They could balance it by having an equal number of men only events, in areas such as rugby and Halo 3.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. haha, SC, then women and men would both be up in arms. Rugby is a religion here - transcends gender. (Don't know what Halo 3 is)

      Delete
  6. Freedom and tolerance are complementary and supplementary to each other. Total freedom is a myth. Similarly, people would become intolerant sometimes. For men, the grievance in this context would be, that they are being discriminated. They say 'what is that we can't see'. I think it would have been better the organizers avoided that exhibit in a common show. (It is not similar to a case where we make certain restrictions for minors). Well analyzed by KayEm

    ReplyDelete
  7. Here's an interesting post on the same subject. http://bigthink.com/daylight-atheism/thoughts-on-the-embassy-attacks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And a Youtube video of Muslim clerics saying violence is not acceptable in Islam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfPwmqoJee4&feature=related

      Delete
    2. A discussion on the issue http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/294813/the-last-word-have-muslim-protests-become-an-overreaction.html

      Delete
  8. These days there are all kinds of atrocities committed in the name of religion. And when somebody from outside that particular religion criticizes those acts, the whole religion feels threatened and then they have to try to tell people that all other faiths are inferior. And there's a whole new conflict.
    I feel opposition/changes should come from within each religion. And right now it feels like that's a lot to ask for. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well said, DN. Atrocities in the name of anything - religion, way of life, culture – are inexcusable but the reality is that they happen all over the world. Wonder why when more people seem to be humane and nonviolent than not. I think not letting the violent escape punishment is the key. We need to unite to ensure our politicians and the judiciary bring the violent to justice.

      Delete