The Predicate
Sania, Dress Code and Fatwa
Tags: sania, sania mirza, tennis
The spotlight this week is on Sania Mirza, as she plays in the Sunfeast Open at Kolkotta. She has become the media darling, her every move is reported and scrutinized. She has everything going for her; the first Indian female to do so well at tennis; a reluctant fashion icon and sex symbol.
You would have also heard about the controversy over the Fatwa that some Sunni Muslim clerics have apparently declared on Sania regarding her dress. Apparently, some Muslim leaders have said that Sania's midriff bearing, tight and short dresses are inappropriate and she should clothe herself appropriately. This has generated a lot of opinions, security has been tightened for Sania and everyone from Shobha De to yours truly have something to say on the subject. From what I read, it appears that people are quick to condemn this, calling the leaders barbaric and fundamentalists and so on.
I have a different take on the subject.
Let's assume here that Islam actually forbids women to wear dresses of the type Sania is wearing. Whether that assumption is valid or not is not for me to say, but I will go with the clerics and the general way we see women dressed in islamic societies that, yes, the sexy dress that she is wearing is not allowed by Islam.
In that case, I don't see what is surprising or shocking about the suggestion that she should not wear these short skirts and tight shirts. Every place, society, or organization has its own written or unwritten rules. These might include rules on what people should wear. If Sania goes to Wimbledon, will she be allowed to wear what she wants? No, Wimbledon has a dress code and it is pretty strict about it. As long as you want to play in Wimbledon, you follow its rules. As long as you want to practice Islam, you follow its rules. As simple as that.
This is a religion that we are talking about. A religion comes with a baggage of cultural habits. It tends to define many properties of our culture, our everyday activities and a long list of to-dos and don'ts. Every religion has its pontiff and a person or an organization that acts like a leader in defining and interpreting the religion. Why are the views of Vatican on abortion and contraceptives so much sought after and noted if anyone is free to choose whatever views he/she might have on these issues? That is because the Vatican is noted as a power that defines what Catholics should and should not do. If people are okay with Vatican telling women that they should not abort, I don't see why there is such a brouhaha over a Muslim cleric telling Sania that her dress doesn't fit the religion's guidelines.
Then there is a matter of the Fatwa. We've come to associate a fatwa with a license to kill, especially after the Rushdie's episode. But I don't think it is the same here. If fatwas are the means by which dictums of Muslim leadership are enacted, so be it. I am not in favor of death threats or threatening measures, but those are for the Muslim community to figure out and change. Other religions are probably more accomodating towards people who don't follow the religion to the letter, but Islam has always struck me as very strict. That is what Islam is, and good luck reforming that.
So, why is there such a public outcry? Number one, Sania Mirza is not just a tennis player, she is sexy and is probably the poster girl for the modern, growing India that is becoming less inhibited. Her photos are widely printed, and the whole nation is voyeuristically gawking at her. The fatwa strikes at the heart of such frenzy. If Sania was an ugly looking girl, will anyone care about this fatwa? Highly unlikely. There is a lot going on here than that meets the eye.
People who cry out that the clerics are trying to impose their moralistic views on Sania should remember that this is what religions do! It gets into our bedroom, defines the society and the social strata, asserts its right over a woman's womb, prevents a poor woman who has been braindead from getting an end to her life. Religion is that and more. If enough people dissent, things change and evolve. Religious leaders tend to push their agendas where the spotlight is, that gives the maximum exposure, so it is only to be expected that they would capitalize on Sania's fame.
Meanwhile, let us continue to hope that Sania comes out of this with her tennis form intact. And let me be be in the minority by not putting a photo of Sania to go with this article!
- Balaji.
10:53:43 - Tuesday, 20.09.05 - Indian - 8264x - 
permalink
Karma points: 12. Do you like this article? [yes/no]
RSS 2.0 feed, Trackback, print preview, email this article
- RSS 2.0 feed of this article, including comments:
- Use this Trackback URL for ping (right mouse click and copy URL).
- You can [print] this article, [email] it, or export a [PDF].
Local search Sania Dress Code and Fatwa
No results found or search not configured.
Google search
No results found or search not configured.
Comments:
Comment Info:
If you like, you may use the following semi-tags in your comments:
- [a href=http://url.com]link title[/a] will be converted into a link.
- [abbr title=text]abbr[/abbr] will be converted to <abbr>.
- [cite], [code], [em], [strong], [q], [li] — likewise.
Add new comment:
Comments must be approved before being published. Thank you!
This item is closed, it's not possible to add new comments to it or to vote on it
By the same token if Sania was ugly, I wonder if the clerics will bother issuing a fatwa. Anyway, the fatwa's by themselves a big joke most of the time. They are mere announcements without any real authority in terms of enforcement. This is just like saying, "I ban Osama from visiting my house in Lenexa".
reply to this comment- this comment inspired balaji — #2
Tuesday, 20.09.05, 11:16:56inspired by rajaG — #1 By the same token if Sania was ugly, I wonder if the clerics will bother issuing a fatwa.
As I wrote, religious leaders tend to push their agendas where the spotlight is, that gives the maximum exposure, so it is only to be expected that they would capitalize on Sania's fame.
reply to this comment Tuesday, 20.09.05, 12:54:28Balaji, you almost sound like suggesting that society should shrug its shoulders about such things. Nothing can stunt evolution and growth than shoulder shrugging.
I dont think any religion says anything about dressing. Dressing codes and taboos are just a matter of a man-made tradition or custom. There was a time when men who cut off their tufts were considered rowdies and now men who grow long hair are called abnormal. Wimbledon has come a long way from white clothes and white ball.
reply to this comment Tuesday, 20.09.05, 18:31:23I dont think any religion says anything about dressing. Dressing codes and taboos are just a matter of a man-made tradition or custom.
Apparently, there are strong statements in the Kuran that say that a woman should always wear a veil and should not provoke a man with her sexuality.
A religion that considers itself omniscient enough to tell a woman not to abort can and does tell a woman what to wear.
reply to this comment Tuesday, 20.09.05, 19:25:25If people are okay with Vatican telling women that they should not abort..
Who is? Most people who oppose the fatwa probably dont believe in Vatican's intrusions either. Two wrongs dont make a right..
reply to this comment Tuesday, 20.09.05, 22:02:14Religion is about reaching God - How to orient the individual and whole society around God.
reply to this comment Tuesday, 20.09.05, 22:32:15Traditional Islam (both sunni and shia ) emphasize that both men and women should dress modestly and the most common (traditional) interpretation is that women should not expose anything more than feet,hands and face to strangers and the general public...
Dear Balaji: Finally a post that put things in perspective. This post should go as a footnote along with all articles published in mainstream media that beat the Sharia and fatwas to death and flogging the Muslim community to smithereens.
Fatwas, aren't parallel to a country's justice system. Moreover, One needs to know a fatwa is issued only in religious matters. Yes, tt is a religious dictate. You may accept or not accept. But this doesn't mean you are outcasted and denounced from a religion that you are born with it. I wish people really got down to know the difference between Quran, Sunnah, Hadiths, FatwA, Shura council and Sharia' law. Really appreciate for giving such a balance review of an issue that everyone has an opinion on but not usually a valid one!
reply to this comment Wednesday, 21.09.05, 01:00:35The difference between Vatican pontificating on something and this Fatwa is that usually the Vatican does'nt put the equivalent of a Hit on the subject of its dictats. There were times when they did, and even today there are lunatics who decide they want to shoot up an abortion clinic, but these are exceptions rather than the norm.
On the other hand, Islamic religious structure has an enforcement mechanism that is at odds with the basic freedoms granted to us by the collective assertion of our choice over a very long period of time, sometimes over hundreds of years.
These freedoms are there for anyone in the country, be they muslim or hindu, and if someone's choice in exercising this freedom is threatened, others should come to their aid. Yours is an extremely shortsighted take on the whole issue.
reply to this comment- this comment inspired balaji — #10
Wednesday, 21.09.05, 11:02:11You asked "if Sania were ugly, would anyone care about this fatwa," well I dont find Sania pretty or sexy. Her lips are too thin, and the blond streaks in her hair give her a neither here, not there mongrel look. But yeah, I am bothered about this fatwa.
reply to this comment Wednesday, 21.09.05, 11:05:20inspired by sudeep — #8 usually the Vatican does'nt put the equivalent of a Hit on the subject of its dictats.
From the Wikipedia: The overwhelming majority of fatwas are on mundane matters (for examples see the archives linked below). Those declaring war or pronouncing death sentences are not at all representative, despite the attention they draw in English-language media. Such fatwas, however, have caught the attention of the western media and become widely renowned, especially among critics of Islam.
From what I've read, there is no "Hit" here, no one is clamoring for Sania's head.
Her lips are too thin
Wrong part of the body to focus on
reply to this comment Wednesday, 21.09.05, 16:26:57IMO religion is needed to guide a being about living life the right or wrong way . In the olden days relgion was a part of mainstream governance hence the line between religion and law could never be demarcated .
In this day where law has evolved (where law has evolved from religion ) , there is no need to refer to relgious laws / rules that were written centuries ago and apply them to modern day activities such as going to office , participating in a tournament . In such cases the etiquettes of that activity supersede religious rules . This reminds me of one incident in Chennai in a Crowded pallavan bus . Tennis is and has been a passion . I was once training at one of the YMCA grounds in Madras during my std 10 vacations . A layman commented on my attire , which was a T-Shirt and tennis shorts . He ridiculed me for having worn this , saying that it defies etiquette and also asked me a stupid question , saying that If i went for swimming lessons would i travel in a swimming trunk ! I was like "screw u" . if this attire gives u a heart attack you need to live in the cave ages , considering the fact that my family is an extremely orthodox brahmin family .
reply to this comment Saturday, 24.09.05, 14:35:12Dear Mr. Balaji,
"As long as you want to play in Wimbledon, you follow its rules. As long as you want to practice Islam, you follow its rules. It is as simple as that"
There is nothing to say more than that. Islam is not a part of life, it is a complete life. As a muslim you cannot do anything which is out of Islam. If you do that then you are away from Islam.
Fatwa does not control any one, it is only a statement based on what Islam (Allah and his messanger said) says.
To know more about Islam and its rulings, you can visit: http://www.islam-qa.com
Best regards,
reply to this comment Thursday, 06.10.05, 03:37:00Siraj
Hey, what Pope said was aimed at the General Catholic Public not a specific person like these Muslim Clericks are doing on Sania. If you want to speak on religion, then speak to the General Muslim public not specifically Sania. If somebody goes to the Pope, he will advise you according to Religion so will the Clericks of Islam do but that does not mean you can advise or put a ban on somebody if he/she did not ask you to do so.
reply to this comment Wednesday, 12.10.05, 00:20:14sania,i am big fan of yours,
reply to this comment Thursday, 13.10.05, 13:56:26i see & observe all your matches.
i am also a sportman,playing from pakistan U_19 cricket team,i can understand your feeling,my and yours year of
birth and month is same 1986 but 30th nov,
yar i felt so nice when i saw on net that u pray five time aday. i just want say few words for u............
i sent my cares to the wind..
and askedd the wind to pass them to you...
when u feel..the wind blowing against ur face that's me saying takecare.
(urdu)pakistan ma abhe 3am buj raha hain,i just want 2 pass this message sania keep it up, may ALLAH bless you more,My wish is 2 chat with you..may ALLAH fulfill this.
thankz.
sania,I am big fan of yours,
reply to this comment Wednesday, 19.10.05, 21:30:43Whenever i get time i see & observe all your matches.
Dear I felt so nice when i saw on net that u pray five time a day. I just want say few words for u............
i just want 2 pass this message to sania that Do not do anything which is forbidden by Shariah (Islamic Law).since in Islam it is forbidden to flaunt or expose one's body (woman). As a matter of fact Aurat (woman) means hidden. So do not violate Islamic law. Play but not exposing any part of the body. Remember if you do so and not fulfill the code laid down in Shariah then you are not earning moolah except the wrath of Allah. Every body will have to give it accounts of deeds on the Day of Judgement and we are one Ummah (community) of the Last and most beloved prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). We have to be a good example for other to follow. By our actions and deeds We have to invite others to come in the fold of Islam. The pomp and show of this mortal world is like a nine day wonder. So keep it up but within the Islamic dresscode. you earn name and fame and i pray to Allah the Almighty to take to the number one position in the sport you play.
May ALLAH bless you and help all of us to guide us to lead our life in His Path by means of His beloved prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)Ameen!
May Allah bless you!
Akram from New Delhi