Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab

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Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
OP - December 09, 2009, 04:06 PM

Uh-oh!

Yet another disturbing trend coming out of Saudi...

Quote
Until recently you would never have seen women presenting television programmes dressed from head to toe in the niqab or burqa. But on the Saudi religious channel Awtan TV it has now become the norm.
Female broadcasters at the station are draped in the all-enveloping dresses, which are usually black and also cover their faces.

The work environment too is very different. Male technical assistants do not enter the studio while the women are presenting.

There are more than 60 religious channels across the Middle East. Some allow women to present programmes without being fully covered or dressed in black.

Others have no women presenters at all.
Awtan TV decided to take a unique approach. The station was launched in 2008, and last month it set a precedent by allowing women to present, but only on the condition that they wear the niqab.

We report from the field in the niqab and it does not stop us from doing anything

Ola al-Barqi
Awtan TV presenter
Ola al-Barqi anchors a breakfast show, as well as a quiz show for girls called Mosabqat Banat.

A key element of the programme is the relationship built between presenter, contestants and the audience - something that might be more difficult if the presenter is totally covered up.

"The face is not the only way to build a relationship," explains Ms Barqi, speaking to BBC Arabic.

"We're always receiving calls from viewers in various countries encouraging us to keep doing what we do."

And, as Ms Barqi points out, women are not just confined to the studio at Awtan TV.

"We report from the field in the niqab and it does not stop us from doing anything."

Wahabism, the strain of Sunni Islam that is officially practised in Saudi Arabia, is considered one of the religion's most conservative forms.

Some critics say that Awtan TV is restricting women's freedom by making it compulsory to wear the niqab if they want to be presenters.

The issue recently returned to prominence when a leading Egyptian cleric, Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, said he would issue an edict stating that the niqab was a "custom that has nothing to do with Islam".

The majority of moderate Muslim scholars agree with him.

But Ms Barqi says nobody "forced the niqab" on her and she does not intend to force it on her three daughters, who watch their mother on television and feel proud of her.

However, the presenter thinks that when the time comes, her girls will want to wear the niqab because that is how they were brought up and it is, she argues, part of Sharia - or Islamic law.

Advantages

Ms Barqi says there are other good reasons why she wears the niqab.

It helps her to concentrate more on her work rather than anything else, and what she looks like is irrelevant.

"We don't introduce ourselves as beautiful women who put on layers of make-up. Our audience is focusing on what we present to them, our ideas and our discourse."

Ms Barqi believes some people work in the media to become famous. But that is not why she became a presenter.

"We don't need fame," she explains.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8368242.stm

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #1 - December 09, 2009, 04:26 PM

She should be the new weather girl.
Make her wear a green niqaab for a cool chroma-key effect.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XvFsMYJGZeo/Sx_OMS7yplI/AAAAAAAAAek/5Tla7eoOaNs/s1600-h/niqaab-weather.jpg

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #2 - December 09, 2009, 04:30 PM

Quote from: thinkfree on September 28, 2010, 07:58 PM
Iblis has mad debaterin' skillz. Best not step up unless you're prepared to recieve da pain.
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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #3 - December 09, 2009, 05:15 PM

O.o

Wow... i mean... wow. I dont know what to say. It just looks stupid... sorry, i dont mean to insult, but it really looks absolutly stupid!

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #4 - December 09, 2009, 05:43 PM

Quote from: DigDeep on December 09, 2009, 05:15 PM
sorry, i dont mean to insult

I don't think there are too many niqabis on this forum. So no worries. lol

Quote from: thinkfree on September 28, 2010, 07:58 PM
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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #5 - December 09, 2009, 05:56 PM

blimey

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #6 - December 09, 2009, 07:18 PM

Another step to try and normalize the niqab. The last few years I was Muslim there was so much pressure on me to wear it, and I kept saying to myself and my true friends, "but only a few women wear it, a small percentage." But the propaganda that was in my face every single day, the pressure was as if those who showed their faces were the minority, it was very strong. It mostly came from the women but of course, they were acting as servants of the patriarchy, under the direction of men. It's like how women are the ones who uphold or initiate honor killings, bride burnings, FGM, etc... I guess they are trying to preserve what little status or position they have in a society. I had to keep pulling back and reminding myself that it isn't the norm, especially outside Saudi and Afghanistan and a few other places in the world. That it does screw with your ability to see and perceive things, like your vision, etc.

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #7 - December 10, 2009, 01:30 AM

If that was posted in a Muslim forum you can expect "that isn't the true islam" followed by "real islam is...." and of course some dick will start going on about the evils of America

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #8 - December 10, 2009, 02:15 AM

Quote from: kaiwai on December 10, 2009, 01:30 AM
If that was posted in a Muslim forum you can expect "that isn't the true islam" followed by "real islam is...." and of course some dick will start going on about the evils of America

You're quite optimistic.
I'd expect something along the lines of "Mashallah" and "Barak Allaho Fehom".

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #9 - December 10, 2009, 08:01 AM

Quote from: Manat on December 09, 2009, 07:18 PM
Another step to try and normalize the niqab. The last few years I was Muslim there was so much pressure on me to wear it, and I kept saying to myself and my true friends, "but only a few women wear it, a small percentage." But the propaganda that was in my face every single day, the pressure was as if those who showed their faces were the minority, it was very strong. It mostly came from the women but of course, they were acting as servants of the patriarchy, under the direction of men. It's like how women are the ones who uphold or initiate honor killings, bride burnings, FGM, etc... I guess they are trying to preserve what little status or position they have in a society. I had to keep pulling back and reminding myself that it isn't the norm, especially outside Saudi and Afghanistan and a few other places in the world. That it does screw with your ability to see and perceive things, like your vision, etc.

Is it Sharia? In Iran women are asked to veil up, head to toe, black veil.

This is a very interesting part:

The issue recently returned to prominence when a leading Egyptian cleric, Sheikh Mohammed Tantawi, said he would issue an edict stating that the niqab was a "custom that has nothing to do with Islam".

The majority of moderate Muslim scholars agree with him.

But Ms Barqi says nobody "forced the niqab" on her and she does not intend to force it on her three daughters, who watch their mother on television and feel proud of her.

However, the presenter thinks that when the time comes, her girls will want to wear the niqab because that is how they were brought up and it is, she argues, part of Shariah - Islamic law.

----
My point is that one say's it's shariah and the scholars (moderate, whatever that means) says this is not islamic. who is right? who is wrong? also how were the women dressed at the end of Mohamed?s reign?
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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #10 - December 10, 2009, 08:50 AM

I was always under the impression that it was islamic, not just sunnah, but fard. Mohammeds wives covered the face and the role model for women is of course his wife.

Anyway, a ground breaking step backwards for saudi, what a shame.

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #11 - December 10, 2009, 09:13 AM

Niqabies, should only work in Radio stations, and not in TV! After all we only hear her voice, right? What a waste of colors!

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #12 - December 10, 2009, 09:15 AM

Quote from: BlackDog on December 10, 2009, 08:01 AM
In Iran women are asked to veil up, head to toe, black veil.

Chador might be the ideal, but we all know that a lot of women don't wear it. They wear mantoo, jackets, shirts, lots of colors, etc.

Quote
she does not intend to force it on her three daughters, who watch their mother on television and feel proud of her.

However, the presenter thinks that when the time comes, her girls will want to wear the niqab because that is how they were brought up and it is, she argues, part of Shariah - Islamic law.

Oh please she won't force it on them. I read that and I was like "Yeah right." They'll probably be forced into it just by the society.

Quote
My point is that one say's it's shariah and the scholars (moderate, whatever that means) says this is not islamic. who is right? who is wrong? also how were the women dressed at the end of Mohamed?s reign?

Tantawi is a mouth piece of the Egyptian government. So I don't even know what his opinion means, b/c I know it is meaningless to most Muslims.

Traditionally, it was considered wajib by the hanbali and shafii. I think in maliki it is sunnah and in hanafi it is sunnah / mustahhab unless there is fear of fitnah, at which point it becomes wajib. I have heard shafii scholars give women 'expiation' from the requirement of niqab by quoting hanafi scholars saying that its not necessary 'unless there is fear of fitnah' and that is how my old friends justified not wearing it at home while ramming down women's throats when in the middle east. I don't know about shiah, but I only ever knew one shiah lady - a convert - who wore it. Salafees have two opinions - wajib or sunnah.

And who claims this is not a buffet religion where you can pick the rule you like? LOL.

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #13 - December 10, 2009, 09:20 AM

Iran has banned women wearing makeup on TV.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/02/AR2009120201828.html

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #14 - December 10, 2009, 06:55 PM

Why dous nobody complain about that?! Everybody is SOOO pissed off because we banned Minarets... but Iran banning Make Up is totally okay!!

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #15 - February 12, 2010, 05:43 PM

The future of female Islamic television presenters, (see presenters from 0:48)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMkTCt5MO0g

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #16 - February 12, 2010, 08:35 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMkTCt5MO0g

i think that Grey Burkha in video clip is man with beard..

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #17 - February 12, 2010, 08:47 PM

As usual, Morrocans do it best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At-NWOcpwD8

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #18 - February 12, 2010, 08:58 PM

Quote from: yeezevee on February 12, 2010, 08:35 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMkTCt5MO0g

i think that Grey Burkha in video clip is man with beard..

Are they celebrating Halloween over there? Or is that a Dr Who episode featuring the Daleks?

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #19 - February 12, 2010, 08:59 PM

Quote from: billy on February 12, 2010, 08:47 PM
As usual, Morrocans do it best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At-NWOcpwD8

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She'll do wonders for boys with ADHD...

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #20 - February 12, 2010, 09:14 PM

This is not even funny. It's just sad. Don't these women realize how ridiculous they look
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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #21 - February 12, 2010, 10:37 PM

The mind is an amazing tool. We create our realities. We internalize the world around us. Conform it to our thoughts. And the circuitry of our thoughts might never be broken if we have nobody questioning the ideas and ideals we hold.

Imagine if you grow up with your father being a pedophile, convicted mass murderer, cat strangler. But you have never met him. Your whole life you have been taught that he is a good man. By people you look up to and respect. People smarter than your. Authorities such as older siblings, uncles and aunts and your mother. Yet one day, somebody tells you "your father put mustard up a cat's ass and watched it die running itself to death, he also fucked kids and murdered people". You tell your mother this and she tells you "some of the things are straight out lies and some of them are not true". It will require proof, court documents, testimonies from cats and people to shake your belief. But imagine growing up where there is no such press. You live in a village. And only after a long period of indoctrination are you allowed outside the village. And even then told to keep in touch. Daily.

Religion trumps this. With hell. And a God that watches your every move. These women, internalize their thoughts, they never voice them out. They don't have a bouncing board to throw ideas off. If you never say your thoughts outside how do you know they are silly?
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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #22 - February 20, 2010, 04:54 PM

Quote from: yeezevee on February 12, 2010, 08:35 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMkTCt5MO0g

i think that Grey Burkha in video clip is man with beard..

I thought the whole point of the niqab is NOT to draw attention to yourself. Muslim men might still be bewitched by their voices, and that's HARAAAAM.
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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #23 - February 20, 2010, 05:50 PM

Watching both of those videos in fast forward is hilareous!

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #24 - February 20, 2010, 07:19 PM

Thats what you get when you combine Islam with a need for publicity.

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #25 - February 20, 2010, 07:21 PM

Quote from: BlackDog on February 12, 2010, 10:37 PM
The mind is an amazing tool. We create our realities. We internalize the world around us. Conform it to our thoughts. And the circuitry of our thoughts might never be broken if we have nobody questioning the ideas and ideals we hold.

Imagine if you grow up with your father being a pedophile, convicted mass murderer, cat strangler. But you have never met him. Your whole life you have been taught that he is a good man. By people you look up to and respect. People smarter than your. Authorities such as older siblings, uncles and aunts and your mother. Yet one day, somebody tells you "your father put mustard up a cat's ass and watched it die running itself to death, he also fucked kids and murdered people". You tell your mother this and she tells you "some of the things are straight out lies and some of them are not true". It will require proof, court documents, testimonies from cats and people to shake your belief. But imagine growing up where there is no such press. You live in a village. And only after a long period of indoctrination are you allowed outside the village. And even then told to keep in touch. Daily.

Religion trumps this. With hell. And a God that watches your every move. These women, internalize their thoughts, they never voice them out. They don't have a bouncing board to throw ideas off. If you never say your thoughts outside how do you know they are silly?

"All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit." - Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason
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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #26 - February 20, 2010, 07:21 PM

Quote from: billy on February 12, 2010, 08:47 PM
As usual, Morrocans do it best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At-NWOcpwD8

Laila Abid, Dutch-Morrocan newsreader

Quote from: thinkfree on September 28, 2010, 07:58 PM
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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #27 - February 20, 2010, 07:33 PM

Quote from: billy on February 12, 2010, 08:47 PM
As usual, Morrocans do it best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At-NWOcpwD8

Laila Abid, Dutch-Morrocan newsreader

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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #28 - February 20, 2010, 07:34 PM

Quote from: Q-Man on February 20, 2010, 07:33 PM
I'm in love

I just made a thoughtful reply to that video.

Quote from: thinkfree on September 28, 2010, 07:58 PM
Iblis has mad debaterin' skillz. Best not step up unless you're prepared to recieve da pain.
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Re: Saudi TV presenters break new ground by wearing niqab
Reply #29 - February 20, 2010, 07:41 PM

Quote from: billy on February 12, 2010, 08:47 PM
As usual, Morrocans do it best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At-NWOcpwD8

Laila Abid, Dutch-Morrocan newsreader

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