Our Moslem Sisters: A Cry of Need from Lands of Darkness Interpreted by Those Who Heard It
Religion
Our Moslem Sisters: A Cry of Need from Lands of Darkness Interpreted by Those Who Heard It
Women -- Orient
How differently these questions can be answered. The ordinary tourist
sees the black-robed figures (with features invisible except for two
eyes peering over a black crape veil) walking in the streets of the
cities, or driving sitting huddled together on karros,[A] and he remarks
on the discomfort of the costume and the cleverness with which they
succeed in balancing themselves on the jolting springless carts. Or
again he sees ladies of the upper class driving in their carriages and
motor broughams, wearing indeed the inevitable "habarah" and veil,[B]
but the former cut so as to well expose the upper part of the person
which is clothed in rich satins and adorned with sparkling jewels, and
the latter made in such fine white chiffon and hung so loosely over the
lower part of the face only, that the features are distinctly visible;
and he marks with a smile the effort made by woman to emancipate herself
from customs which deny her the prerogative of attracting admiration to
herself.
[A] Long narrow carts, the sides of which are only very slightly
raised.
[B] The former is the black covering worn by all classes. The poorer
women make it of two lengths of material two metres long, joined
together on the selvedge. The ends of one breadth are sewn up and
form the skirt, while the upper breadth is left to pass over the
head and fold over the upper part of the person like a shawl. The
richer, from the middle class upwards, sew the lower breadth into a
band forming a skirt, and the upper breadth is cut smaller to form
only a cape fastened on to the waist band at the back, coming up
over the head, falling by rights over the whole upper part of the
body, but frequently cut so as to scarcely reach the elbow. The
latter is worn by the poorer classes; and by many of the older women
of the better class it is made of black crape and is tied over the
face from just below the eyes and extends to below the waist; by the
upper classes and more wealthy it was made in fine white muslin but
sufficient to disguise the features. Now it is frequently made in
chiffon.
[Illustration: BARGAINS IN ORANGES]
[Illustration: BY THE BANKS OF THE NILE]
Again, perchance, he sees the "fellahah" carrying her water jar with
ease and grace along some rough uneven track; or, may be, in company
with others bearing with agility and strength loads of mud and brick to
the builders, measuring her steps and actions to the music of some
native chant; and he is impressed with the idea of her bright existence
and her powers of perfect enjoyment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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