SHARQ: Two phenomena of traditionalism and fundamentalism concurrently exist in the Middle East. Traditionalists maintain that the prevailing conditions should continue, while fundamentalists are of the opinion that the overall situation should return to what it previously was before the advent of modernity. Traditionalists attach credence to the fact that modern aspects of life should be ignored while fundamentalists believe that modern manifestations should be confronted by returning to the lifestyle dominant before the birth of modernity. All in all, it seems that the most important point difference between traditionalists and fundamentalists is how they view the sensitive issue of modernity.

KAYHAN: Five months have elapsed since Iran’s nuclear dossier was reported to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which at the time issued an anti-Iran statement. In the meantime, the member-states of Group 5+1 have attended several meetings in order to reach an agreement on the subject of imposing sanctions on the Islamic system. The US and its allies, as acknowledged by the American and European officials, still think that the actual referral of Iran’s nuclear dossier to the UNSC should have been the last resort for resolving the nuclear impasse and convincing Iran to stop its uranium enrichment activities.

DONYA-YE EQTESAD: It is obvious that all members of the human race perpetually seek more favorable economic conditions and better standards of living. This is indeed human nature. However, the norm is that after the people become more experienced in their lives, they find out that there are constantly limitations to social and economic fields. For example, after gaining sufficient maturity everyone wants the inflation rate to reach its minimum level and more people have access to the kind of jobs they like. Although all socioeconomic objectives are essentially achievable in the long term, expecting to accomplish them in the short run is not logical.

ETEMAD-E MELLI: It is for a couple of decades that independence of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has been the heated topic of debate among statesmen and economists. Although the proponents of CBI’s independence outnumber its opponents, the point is that the process of independence is facing serious problems. The most viable proof for obstacles preventing the CBI from becoming independent is that after some 20 years since the issue came to the fore it has not become independent yet. Although former President Mohammad Khatami tried hard to ensure the CBI’s independence, it appears like the incumbent government is not as keen on the subject.

HAMBASTEGI: On Friday when residents of Mashhad were getting ready to take their after lunch naps in a hot summer day, a tragic accident happened at Mashhad International Airport. Sadly enough, in the past 15 years or so Iran has always been the scene of disastrous aerial accidents. The main cause of such catastrophes is the large number of dilapidated airplanes in the aviation fleet of the country. In fact, some of our passenger planes are more than 30 years old. The government should look for ways of procuring the necessary spare parts for old airplanes.

AFARINESH: ’Death of the President’ is the name of a new flick, which is going to be screened in Canada’s Toronto Film Festival next month. The main theme of the movie is assassination of President George W. Bush by a Syrian young man. Of course, the movie pursues the objective of discrediting Muslims at the international level. It is actually continuation of the ominous attempt by the West to provide a violent image from Islam and Muslims to the international community. Nevertheless, this kind of prejudiced approach merely helps the Taliban version of Islam to be strengthened worldwide.

Modesty and chastity, very important ideologies with Islam, are achieved by prescribing standards on behavior and the dress of a Muslim. A woman who adheres to the tenets of Islam is required to follow the dress code called Hijab, other synonyms are veil or just ’covering’. It is an act of faith and establishes a Muslim’s life with honor, respect and dignity.
Contrary to popular belief, the covering of the Muslim woman is not oppression but liberation from the shackles of male scrutiny and the standards of attractiveness. Islam exalts the status of a woman by commanding that she “enjoys equal rights to those of man in everything, she stands on an equal footing with man“ and both share mutual rights and obligations in all aspects of life.
Men and women though equal are not identical, and each compliments the other in the different roles and functions that they are responsible to. Islam believes that a woman is to be judged by her [virtuous] character and actions rather than by her looks or physical features“. In the article, “My Body Is My Own Business“, Ms. Naheed Mustafa, a young Canadian and university-educated Muslim woman, writes, “The Qur’an [which is the Holy Book of Muslims] teaches us that men and women are equal, that individuals should not be judged according to gender, beauty, wealth or privilege. The only thing that makes one person better than another is his or her character.“ She goes on to say, “In the Western world, the Hijab has come to symbolize either forced silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, it’s neither. It is simply a woman’s assertion that judgment of her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction.“
In many societies, especially in the West, women are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional to their attractiveness and are compelled to follow the male standards of beauty and abstract notions of what is attractive, half realizing that such a pursuit is futile and often humiliating. Chastity, modesty, and piety are promoted by the institution of veiling. The Hijab in no way prevents a woman from playing her role as an important individual in a society nor does it make her inferior.
A Muslim woman may wear whatever she pleases in the presence of her husband and family or among women friends. But when she goes out or when men other than her husband or close family are present she is expected to wear a dress which will cover [her hair and] all parts of her body, and not reveal her figure. The intention of Western dress is to reveal the figure, while the intention of Muslim dress is to conceal it, at least in public.
The Muslim woman does not feel the pressures to be beautiful or attractive, which is so apparent in the Western and Eastern cultures. She does not have to live up to expectations of what is desirable and what is not. Superficial beauty is not the Muslim woman’s concern; her main goal is inner spiritual beauty. She does not have to use her body and charms to get recognition or acceptance in society. It is very different from the cruel methods that other societies subject women, in that their worth is always judged by their physical appearance.
Another benefit of adorning the veil is that it is a protection for women. Hijab solves the problem of harassment and unwanted advances, which is so demeaning for women, when men get mixed signals and believe that women want their advances by the way they reveal their bodies.
The covering sanctifies her and forces society to hold her in high esteem. Far from humiliating the woman, Hijab actually grants the woman an aura of respect, and bestows upon her a separate and unique identity. According to the Qur’an, the same high standards of moral conduct are for men as it is for women. Modesty is essential in a man’s life, as well, whether it be in action, morals or speech. Islam also commands proper behavior and dress of men, in that they are not allowed to make a wanton show of their bodies to attract attention onto themselves, and they too must dress modestly. They have a special commandment to lower their eyes, and not to brazenly stare at women.
In Sura Nur of the Holy Qur’an it says, “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them, and God is well acquainted with what they do“. Many of the misconceptions of the Muslim woman in the West, particularly her veil stems from Arab and Muslim countries that have deviated from the true doctrines of Islam, and have “ mixed up Islamic principles with pre-Islamic pagan traditions“
Women regaining their true identity and role in society, are now wearing Hijab and embracing its concept of liberation for women, and are taking their rightful places that Islam had endowed upon them fourteen hundred years ago.
Sehmina Jaffer Chopra