Three Good Friends

What a crazy, busy weekend! On Wednesday evening I had the pleasure of attending a concert in Al Marooj Theatre with one of my closest friends. It was better than I expected. The singer Naziha Meftah had such a lovely voice and watching the emotion in her face as she sang added to the experience. I just wish I understood the words! I took some snapshots of her and her amazing dress along with the talented orchestra. I was surprised to see so many Omani men relaxed and enjoying themselves, I guess Salalah is slowly chipping away at its conservatism? My hubby stayed home with the dumplings.

I was especially dazzled by her beautiful emerald dress layered in gold lace.  While aiming my camera and adjusting the lens, I noticed that all the women seated around me were using their cell phones as cameras. At one point I counted 12 cell phones in the air all taking shots. Its strange the way cell phones here are an essential item for everyone; male, female, young, and old.

On Thursday afternoon I had lunch with a friend who shared really sad news with me. One of her "western" friends told her that a colleague of hers passed away (alone) the night before.  I'm not one to relay gossip and perhaps the story has been twisted along the way, but I was told that an elderly woman passed away in her apartment and was discovered by her dear friend who came to simply check up on her. After hearing this I couldn't help but feel sad myself. Imagine being in a foreign country and dying alone in your apartment?. I can't even begin to think about the devastation of the friend who found the body. The trauma. My heart and prayers go out to her. I don't know what I would do if I found my friend dead. My friend ended the story with "Praise be to God".

This morning I spent nearly two hours on the "phone/computer" talking with a friend who is deeply offended by Frances inclination towards banning the face veil. She is a French-American convert living in France who wears the face veil... by choice. She asked my opinion, what should she do if the law is passed, should she take it off, why are they doing this to women, and of course, what will happen if she doesn't remove it? I don't have all the answers of course, but I am affected nonetheless as a woman who chooses to wear the face veil in a place where its common-place. I've become so used to it that I might feel violated if I was forced to take it off.

For those out of the loop; In 2005, France declared that any and all conspicuous religious symbols would be banned from all French public schools. While its true, Christian crosses and Jewish kippas also fell under this category, it was obvious that this ban would primarily affect the hijab, which it has, considering France has the largest European Muslim population. Now, things are moving quickly and women seem to bearing the brunt of it. Its only a matter of time for hijab to be banned period in France, no?

Just last November the Swiss voted "no" to minarets in their country despite the fact that there are only 4 in the entire country. I still don't understand that. It happens in doses all over the place the push for secularism in the name of democracy.

My Christian friend sent me the photo above. We both had a good laugh and I appreciated her sharing and joked that Nuns wore Abayas first. Sometimes when you're "in" something, your perception is skewed, limited. I remember my non-hijab days and how I perceived the women who covered, I always admired them, maybe I'm just weird like that?. I would be so curious to know how people really feel about the women who wear hijab/niqab today.