1 Women of Color from Cartographies of Struggle by Chandra MohantyThe term WoC designates people of African, Caribbean, Asian and Latin American descent, and Native Americans in the United States. It also refers to “new immigrants” to the United States in the last three decades: Arab, Asian, and Latin- American. (p.52) With the rise of transnational corporations that dominate contemporary economic systems, factories have migrated in search of cheap labor. At the same time a massive migration of ex-colonial population to Europe and the USA has created multi-cultural and multi-racial societies.
2 The potential commonality of these group of women is their oppositional relation to sexist, racist and imperialist structures. Women of color are allies by virtue of these gender and racial identities. (Mohanty, p.49) Their personal experiences of WoC are inflected by discrimination based upon specific indices of their identity, especially nationality, class, race, and sexual orientation. Their critical and creative work, thus, is geared toward responding to the forms of discrimination felt both individually, and collectively, across their differences. Think of transversal alliances/ does this definition apply to Marjane Satrapi?
3 The Fate of the Veiled Woman in IranAyatollah Khomeini founded Iran’s Islamist Republic in 1979 (Initially the Revolution was conceived as cultural in nature) The Islamist Republic was grounded in a Shia revival of Islamic faith– which proclaimed the identification of the government with religious authority. The ideological benchmarks of the Islamic Republic: The Guardianship of the Jurist: the idea that everyone required ‘guardianship’ in the form of rule or supervision. Rejection of Western influence both of liberal capitalism and communism with the slogan ‘neither West nor East: Islamic Republic’. Martyrdom against injustice and tyranny was not only expected, but often sanctified.
4 Gender and Islamic Fundamentalist: Feminist Politics in Iran by Nayereh Tohidi…Yet, to view Islamic fundamentalism revival in the Middle East as an ostensibly “anti-western”, radical, and militant trend (…) obscures and distorts the objectives and direction of the national liberation movements in the individual countries. The role of women within the revolution (whether pro or against it) must be understood by women’s liberation movements, otherwise….lest Women are used as tools of the revolution, as cheap labor and cheap fighters, to die first and be liberated last! (Al Saadawi, 1980, quoted in Tohidi’s article, p. 260)
5 Hijab and Chador The word hijab describes the act of covering up generally but is often used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. These scarves come in many styles and colors. The type most commonly worn in the West covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear. The chador (Farsi word for ‘tent’), worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath.
6 Perspective on Hijab/Chador by progressive clergy in Iran:Chador is an Iranian option of coverage, and choosing to wear it or opting out does not define people’s religious beliefs. It’s simply like any form of dress. But what makes this a sensitive issue is that since hijab is mandatory in Iran, less coverage is interpreted as resisting the regime. And that’s why all hell breaks loose when it comes to women’s hijab. Almonitor article, Jan
7 Western Perspective on the Hijab/Chador:I don't know how many Iranian women like or dislike the chador or hijab, and quite frankly that is beside the point. The point is freedom of choice. So you're free to interpret it as you wish, but as far as I am concerned forcing a person's choice (in this particular way) is solely a way of ensuring that they understand their subservience to you. Allow women the choice and if they continue to wear it, it will return to being an Iranian practice once again. If the wearing of a piece of clothing has to be enforced by threat of punishment, it is not worthy of being a cultural practice. Let it die so that something better may take its place. Almonitor article, Jan
8 The “battle over inches of Hair”
9 Where can we trace the ideological significance of the Hijab, both in the East and the West, and within various factions of the Iranian society?
10 Orientalism in European Art (19th century)The ability to depict exotic lands gave artists an edge in a highly competitive market. The demand for these images of intrigue encouraged artists to depict these places and people in a manner that stressed cultural differences rather than our common humanity. Social philosophers often depicted the Muslim world as a backward corrupt land, thus providing an excuse for artists to create fanciful scenes often imbued with a type of eroticism that was not socially permissible to paint of Westerners. The forbidden pleasures of harems, slave girls, and other alluring narratives became the subject matter of many postcards as well as paintings. As World War I brought the Ottoman Empire into the fight against the Western Allies, romanticized themes of the Orient lost much of their appeal and rapidly faded in favor of more negative depictions.
12 Jean-Léon Gérôme The snake charmer (Cover of Edward Said’s seminal text Orientalism – 1978)
13 Orientalism in PhotographyFélix Jacques Moulin, Moor Woman with Servant, c.1856. Young Girl adorned with jewels (anon.)
14 Haleh Anvari: The Power of a Cliché [Photographs 2008]
15 Haleh Anvari, The Power of a Cliché video (2008)Index cards