Faizel Patel (14-12-11)

“Sometimes the way you dress makes you look like an old lady. I don’t know if it’s the scarf, but you are much too pretty and much too young.” These were the words echoed to Fatima who works for a large corporate company in Pretoria. Fatima took it with a pinch of salt, but was also deeply insulted by the remarks.

Fatima is a beautiful young white woman from the Orange Free State who was raised as a devout Roman Catholic. As the heart knows no boundary’s she fell in-love with a Muslim man, Mohammad and reverted to Islam. She faced many battles in her submission to the Will of Allah, the likes of which included her parents and her husband’s family who never looked beyond the fact that he had to marry a traditional Muslim girl. In their naivety they failed to recognize the insurmountable reward for bringing a person into the fold of Islam.

The transition from being a devout Roman Catholic to a new reverted Muslim was not easy. After her marriage Fatima moved to an Indian suburb North of Johannesburg. It was a long way from the traditions of her current family who by now offered their blessings to the union. However her husband’s family and a selected Indian community were not so forgiving and stereotyped the couple from the beginning. Stares and snide remarks that pierced benevolent hearts were the norm, yet the Imaan and guidance of Allah was all the more encompassing than the many vile and volatile words cast like daggers to the newly weds by people who could not see beyond the realms of the their comfort zones.

South Africa is often portrayed as “The Rainbow Nation”. Our beautiful country is diverse in religion, colour and creed and serves as an example to the many troubled nations across the globe. Fatima’s marriage to Mohammad was blessed by the birth of their child who sealed their union and strengthened her faith to an extent where Fatima decided to dorn the hijab and preserve her modesty for the pleasure of Allah. Little did she know that this was the calm before the storm, the infamous words that reverberated through France by King Louis the 15^th before the ascension to the throne by his successor King Louis the 16^th, who was overthrown during the French Revolution and the Storming of the Bastille.

France caused a stir in the Muslim world in 2004 with a law barring the hijab and all other religious clothing from state primary and secondary schools. South Africa’s has extended the freedom for it’s a citizens to practice their religion freely without prejudice. Fatima was not aware of the impact her hijab would cause when she returned to work after her decision that was taken during the weekend.

As a major player in the retail industry, that serves to maintain customer satisfaction and cater for the different living standards measure, Fatima was employed by a major corporate who is the epitome of employment equity. The Monday morning Fatima walked in to the building yielded stares, shock and horror on the many faces that peered from cubicles trying to avoid direct eye contact with the woman who now was different to them and had something covering her head. The impact of dorning the hijab had caused a stir and Fatima was concerned that her colleagues could not look beyond her attire and realize that she is and was the same person that left the office on Friday conveying her best wishes to everybody for a great weekend.  “I was appalled and flabbergasted that a piece of material covering my head could have such an impact on my colleagues that their mouths gaped in horror at what they saw,” said Fatima.

During the course of that conspicuous Monday, Fatima’s colleagues and friends, built up the courage to cautiously approach her trying to fathom what could change a person over a weekend and whether she had now become and extremist, a word which has been insidiously splashed across the world.

“They asked me so many questions that my memory could not absorb them all. I did however try to assure them that I was the same Fatima they had come to know and love, “ echoed Fatima. The question that stuck most in Fatima’s mind was whether her Muslim husband Mohammed had stood by with a heavy hand ready to beat her black and blue if she did not cover herself. “Not at all”, Fatima told them as she proceeded to explain that she was merely expressing her identity to reconcile her identity of being a woman with her identity as a Muslim to practice Islam to the highest degree.

It was however a comment by a white male accounts clerk was that really dented  Fatima’s morale and esteem. “He told me I looked like an old woman and I am much too pretty and young to be wearing a scarf. He also asked if my husband forced me to wear the scarf”, lamented Fatima.

The comments were insulting and Fatima was appalled at his behavior. The fact that he failed to see beyond her dressing was disturbing as she is a corporate executive in charge of marketing.

The hijab has become a red herring, a political symbol of Islam and as some people indicate, an age enhancer. The need to be modest and withhold the beauty for the sanctity of her home and husband has instilled a notion in people that women that don the hijab are forced to do so by their husbands and are probably not educated. This cannot be further from the truth as depicted in the revolutions of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. The majority of women modestly attired in hijab that were protesting were highly qualified journalists, analysts and scientists, to name but a few of the many women fighting for freedom.

Living in a secular context like South Africa even with its enshrined freedoms can be daunting for the hijab-wearing woman. This extends to the Muslim men who also sport beards and wear the kurtha(thoub).  In the minds of some this automatically makes him a potential ‘suspect’ especially when he tries boarding a flight nationally or internationally.

The key to reconciling our Muslim identities with our identities as South Africans is education. As Muslims, we have a responsibility to educate those that perceive Islam to be strange. This was a practice adopted by our Beloved Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH). If we can share the beauty of this perfect, beautiful religion, the misconceptions about Islam can be buried forever and the Fatima’s of this world can be world-conquering leaders not prejudiced by age, race, sex or religion.

Fatima’s journey started when she reverted to Islam. Her trials and tribulations were never seen as a burden by her, but rather a test from the Almighty. Her character is exemplary and with time has infatuated the most hardhearted in-laws and even tempted the devil to relinquish his evil ways. Her conduct and dressing have inspired her colleagues to be modest in their approach and created a new self-awareness in the corporate company where she works. She is a role model and example for others to amend their ways to lead a life that is in accordance with the Will of Allah, the Quraan.

The culmination of all these exceptional and outstanding qualities was unified when an invitation was extended. An invitation that cannot be seen and comes from Highest Authority and has been scribed since time began. In 2008, Fatima answered to the call of Labaik in the presence of Allah when she embarked on the journey of hajj with her husband. When they returned she emanated a glow that even drew comments from family, friends, non-Muslims and fellow hajees.

Today Fatima has become an icon that is much loved within her family and community. Her story is a living proof that in spite of all the hate, close-mindedness and ignorance, true honour only comes from the Almighty.

Faizel143@vodamail.co.za