I've recently been listening to Sha-Key's 1994 album, a head nadda's journey to adidi skizm in my car and it's made me wonder what Sha-Key (aka Hanifah Walidah) has been up to lately. One of her more interesting projects in the works is a documentary film named Azizah ("my powerful beloved") which looks at the lives of Black American lesbians who were raised as Muslims. Definitely food for thought.
Interesting... not sure what to say though... so I'll comment on the singing of Mali's Oumou Sangare heard looping in the back, I guess there's a connection since Oumou is big on woman's rights in society, though I don't think she ever touch on the topic of the documentary.
ReplyDeleteLooks very interesting to concur with Ben. Hopefully it will create some dialogue within families and communities.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit sad to see the sister in the green asserting that there is no sexuality in Islam or that the sense that one is a sexual being is negated. I am the first to admit as a woman that we have a long way to go in thinking about sex in a way that affirms a woman's choice and body. Yet, I believe there is a foundation within Islam that can allow us to do this type of work.
YET, without being defensive it might be easier for me to SEE this sexuality or sensuality as a heterosexual woman who outwardly conforms to Islamic norms by being married to a man, wearing hijab and not being silenced or ostracized in the community.
I work in a field where my understanding and practice of sexuality is not the norm and is often conceived of as archaic, anti-woman and patriarchal. Of course, I disagree.
The larger point I think is that in the Islamic mainstream (if there is one) the way in which sexuality and sensuality is channeled is along a specific path that excludes the women who are in this film-so it is very interesting to see that they are speaking about these issues.