President Ann Eppinger Port thanked members who brought donations of warm, gently used clothing to share with our friends at the Center for New Americans, many of whom will be experiencing their first winter in Syracuse\u2014or, in some cases, their first winter anywhere, ever! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sabra Reichardt asked us to consider the spiritual aspect of how we spend money. She related the story of noted author Anna Quindlen, who was asked to address women at a fundraiser for a San Diego shelter for homeless and abused women. Anna began by complimenting the audience on how nice they looked, how well dressed and carefully groomed they were. Then she asked them to add up the cost of their dress, shoes, purse, jewelry, manicure and hairdo and to write a check to the charity for that amount. The foundation did very well that day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Judy Antoine reminded us of an article in the Post-Standard<\/em> about Manlius Pebble Hill School students who\nwore hijab, or head scarf, for a week. They enjoyed the experience, including\nthe attention it brought them. Their teacher, a Muslim, does not wear hijab\nbecause she feels that it brings her negative attention. Magda Bayoumi, a WTB\nmember, said she wears hijab because she feels that people listen to her more closely.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n In response to the newspaper article, the Post-Standard<\/em> received and printed a very derogatory\nletter-to-the-editor about women wearing hijab. Judy answered with her own\nletter-to-the-editor, telling about her daughter who had been raised as a\nUnitarian Universalist and converted to Islam. After her conversion, her\ndaughter gradually exchanged her tight jeans for loose pants, then long-sleeved\nshirts, then a cloak, then a veil. Her daughter feels that by covering, she has\nfreed herself; that now she is judged not her appearance, but rather by her\nwords and actions. It was the negative letter and Judy\u2019s response to it that\nprompted today\u2019s program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tanya Atwood-Adams then introduced each of our six speakers. (Our\nrecording secretary has done her best to describe the clothing of each panelist,\nbut this was a meeting when \u201cyou had to be there\u201d!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japan\u2014Miyo Hirano<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Miyo grew up in Tokyo, Japan, before immigrating to the United\nStates. After retiring from her job as a social worker specializing in\ncounseling at the State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center, Miyo\nbegan a new career as a psychotherapist and potter. She has two children and\nthree grandchildren. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Miyo wore a modern version of the traditional kimono: a\nwoolen kimono jacket and pants with a black-and-white geometric pattern. Both\nthe jacket and pants were tied, having been made with no elastic. She wore\nsplit-toe socks to accommodate the traditional thong-and-wood shoes that are\nalways removed before entering a house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miyo showed us several examples of more-traditional kimono\nbelonging to various members of her family. All her examples were handmade\nwithout the use of a sewing machine. Each was decorated with large, natural\nthemes. We saw the kimono Miyo wore to her sister\u2019s wedding: it was black, with\na few large, pink and yellow flowers, worn with a black-, gold- and silver-checked\nobi (sash). Miyo showed us her daughter\u2019s off-white silk kimono with red\nflowers and green leaves, worn with an orange obi embroidered in gold and\nsilver; an off-white floral kimono belonging to another daughter; and her mother\u2019s\ntextured cotton kimono in a darker, printed, over-all pattern designed for an\nolder woman. Miyo also showed us a man\u2019s pants, with wide flared legs to\naccommodate a man\u2019s more-active lifestyle, worn with a mid-length kimono jacket;\nshe pointed out that men\u2019s designs are strong, using such themes as pine trees\nand bamboo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miyo explained that the kimono we see is only the top layer.\nIt is worn over at least two layers of underwear kimonos of a sheer\nlingerie-type fabric, each with a sash to hold the layer in place. Modesty is\nimportant; a woman\u2019s legs must never show, and her breasts are bound so as to\ncreate as flat a chest as possible. A traditional woman walks three feet behind\nher husband and must be modest; although the woman is not considered a man\u2019s possession,\nit is important that she look good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wedding outfits are lavish. The bride must have three\nseparate outfits: the wedding kimono, a western-style dress, and yet another\nkimono. Both the crane and the turtle symbolize long life and are therefore\ncommon designs on wedding clothes. In response to a question about the process\nof dressing, Miyo explained that a woman usually needs no help, although putting\non the layers can be difficult. For elaborate wedding outfits, however, or if a\nwoman is employed as a geisha (a traditional performance artist) or a maiko (an\napprentice geisha), there are agencies that will send people to the house to help\nher dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Punjab\u2014Surgeet Dhamoon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Surgeet is from the northern part of India, the Punjab, and\nof the Sikh religious tradition. She is a neurologist and spent many years in\npractice at Community General Hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Surgeet wore three silky pieces in a lovely soft turquoise\nwith embroidery in a matching color. Her tunic-style, short-sleeved dress fell\nbelow her knees, with slits almost to her waistline to accommodate movement.\nUnder that she wore matching flowing pants to her ankles. Across her shoulders\nshe wore a long chiffon scarf that created a scoop across her bust, with the\ntails of the scarf flowing down her back on each side. Surgeet demonstrated how\nshe can use the scarf to cover her head quickly when she enters a gurudwara, or\nplace of worship. In village areas of India, a woman would not leave home\nwithout a head covering, so the scarf gives her the freedom to go out and move\nabout. The scarf is also convenient for blocking both sun and rain. Surgeet\u2019s traditional\noutfit, called a shalwar kameez, is both modest and feminine and suits all body\ntypes. Surgeet finds this style convenient and comfortable and commonly wears it\nat home and on Sundays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She explained that the public response to her clothing has\nbeen positive. She joked that when people see her clothes, they offer her help,\nthinking that she must be new to this country. Since 9\/11, however, the men in\nher family have had more trouble because of their \u201cforeign\u201d look. Because Sikh\nmen do not cut their hair but wear it under a wrapped turban, they have faced\npotential danger from Americans who believe that all men with turbans are\nterrorists. Her sons now expect to be searched at every airport; one son was\ngrateful that he could drive away from angry men at a green light; and her\nsmall grandson has objected to walking a few blocks to a park because he does not\nlike people\u2019s stares. In a grocery store, a shopper angered Surgeet by prodding\nher grandson\u2019s coil of hair within his turban and demanding an explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clothing colors are important and may signify marital and social\nstatus. Red is the common color for marriage; white is worn by widows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Togo\u2014Lolo Amele Amegnran<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lolo grew up in Ivory Coast and graduated from high school in\nBenin. Her college degree in accounting is from Togo. In 2001 she moved to the United\nStates, and in 2005 she received her degree in business administration from\nMurray State University in Kentucky. She works for the town of Dewitt and hopes\nto return to school for her master in business administration degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lolo wore a long blouse, with intricately interlaced circles\nof trim at the neckline, and a tied, straight skirt. Both the blouse and the\nskirt were of brightly colored cotton and had been made by her aunt. Vibrant\nhues of red, yellow and blue reflected the brilliant colors of her homeland.\nHer matching scarf could be worn across her shoulders or wound around her head\nas a striking wrap. If she were married, she would wrap the scarf around her\nwaist and hips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lolo said that at home in Togo, the blouse would be\nsleeveless, but here she needs the long sleeves. In addition, this version was\nmade fully lined, for extra warmth in Syracuse weather. In response to a\nquestion, Lolo said the concept of maternity clothes surprised her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lolo showed us a wedding dress that consisted of a long chemise\nwith a scooped neckline. Another dress, designed for a party, was similar in style\nbut about knee length. Lolo held up a multicolored poncho that is now a quite\npopular style, and she showed us a variegated fabric that could serve as a long\nwrap for a skirt. In traditional Togo culture, women do not wear pants,\nparticularly to church or funerals, although Western influence is seen in young\nwomen\u2019s gradual acceptance of jeans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After her wedding, Lolo, wearing her traditional-style dress,\nwent with her husband to J.C. Penney for photos. Everyone\u2019s appreciative stares\ngave her the idea of opening a store here to sell similar clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n United States\u2014Asmaa Elsayed<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Asmaa was born in Houston, Texas, and spent most of her years\nin northern Virginia. She attended George Mason University, studying journalism\nand history as an undergraduate and earning her master\u2019s degree from the School\nof Education in curriculum development and instruction. Asmaa is a certified\nteacher in Fairfax County and has taught social studies in both private and\npublic schools. Currently she is principal of the Islamic Society of Central\nNew York\u2019s weekend school and editor-in-chief of ISCNY News<\/em>,\nthe Islamic Society\u2019s monthly publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asmaa wore a black abaya (a long-sleeved, loose-fitting dress)\nembroidered in gold and silver. She explained that modesty prohibits clothing\nthat would show the female form. Asmaa also wore hijab (a head scarf completely\ncovering her hair and neck) and niqab (a face scarf, or veil, covering her nose\nand mouth and leaving only her eyes visible). Asmaa did not remove her veil\nbecause, although only women were present for our meeting, photos were being\ntaken. She explained that the covering is for outside the home; at home she need\nnot cover and can dress any way she wishes, as long as no unrelated males are present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asmaa explained that the Qur’an does not prescribe any particular color for women\u2019s clothing, although colors should not be flashy in a \u201clustful\u201d manner. She described her own black dress as a cultural, not a religious, choice. The Qur\u0384an does not require a face covering; she has chosen it for herself. In the beginning she wondered if covering would limit her activities, such as shopping, speaking, and getting a university degree; indeed, a speech professor told Asmaa he wanted to be able to see her facial expressions. Asmaa told the professor to judge her words, tone of voice, and gestures, and by the end of the semester, he had agreed. A male classmate told Asmaa that her veil made him concentrate better on her words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asmaa pointed out that her clothes are not unique among the\nspeakers on today\u2019s panel. All have stressed modesty and the need for clothes to\nallow active work at home or in the fields. Asmaa has learned that it is not\nonly some Muslim women who cover their faces; some married Orthodox Jews and married\nChinese village women do so as well. Asmaa noted that Americans tend to label\npeople, and she asks Americans to be tolerant of what we see and to judge only\nby what a person contributes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like Surgeet, Asmaa has found that the formerly positive\nresponse to her clothing changed after 9\/11. However, she claims the right to\nchoose her dress and feels she deserves respect for her choices. She believes\nthat Muslims have a responsibility to talk about who they are and to stand\nproud. She feels that the best response to negativity is education, not\nassimilation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n India\u2014Shivalee Babani<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shivalee was born and brought up in India. She worked in the\nbanking industry in India and Dubai Here in Syracuse, she is an entrepreneur in\nthe travel industry and runs her own travel agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shivalee wore a burgundy shalwar kameez (shalwar<\/em>\nmeans \u201cloose, pajama-like trousers\u201d; kameez,<\/em> \u201ca long\nshirt or tunic\u201d), decorated with gold embroidery; burgundy shoes covered with\nsimilar embroidery; and a matching scarf over one shoulder. The kameez follows\nthe shape of the body, so women can simply have larger ones tailor-made for\npregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shivalee explained that all Indian clothing is graceful and\ncolorful, but that various regions have their own stylistic identities. She\nposted pictures showing some of the subtle regional differences. The New Delhi sari\nconsists of five or six yards of fabric wrapped at the waist, with pleats at\nthe front, and with the end wrapped around the shoulder, effectively hiding the\nfigure. Saris worn in the western city of Bombay (Mumbai) have nine yards of\nfabric, with a slightly different wrap. A Bombay man would wear a long jacket\nover pants that are gathered at the ankle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ornaments, embroidered decorations, and jewelry are important\nthroughout India. The most common accessory is the bindi, a decorative dot worn\nin the middle of the forehead; if the wearer is married, the dot is red. The\nbindi might have originally been intended to ward off the evil eye, but today\nit is purely decorative and ranges from a colored dot to sparkling jewels attached\nto the forehead with adhesive backing. Shivalee announced that she had brought\na supply of bindis to share with everyone. (After the meeting she was\nsurrounded by eager bindi seekers!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, everyday clothing is a fusion of east and west, with\njeans and T-shirts being common. But for festivals and for important occasions\nsuch as weddings, traditional dress is widely preferred. Wedding attire is\ngenerally heavier, with more embroidery, and always colorful. A bride would\nnever wear white (a mourning color) or black. For her own wedding, Shivalee\u2019s hands\nand legs were decorated with henna markings. Following these customs makes\nShivalee proud of her culture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Gambia\u2014Mam Yassin Sarr-Fox<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yassin is a member of the Wollof Tribe in the Gambia, West\nAfrica, whose culture she holds very close to her heart. She is also a wife and\nthe mother of a 22-month-old girl named Mary. Yassin has worked with women and\ngirls on issues such as literacy, family planning, and health education. She\nholds degrees in sociology, French, and English and is pursuing a PhD at\nSyracuse University in teaching and curriculum development. She plans on returning\nto Africa this summer to start a girls\u2019 school. If you would like to join her,\nyou are invited!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yassin pointed out that her clothing represents her own tribe,\nwhich makes up just one part of a country of a million people, which itself is\nonly a small part of Africa. No one should assume that her clothing represents the\nclothing of all of Africa. Yassin wore a beautiful orange dress with accents of\nyellow-toned open-work embroidery and lace. The dress was very full, with a\nscooped neck and full sleeves; in a climate where daytime temperatures of 110\ndegrees are common, the openness and fullness of her tribe\u2019s dresses allow\nocean breezes to flow through the garments and cool the body. Yassin\u2019s dress\nextended to just above her ankles; underneath was a skirt wrapped loosely\nenough for the traditional female gait of a smooth, easy-going slide. Yassin\nalso had a matching scarf that she twisted around her head, commenting that\nAfrican-American women\u2019s preference for large hats has its roots in the\nelaborate tying of African scarves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Gambian ideal of beauty is a large-sized woman, and Yassin\nlaughingly told us that when she wears traditional dresses, she does not feel\nbig enough! This illustrates the importance of cultural variations and the lack\nof absolutes in ideals of beauty. When Yassin\u2019s family members in the Gambia\nsee her picture, they worry that their slender relative is not eating enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The clothing of Yassin\u2019s tribe makes each woman look\nbeautiful and modest, regardless of her size. The clothing has no elastic, just\nties, again making it acceptable for women of all sizes. Yassin feels that her\ntribe\u2019s clothing teaches women to be comfortable in their own skin and take their\nplace in society. There is nowhere to hide in these beautiful, bright colors!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yassin explained that 95 percent of the Gambia is Muslim, but\nthat her clothing is Gambian, not religious, and that Christians wear the same\nstyles. Because of the fullness of the dresses, maternity clothes are\ncompletely unnecessary. The colors of the clothing reflect the vibrant colors\nof the environment. Jewelry is also bright, she said, pointing to her own\ngolden necklace of petaled rays. Her husband had commented today that her\norange dress and golden necklace made her look like the sun! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yassin had brought along two additional dresses: a blue and\ngreen full dress, and another orange dress with embroidery. She explained that\nin the Gambia, there are tailors \u201con every corner\u201d earning about $1 per day, so\ngetting new dresses made is easy. Both batik and tie-dye fabrics are popular. Clothing\ncan also reflect political and social affiliations; before an election, people\nsometimes wear prints covered with portraits of their preferred candidate!<\/p>\n\n\n\n At age 16, Yassin traveled from the Gambia to Canada as an\nexchange student. When a classmate asked her when<\/em>\nshe had gotten her clothes, she realized how little the world knew about Africa:\nThe student had thought that all natives of Africa (a continent three times the\nsize of the United States) were naked! On the positive side, Yassin said, people\nfrequently want to talk about her dresses. Yassin loves the clothing of various\ncultures and has collected items from several countries. She discovered that if\nshe wears Indian clothing when she goes into an Indian store, she often receives\na discount! Wearing clothes of her own and other cultures enriches her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sharing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After thanking our panelists, Tanya asked everyone, audience\nand speakers alike, to assemble in a large circle. Each of us was given a\nlength of colored cloth that we tied to the cloths held by the women on either\nside of us. Thus were we all connected. We passed the linked fabrics through\nour hands to the left, singing, \u201cFrom you I receive, and to you I give.\nTogether we share so that all may live.\u201d After the formal meeting ended, women\nstood in clusters, all around the room, happily discussing clothing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Each of us was given a length of colored cloth that we tied to the cloths held by the women on either side of us. Thus were we all connected. We passed the linked fabrics through our hands to the left, singing, \u201cFrom you I receive, and to you I give. Together we share so that all may live.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[16,25],"class_list":["post-7518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-programs","tag-islam","tag-sikhism",""],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7518"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8360,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7518\/revisions\/8360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}