MKS <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> Oct <strong>2017</strong> outlines.pdf 1 12/10/<strong>2017</strong> 17:19 C M Y M Y Y Y K Because every life is unique …we are here to help you make your farewell as personal and individual as possible, and to support you in every way we can. Inc. Cooper & Son 42 High Street, <strong>Lewes</strong> 01273 475 557 Also at: Uckfield • Seaford • Cross in Hand www.cpjfield.co.uk
ON THIS MONTH: TALK Under the veil The lives of Salafi women The fastest growing Islamic faction in Britain is probably Salafism. Anabel Inge, author of The Making of a Salafi Muslim Woman: Paths to Conversion, is coming to <strong>Lewes</strong> Speakers Festival, and talks to us about her research. How difficult was it for a non-Muslim to gain access? Many Salafi Muslim women were automatically suspicious, understandably, because previous researchers had betrayed their trust, including an undercover journalist. For months, I didn’t push for personal information. Once I became a familiar presence at the mosque, they largely stopped suspecting I was a spy. Progress was slow, but patience paid off. I got more involved in the women’s lives, accompanying them to parties, picnics, religious lessons or on the school run. What did you discover? Spending so much time with these women made me realise we had a lot in common. Most were well-educated, university graduates, and all were native English-speakers. They’d grown up in both Muslim and non-Muslim families that saw the face veil as something alien, so veiling was a rebellious act. It could lead to heated arguments, threats and even being chucked out of the family home. Contrary to perception, these women had embraced Salafism and the veil as a matter of personal religious choice. For them, living a Salafi lifestyle was about forging a closer relationship with God, not about forcing their beliefs on others, let alone condoning any type of violence. They all condemned terrorism. How do Salafi Muslims view the status of women? Salafis think women and men are equal in the eyes of God, but have different roles. Men are providers, while women are primarily obedient wives and mothers. Relationships between the sexes outside marriage are forbidden. Men may have up to four wives, provided they treat them all equally. Salafis believe that every interaction between non-related men and women is potentially sexually charged, so it’s best to separate men from women everywhere. Women must cover from head to toe, and ideally that includes faces, though most Salafis do not consider that to be mandatory. What is it about Salafism that appeals to certain women? In one word, certainty. Because here was a comprehensive set of guidelines that, if followed, could guarantee the thing everyone wants – an eternity in paradise. You mention in your book that wearing the veil can provoke aggression in public places. I’ve yet to meet a fully-veiled woman who isn’t subject to regular verbal, and occasionally physical, abuse in public. Misogyny often combines with racism and Islamophobia in subtle ways. One young woman I interviewed was waiting at a bus stop when a man leaned out of his car to call: “Nice eyes, sexy”. Fluttering her eyelids, hand on hip, she sarcastically replied: “Thank you!” He was pretty shocked. Studies have shown that it’s Muslim women who bear the brunt of anti-Muslim attacks, while men are usually the perpetrators. Interview by Emma Chaplin <strong>Lewes</strong> Speakers Festival, All Saints Centre, 24th- 26th. Anabel talks on Sunday 26th, 1.30pm. £12.50 single talk. Day/weekend tickets available. speakersfestivals.com/lewes-speakers-festival 45