Saudi Forum

The issue of headresses came up a lot at the forum with the five Saudi Arabian women. Only one of the women there was not wearing a head covering, and the four wearing them all had colored ones instead of the stereotypical black. The correct color of head coverings was debated there as well as when it’s appropriate to wear them. The ladies said that head coverings don’t necessarily have to be black, and that they only wear them in the Middle East because that is the cultural norm. This prompted one practicing muslim in the crowd to interject that that teaching was a false one, and that it is only proper for Muslim girls to wear black head coverings. Right there is an example of differences within a culture that leads groups to arguments and fights. The second tenet of Critical Race Theory is that racism is a social and not a biological construction. Similarly, the women were making the argument that only allowing black head coverings is also a social construction. The man contesting this was expressing the Sufi opinion found in Egypt and other places in the Middle East. The women were on the modern Islamic side that doesn’t require as many strict rules as the Orthodox Sufis. This is an example of the rivalry within Islam that has led to many wars and conflicts.