Muslim Madonna
Muslim pop singer Deeyah has irked the Muslim world with her provocative new music video that shows her stripping off a burka to reveal her bikini-clad body.
Deeyah claims, the Deeyah claims, the video, What will be? deals with Muslim women’s rights and female empowerment, as it also features Muslim women who have fought for freedom of expression.
The singer, who was born in Norway but moved to the UK after her act alienated her from the Muslim community, has been forced to cancel performances and hire a team of bodyguards after inciting anger from British Muslims as well.
“I can’t walk around without bodyguards. I would be lying if I said abuse from religious fanatics did not upset or scare me,” the 28-year-old, dubbed as the ‘Muslim Madonna’ was quoted by Contactmusic, as saying.
Asian music TV network B4U TV dropped the video after receiving complaints.
“We played the video a couple of times and then did not play it again. We had threats which we were forced to take very seriously. These things are sensitive issues,” an employee said. Via Iranian.ws
Where is this going really; now the west needs to free Muslim women from the Burka’a so that they can go into bigger and “better” things.. like breast implants, eating disorders, chronic happy pill popping, marijuana and eventually fortunes being spent on psychiatry. After all, goodness knows all women want to be the Olsen twins!
Let me try to rephrase that, I’m not saying that the Muslim world is anywhere near perfect, I’m not even suggesting that the Burka’a has legitimate justification or reasoning, I do believe that the west has draped this illusion of freedom and equality to women when it is nothing more than another box to be trapped in (and hence the massive bulimia and self image problems many Western women admit having). A lot are going out public to mock the Burka’a, while nobody talks about the prison of Western feminine ideal that is not very far to that reflected by the Burka’a.
this reminds me of the woman in uk that was trying to lead the prayers and how the west tried to legitimise it and the media focused on it. This poor girl is just another singer wanabe, though it’s sad that she’s given a chance to attack islam.
Emoodz;
You’re overblowing the problems of western women. The problems of celebrity women in the West do get sensationalized, but the reality is far more mundane. The vast majority of Western women do not get breast implants, do not pop pills, do not self-mutilate, do not indulge in bulimia, and do not smoke bongs. Don’t think that because it’s on the news, it’s the norm. It’s on the news because it’s not.
Unfortunately, people like gossip about the personal misfortunes of celebrities. Makes them feel better about themselves. The tabloid industry just happens to make money off it.
As a Western woman myself, I don’t feel locked in any prison of feminine ideals.
Anonymous directly above is accurate about Western women. Your comments about “another box to be trapped in (and hence the massive bulimia and self image problems many Western women admit having)” or “the prison of Western feminine ideal” show a simple misunderstanding about how western women live.
Women in the West are largely free to be. Women in the Middle East are not. That’s a fact and it makes Middle Eastern society fundamentally backward and poor. It’s sad.
Why do we overanalyze these odd, infrequent incidents?
We previously had Bin Ladin’s sister and now we have Mademoiselle Deeyaayaah madri shesmha worrying us about where we are heading to!? Do those have brains in the first place?
And since when Women freedom is an illusion?!!
I think it is entirely a woman’s own personal decision what she wears, what she eats, and where she goes. It is not up to any man, or any other woman, to tell her what to do.
Would many men in the Middle East be pleased to be told what to wear by women “experts”?
“It is not up to any man, or any other woman, to tell her what to do.”
Yeah, but we can work on our societal expectations, can we not? Most women no longer feel complete because they don’t fit the required “image” that media keeps drumming in our heads. When’s the last time you saw a romantic comedy whose protagonist is slightly overweight?
As for the person who claimed that women in the Middle East are not free, keep in mind that the situation in this region is not nearly as bad as it was 20 years ago. People seem to be stuck in that mentality, that we’re backwards and poorly educated and should be laughed at. This is simply not the case. A few countries have been taking timid steps towards democracy. The Middle East includes places like Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, and Israel, where women roam around freely without veils. I’ve seen women walk around with revealed stomachs and short skirts in public places in many cities in this region. I’ve seen Arab women in “nude” beaches in Dubai. That’s pretty damned “free” to me. The main problem in the Middle East today is hardly gender equality – I’ve heard Saudi Arabian women admit that much, it’s the education and political culture which inevitably causes the gender oppression in certain countries where ignorance is not uncommon. If you want a successful democratic state: educate your public. Otherwise, it will fail miserably. You can’t give people a voice if they’re clueless.
I’m not saying we don’t have issues, I’m saying things are constantly changing. Women are given more and more opportunities each day which includes government positions. Many women in Saudi Arabia have rediculously high statuses which places them above most men within their nation – that’s something. It’s so easy to sit around and look at the Middle East like a gigantic mole on a map, but you can’t assume anything about this region as a whole. States and their laws differ from one another. Most of these claims apply to places like Yemen and Saudi Arabia which hardly represent the entire region.
I see where emoods is coming from but frankly speaking, I’m not bothered about this. Clearly she’s getting attention for what she’s doing – be it good or bad, it’s just a way to market who she is.. to penetrate into the market and say ‘here I am!’
Does anyone else think it’s extreme but more so politically?
I mean, I’m not agreeing with what she’s doing, it’s definitely asking for trouble and rightly so, but the video seemed to be aimed at the lack of freedom of speech in the countries she claims to be speaking of. I don’t know why people like her always confuse freedom of speech with freedom to act slutty and downright stupid. What we should be aiming for is political freedom of speech within the media and not the “right” for women to walk around with what looks like dog grease in their cleavage.
Spot on, ES.
ES;
There have been a few movies where the protagonist is overweight, but not many. It’s true that the movie industry prefers beautiful people of both genders. Reminds me of a relative who came to the US and was surprised to see ugly people here. She thought Americans would all be beautiful, because that’s the impression she got from Hollywood movies.
I’ll defend someone’s right to dress and act slutty as freedom of expression, but I will certainly exercise my right to disapprove of it.
Maskati !
Good old Toledo days ! lol ! It’s a small world isn’t it ! Man ! am that Omani guy who used to live with Tim in University Circle (if I remember the place right !), n u used to live right across the hall !
I think it’s obvious for Muslim people to see that this woman does not have any bases for her claims against Muslim Word. This song symbolizes one of those instances where media is trying to distort the image of the Islamic World in the mind of westerners. Even if we suppose she was right I still don’t think shaking her ass on the video is going to do much. The best thing to do is to disregard this nonsense that is trying to raise a controversial issue by make an explosion in the media for financial gains.
Maybe muslim men could pull their collective head out of their collective ass long enough to acquire some literacy through something beyond their favorite fairy tale book and then grasp the concept that their constant ranting will not legitimize their BS “faith” to the rest of the world. Maybe not.
Freedom up to a certian limit is OK but should not mitigate the values of Religion.
few things of my own thoughts:
“Women in the West are largely free to be. Women in the Middle East are not”
I live in the Middle East and been to America and Australia, I think you are “very” wrong with that statement, especially when a woman is granted a “license” to save her life by selling her body, in prostitution, what kind of government that allows such a law to exist?! Thank God I do not live in Europe! (thats a very small portion of it)
Don:
“it is entirely a woman’s own personal decision what she wears, what she eats, and where she goes.”
again, very wrong, it is nobodys right to wear what they want, eat or go where they want, its everybody elses right, the governement and the court’s right… what to wear does not belong to you but to the others walking down the street having to see you, and as humans require at least for you to be decent and not distract them of their own targets, nor cause distraction of others doing work with them… what to eat? go ahead, take drugs, lets see if your government allows it. Where to go? go ahead, go inside a church, naked, and see if noone objects, or calls the cops… dont put out absolute judgements before you REALLY think it through, ofcourse you are shooting at Moslems in Saudi Arabia, but I am shooting at all others, because what ppl wear in Saudi Arabia is their traditional wear, why are you so pissed off? do you really believe women are opressed by that wear? I have met few Saudi Women, they dont have any problem with it, but other things ya may be…
ofcourse that does not say I like how ismalic countries are doing today, but Islam is absolutely innocent of every stupid irrational gesture or behavior, i am 100% sure of that.
as for this madonna… i pitty her, her ass looks better than her face!
The problem of the celebrity women is spreading to the middle east.. ive lived 5 years in the uk and i find the problem in Bahrain much more bigger that it here.. guess we always take the imprefections in other cultures and societies and make good practice of them..
Miriam;
You said ““license” to save her life by selling her body, in prostitution, what kind of government that allows such a law to exist?!”
Some governments would rather concentrate on fighting crimes like theft and murder instead of sex-for-money acts that have no victim.
You said “it is nobodys right to wear what they want, o wear does not belong to you but to the others walking down the street having to see you, and as humans require at least for you to be decent and not distract them of their own targets, nor cause distraction of others doing work with them… “
Except for public nudity (and even those laws vary), your comment is incorrect. In the West you have the right to walk down the street dressed like a clown and you are not forbidden from doing so by the government. Private companies set their own dress rules and the government can’t interfere.
So, the death threats are OK. She deserves them. Right? The fact that this video has drawn such an aggressive and violent response is a pretty good sign she’s onto something. Madonna didn’t draw such a reaction with her “Like a Prayer” video, in which she was portraying herself as Jesus on the cross. Did she?
Muslims would have killed Madonna before she ever became famous. This woman is no Madonna.
This fuckin whore wants nothing but a problem between muslims, its all politics shez paid to do that shes paid to strip off out of burka. fucking slut muslims r not forced to wear burka thats what islam said, they do what islam told them to do, and don’t fuckin call yourself a muslim when you don’t know how to be a muslim BITCH.
she can do what she likes. why would anyone be so bothered. she is not attacking islam. islam is above everyone and all what people do. stop fussing and make sure you yourself are following it properly!!
One person’s freedom ends where the next person’s begins.
Or another way, do not do unto others what you yourself find harmful.
Yet again, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
and still again, Love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other, there only is.
HAH “hence the massive bulimia and self image problems many Western women admit having)”
i have lived in the US for more over 5 years and I can tell you that Arab women obsess as much if not more about their appearance
igno
not to mention the fact that Arab women do not enjoy the privilege/right of a forum to express such sentiments. how do you expect to hear about the tribulations of middle eastern women when they struggle to have their voice heard?
its sad but the current perception deems a woman exposed (in any sense) as a whore
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- Mohammed AlMaskati
East Riffa, Bahrain
I support a ONE Bahrain!
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