…. Of women’s clothes and politics….

If a woman’s dress is enough to make a man lose all rationale judgment, no wonder we have so many wars!

I am sick and tired of hearing silly debates on women’s clothing and how the increasing rate of sex-crimes is related to it. Worst still, when silly women for some desire need to sound assertive and intelligent takes on the challenge of leading this campaign of equating sex related crimes to women’s clothing! All this trivializes and simplifies the problem of sex-crimes but worse of all, puts the blame on women. That woman in general simply asked to become victims is despicable and if not releases then lessens the responsibility of the perpetrator! What is more sad is Dewan Muslimat Pas’s immediate reaction. While one can understand the need for solidarity with one’s comrades but in this case, the reaction lacked wisdom and if Aiman Athirah Al Jundi bothered to check current literature, which are in abundance, then she would know that there is no co-relation between clothing and sex-crimes!

In referring to the recent scandalous supposition made by the National Islamic Students Association of Malaysia's (PKPIM) vice-president Munirah Bahari that the current female school uniform has resulted in the increase of “promiscuity and rape” and their demand for the Education Ministry to review the current female school uniform clearly portrays the organization’s lack of judgment and leadership. It is understood that when anyone most of all an organization that is seen to command respect such as PKPIM and represent a significant section of today’s youths and in this case local educated Muslim youths – before coming out with a statement, they should have at least done their homework! What was the main objective of the statement?? Just to make sensational headlines or to make a positive difference?

In a follow-up press release posted on Majlis Hewi’s webpage, the women’s wing of PKPIM, stated that the request to review the uniform was done so that it would be more in line with the interpretation of the Shariah dress code and it is only for female Muslim students. There are two major points that is alarming from this statement; firstly, crime and statistics was never the primary reason for the statement, instead it was the desire to abide the Shariah. Then this should have been their argument from the very beginning and not, for the “prevention of rape and promiscuity”. Current studies and statistics do not support such an absurd assumption and instead shows that rape cases tend to happen in close quarters, with the perpetrator being someone close or trusted to the victim and in the case of promiscuity – seriously! Wearing a black hijab or a black abaiyah does not prevent curiosity or imagination. If teenagers or even adults want to do it, no black cloak will stop them except Iman which is not worn! The second underlying point is that; PKPIM does not care about the safety and well-being of non-Muslim female students. Based on the hypothesis presented, that current uniforms encourages rape and promiscuity, then shouldn’t PKPIM also be requesting for all uniforms be reviewed since non-Muslim female students wear skirts that bare their legs (very seductive!) and many also wear the transparent white and blue coloured baju kurungs. Are they not also in danger of rape here? Or their non-Muslimness saves them or best still, they’re irrelevant. The perception here is that non-Muslim women are not worthy of our concern.

There are supporting studies that show continuous exposure to pornography is dangerous not only because its co-relation to sex-related crimes but also for health reasons. Based on observation in the US, a high number of inmates serving time for sex-related crimes such as rapist and pedophiles are addicted to porn and have been exposed to it since childhood. One of many reasons given to the danger of pornography is; it portrays an unhealthy, unequal and unrealistic image of male and female relationship and gives the wrong impression that women secretly want to be brutalized and abused. Clearly it’s not the victims fault and one cannot equate blatant pornography with our current school uniforms! There is a legitimate campaign to ban the pornography industry, which in 2005 brought in a profit of 8 billion dollars in U.S. alone. So instead of making unfounded accusation perhaps PKPIM should be involved in this type of campaign instead and provide it with an Islamic twist.

In conclusion, while personally I have nothing against PKPIM’s desire to promote the wearingof clothes that they deem more Islamic but its how they did it which riled me-up.I believe that everyone and every organization are entitled to their own opinions and views be it religious or not. What I am very concerned about is how we voice out these views and has enough judgment been given before going public. Wisdom people! Wisdom!