About Me

Rebellious Saudi woman. My life has began once i arrived to Canada in 2008, from that moment i realized that there is a lot of things i need to catch up with .... Welcome to my Blog. If anything I have to say offends you, I can assure you that I am not sorry.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Breaking the mold

In Canada, it is hardily ever walks in the street without finding at least some people not having any part of thier body percied. Such as, nose, lips, tongue, and most commonly not only in Canada earrings but also everywhere. Body piercing is wide spread trend between young people particularly more than other adult people
It is, I mean body piercing not something new just in contemporary society. Back in history there are some signs prove that body piercing found in previous societies such as Egyptian, Romanian and African. According to who have studied the mummified remains from Egyptian Pyramid, have discovered ear piercing there. Body piercing has been used for many reasons; for symbolizing person's statues and wealthy, for religious or superstitious issue. For example, In Roman society, piercing has another story. Romans were very practical people, and for them piercing server a purpose. More interestingly, they were pierced their nipples not because they looks nice but to signify their strength and virility, even Julius Caesar pierced his nipples to show his strength with his men. More over, Some African tribes they pierce the lip usually the lower one and put a small disk in the hall till it gets wider and wider by using bigger size of disks and this kind of tradition detriment if the women worthy to get marred. I can imagine exactly what going to be happen if woman from Saudi Arabia followed this tradition, obviously no body will conceder her worthy to get marred I think it is a matter of being acceptable in your society.




Some people argues that body piercing in specific parts of the body or face held some meaning or reflect some ones sexuality statues, but the questions is why people want to have body piercing?!!
Body piercing is obviously a way to express yourself, for pleasurablse sexual influences or even to be a unique. As known, younger people do many things to show their self and their rejection for whatever they do not like. It is a great form of rebellion.
Saudi Arabia as an example, body adornment considered to be only for women and for religious or traditions matters not acceptable for men. The most common form for body piercing is earrings and recently nose rings but this kind it is not common. Men are considered to show strength and carelessness about body adornments and fashion stuff. Recently younger men changed their idea about their appearance little bit, but still some of them do not agree with new changes at all and hard for a society like Saudi accommodate with changes even though lip piercing or any trends especially close-minded people.
I determined to break the mold and have my lip pierced before about more than four months because I liked it very much and I thought it is a great way to express myself and be special. As a woman came from country like Saudi Arabia
that would be a huge change for me not in a personal level but if we can say in social level. People there are less likely to accept new issues due to misunderstand. This getting worst, when they attack you without any concerns for your rights to do whatever you think it good for you but not harmful for the others for sure as an adult person. Yes, I know this is a human nature but not when it comes to body piercing but any ways something new not always BAD.
Many of them thought there is a meaning beyond every kind of piercing. For example one of my relative was so scared and telling me that lip piercing just for lesbian!!! That make me laughed I said it just a lip piercing .don't missed every thing up!
when I volunteer at the mosque in my area helping organizing, serving food and to celebrate Eid with muslim community in Canada there is muslim girl keep staring to my lips and smiling. It seems there are something interest her, finally I found her ask me if body piercing or lip piercing Halal OR Haram (An Arabic terms means if it is forbidden according to Islamic rules or not) because she wants her lips pierced but she was afraid to do that?!! I surprisingly shouted: what!!! I do not know why some Muslims related every thing to religion it is just different pretty think I would like to have. Actually I google it just to be in the safe side and ask some of my friends in US and Canada. I found that many people surprised and denied that lip piercing or any kind of piercing used to serve specific purposes in our days such as, bisexuality. It is just for adornment matters.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Well, I would say it is a nice topic although I could disagree with you, I am liberal and I think such fashion doesn't fit with us, we as Arabs have our own culture and the west has its own, it would be weird to find an American guy wearing Shmagh and Egal the traditional Saudi dress, I think body piercing has nothing to do with Haram and Halal but its a cultural issue, I think the west has many good values, ethics, and morals, and thats what I really need to copy from them, my Arabic culture and heritage is also something to be proud of, as for me I don't wear necklaces, earrings, nor tongue rings. but I do wear pants and shirts but in a very descent and formal way, that reflects my personality. Bests

Daughter of Arabia said...

Thanks Giuseppe for your comment.first of all, I respect what u think but still i dont believe that is a good point. to go with the general flow of people just because everybody do it. Let me give u one exaple may clarefiy what i mean here, In Saudi Arabia one of the most controvercial issue and has been descussing for a lont time is (Allowing women to drive cars, some critics argues that because its not acceptable in our society and because saudi people not that open people to accept such issue so, we dont have to find such policy and allow women to drive till the community accept that as an acceptable practice. This seems to me like a person rounding in a closed circle without having someone break the circle and that kind of thinking requier huge time. It is the same issue here i dont argue to westernize the saudi culture but i encourage to go with personal freedome. yes u can be acceptable in Saudi cultue as a person who cares about his image in community but that doesnt prevent u from practising ur own ideas or beliefs or even be special.Thanks again for ur comment.

Eastern Reflections said...

Body piercing is NOT just a Western thing. And I've seen Western people wearing traditional Arab clothing before, most of the time they are converts and living in their adopted countries, but in some cases, like mine, I wore it while traveling out of respect for the culture I was exploring. There is one American woman I know who wears hijab, she's not Muslim either, but says she loves to wear head scarves b/c for her it's a "fashion statment" and she feels comfortable with them. She always gets criticized by both Westerners and Middle Easterners (most of the time young folks) accusing her of trying to fake being Muslim. Nuns wear head coverings, they aren't faking anything. Older Orthodox Christian women wear scarves alot of times last time I checked.

It's disheartening sometimes when people want
to make things so black and white.....whether with clothing, piercings, or what not. As if saying if you wear this or act like that, you are betraying your culture. Utter nonsense!

Daughter of Arabia said...

thanks for ur comment eastren reflection i agree with you but sometimes its hard for me to do something just cuz my culture do it for example,wear my Abaya in public areas.
thanks again

Anonymous said...

lip piercing is haraam, but obviously you just want to fit in and look different in order to showoff, so people can say look 'she's saudi but she different she's one of us'

why don't you dye your hair and get a couple of tattoos while you're at it

Daughter of Arabia said...

Hi Anonymous it is doferrent doesnt make it Haram as you said i know my relegion more that any one and im free to make my roles.