There is something beautiful about girls in headscarves.
This picture was taken by me in Sulawesi, an island visited by one of "my" whaling wives, Eliza Underwood, a very long time ago. One day, I will tell you what she had to say about what was called 'Celebes", but this is not the time.
The young woman in the forefront of the picture (without a headscarf) is a teacher of English at the local high school in Manado. The girl with her (in a headscarf) is one of her pupils. I was asked to talk to them so that they could practise their English.
It's a lovely memory. Did it affect my reaction when the news of the massacre of two Moslem congregations at Christchurch mosques stormed into my consciousness? Perhaps. All I remember is total shock -- that an obscenity on that scale was not possible in my quiet little country at the bottom of the world.
I watched the news. Compulsively.
Next morning, Saturday, I walked very early through Parliament grounds. I had wondered if a police presence would prevent me. But instead it was as serene as ever . . . except that the flags were at halfmast.
For the rest of my way my eyes were blinded with tears.
1 comment:
Isn't it funny how cultures overseas beautify the women by clothing them ?
While most people believe that wearing the Hijab is for the Muslim women, it in fact it dates back to the early Christian church. Other Religions, such as Sikh, Hindu, and so forth have also used the Hijab at the same time.
A couple years back when the FIFA U20 tournament was in Hamilton, I met a football player who was studying medicine, his colleagues came to NZ to study skin cancer as they don't see any cases of skin cancer in their country.
But hey, what do I know about fashion and dress making ? Well not much.
When someone claims they know lots about any given modern technology (when I know otherwise), I will always say that I know more about women's fasion than they know about technology.
People do ask what I know about women's fashion. My answer is that I know in the western world, the cost of a any given piece of clothing for a women is inversely proportional to the cost of the materials used to make that piece of clothing.
Sad really, but going back to this awful event at Christchurch.
Seeing Jacinda Ardern, our PM, on the news in the Mosque wearing a Hijab showed me a lot of humility. Such a beautiful picture.
Post a Comment