Running Head: VEILING AND TATTOOING

Veiling and Tattooing Aseel Alsaedi [University

VEILING AND TATTOOING One o" t#e t#ings $#i%# &a'e us distin%t and uni(ue "ro& ot#er )eo)le is our

individuality $#i%# is o"tenti&es re"le%ted *y t#e $ay $e dress+ t#at $ay $e tal'+ t#e $ay $e a%t and rea%t to na&e a "e$, -ulture nurtures us to a%t in a%%ordan%e $it# t#e nor&s set *y so%iety and $e %o&&only ad#ere to it rat#er t#an deviate to "eel a sense o" *elongingness and avoid *eing "ro$ned u)on, Alt#oug# at ti&es see&ingly a &isi&)ression+ glo*ali.ation )aved t#e $ay "or a universali.ation o" %ulture t#roug# so%ial &edia and ot#er "or&s o" %o&&uni%ation utili.ing t#e internet, T#us it is not unusual no$ to see so&e %onte&)orary %ultural si&ilarities li'e "ondness to ani&e des)ite not really *eing a /a)anese gee' or t#e #a*it o" $at%#ing Holly$ood or 0olli$ood "il&s $it#out regard to t#e %ountry o" origin, Ho$ever+ it is not enoug# to 'no$ %ulture t#roug# t#e internet and *ase inter)retation and understanding solely on )ersonal i&)ression and su*1e%tive 1udg&ent *ased on one2s o$n so%ial "a%ulties s#a)ed *y one2s )ersonal %ulture, In ot#er $ords+ t#e tenden%y leans to$ards *eing su*1e%tive rat#er t#an o*1e%tive, -ulture &ust *e evaluated a%%ording to %onte3t, 0eing e3)osed to various %ultural )ra%ti%es "ro& sele%ted )arts o" t#e $orld and as o*1e%tively dis%ussed in t#e %lass #as *roug#t a*out enlig#ten&ent and %#ange in &indset on &y )art, T#is #as li'e$ise %#anged #o$ I loo' at t#ings in a ne$ )ers)e%tive+ "ree "ro& &y o$n )ersonal *iases, T#is %ultural )ers)e%tive 1ournal re"le%ts u)on &y learnings and a))re%iation a*out t#e su*1e%t, T#is 1ournal $ill s#are #o$ t#e to)i%s in t#e %ourse %#anged t#e $ay I t#in' a*out &y o$n %ultural )ra%ti%es $it# re"eren%e to t$o ot#er %ultures dis%ussed in t#e %lass, 4)e%i"i%ally+ t#is )a)er &entions veiling issues on one #and and )ier%ings and tattoos on t#e ot#er #and, On

VEILING AND TATTOOING t#e latter )art o" t#e )a)er t#e #istori%al events and )oliti%s s#all *e analy.ed as regards t#e e""e%ts on %ultural )ra%ti%es and attitudes, T#e to)i%s $#i%# a%tually %aug#t &y attention and interest $ere veiling and tattooing,

T#ese are to)i%s %onsidera*ly regarded as )#ysi%al and )al)a*le e3)ression o" %ultural )ra%ti%es, Veiling #as *een regarded as a sy&*ol o" %onservatis& a&ong 6usli& $o&en *ut #istory $ould tell us t#e origin %an *e tra%ed *a%' as early as t#e t#irteent# %entury 715t#8 0,-, during t#e )eriod o" t#e Assyrian+ one o" t#e river9*ased %ivili.ations (Hoodfar, n.d., p.6), As stated *y Hood"ar 7!:1:8 veiling %an rig#tly ter&ed as ;#i1a*< $#i%# is a sy&*ol o" *eing )rivate+ &odest and ad#eren%e to &oral standards (Carvalho, 2010), Veiling %an *e %ategori.ed in various $ays de)ending on t#e ter& usage o" a )arti%ular %ountry, =or instan%e+ Iranians %all veil ;1il*a*< $#i%# are %o&&only $orn *y Iranian $o&en %overing t#eir $#ole *ody starting "ro& #ead, 4o&e states lo%ated $it#in or along t#e >ersian Gul" %all t#e sa&e *ody %overing as ;'#i&ar<+ a $ra) or #eads%ar" $#ile t#e one $#i%# only %overs t#e "a%e is %alled ;ni(a*<, Lastly+ t#e sa&e 'ind o" veil is %alled ;*ur(a< *y A"g#anistan $o&en, Veiling #as an en%o&)assing &eaning *asi%ally institutionali.ed *y *ot# religion and la$, It is a )redo&inant )ra%ti%e &ostly a&ong $o&en 6usli&s not )ri&arily *e%ause o" %#oi%e *ut *e%ause it is legally en"or%ed and religiously i&)osed, One %an assu&e t#at a&ong t#ese 6usli& $o&en $#o are %onstantly "a%ed $it# t#e o*ligation to ad#ere to t#e tea%#ings o" *ot# t#eir la$ and religion+ t#ere are t#ose $#o are e3)osed to t#e %on%e)t o" sel"9deter&ination+ a %on%e)t $#i%# are %onsidera*ly universal, T#is &ay *e in e""e%t o" de&o%rati% $ay o" t#in'ing $#i%# &ay *e dis)uted as a *ias on t#e $estern )oliti%al ideology *ut t#ese are &ore t#an 1ust *eing $est or *eing li*eral *e%ause t#e United Nations 7UN8 $#i%# is a glo*ally re%ogni.ed

VEILING AND TATTOOING organi.ation o" nations #as in "a%t &ade a re%ognition o" t#is universal a))li%a*ility t#roug# t#e

Universal De%laration o" Hu&an Rig#ts and ot#er si&ilar UN %ovenants and treaties (Committee of 100 for Tibet, n.d.). On t#e ot#er #and tattooing evolved into various %onte&)orary %ultural sy&*ols, One &ay relate it no$ $it# ro%' stars or ro%' &usi% "an+ e&o and got#i%+ )risoners or e39%onvi%t and to so&e e3tre&e %ases s%enarios9 drug users or addi%ts, 4o&e vie$ it as a "or& o" art+ an e3)ression o" t#e #u&anisti% as)e%t o" li"e, Ot#ers "ind it distur*ing asso%iating tattoos to gangs+ %onvi%ts or ot#er grou) o" )eo)le $#o are vie$ed as so%ially deviant 7Ra)+ !:1:8, As stated+ tattooing #as *een )ra%ti%ed "ro& various %ountries all over t#e $orld $it# t#e )ossi*ility t#at it started even during ti&e i&&e&orial, 6ost o" t#e )eo)le $#o traditionally )ra%ti%e tattooing are &e&*ers o" %ultural &inority grou) or indigenous )eo)les 7I>s8, =or instan%e+ in /a)an I>s %alled Ainu $ear "a%ial tattoos $#i%# are t#e sa&e $it# Austro9Asians, In Nort# A"ri%a "or on t#e ot#er #and tri*es li'e Tru'u+ Atayal and 4eedi( #ave "a%ial tattoos as $ell, T#e sa&e is true $it# I>s "ro& Ne$ @ealand and Nigeria, Loo'ing at t#e %onte&)orary )eriod+ it %an *e tra%ed t#at t#e "irst 'no$n and re%orded )ro"essional tattoo artist in t#e United 4tates $as 6artin Hilde*randt+ an i&&igrant "ro& Ger&any $#o &igrated in 0oston 74te$ard+ 1AA:8, Tattoo artist %ontends t#at $#at t#ey are doing is an art "or& $ort#y o" )ositive re%ognition instead o" indire%t %onde&nation, =or %onte&)orary )eo)le $#o are "ond o" #aving tattoos+ it2s a sy&*ol o" e3)ression *ased on t#eir e3)erien%es )arti%ularly t#ose $#i%# le"t a &e&ora*le on t#eir lives, T#ere are t#ose $#o )re"er to 'ee) t#eir tattoos #idden underneat# t#eir %lot#es $#ile are very )roud to s#o$ it o"" so&e on t#eir ar&s ot#ers see&ingly e3tre&e #ave it all over t#eir *odies, Gangs or "raternities or 1ust

VEILING AND TATTOOING si&)le street grou) #o$ever started to &a'e tattoos as identi"i%ation &ar's, -onvi%ts on t#e ot#er #and &ade it as #o**y or )ast ti&e and to so&e it *e%a&e a #a*it, In retros)e%t $e %an see t$o distin%t %ultural vie$s regarding tattoos+ one %onsidera*ly

traditional+ and t#e ot#er *eing &ore %onventional, T#e "or&er is rooted &ore on *elie"s and #as )ositive %onnotation "or t#e %ultural &inorities $#ile t#e latter is grounded &ore o" "reedo& o" e3)ression and li*erality en%ouraging o))osite rea%tion "ro& so%iety, Loo'ing at t#is+ one &ay in"er t#at t#ere %ould *e a &is&at%# on t#e %onte3t as regards e3tre&ist tattoo ent#usiasts in t#e $est or &ay*e t#ere e3ists a nu&*er o" #y)o%riti%al )eo)le %lai&ing to *e &ore li*eral and a%%e)ting $#ile silently dis"avouring su%#, T#e sa&e are re&nants o" t#e )ast $#i%# %annot easily *e get rid o", Tattooing %ould *e a%tually not a $estern )ra%ti%e as vie$s a*out it *eing %onsidered as devian%e attest to t#is )resu&)tion, -ountries $it# aut#enti% tattoo $earing )eo)le es)e%ially t#e indigenous grou)s on t#e ot#er #and are o*viously &ore t#an tolerant a*out t#e )ra%ti%e, I" "or t#e $esterners tattooing is devian%e+ "or t#e&+ it is t#e nor&, >erusal o" t#e lesson &aterial a*out t#e %ultural as)e%t o" tattooing in various %ountries #as %#anged &y )er%e)tion in &any $ays, Initially+ not all tattoos sy&*oli.es devian%e *ut in "a%t a %ultural re%ognition o" *ravery and &ig#t, =or &en+ tattoo stands as insignia o" #onor and )ride "or indigenous )eo)les "ro& %ountries in Latin A&eri%a+ Asia and A"ri%a, In instan%es li'e t#is+ &isi&)ressions usually goes *a%' to %ultural nor&s as $#en a $esterner t#in's a*out tattoos in )ersonal so%io9%ultural %onte3t rat#er t#an see it o*1e%tively, I re%'on t#at %ross %ultural di""eren%es %on"ir&s our diversity $#i%# &a'es us uni(ue individuals, -ross9%ultural )ers)e%tive s#ould t#ere"ore *e *ased on t#e so%ial %onte3t, E3)osure t#roug# a%ade&i% dis%ussion and o*1e%tive vie$s s#ould *e utili.ed #and9in9#and to avoid

VEILING AND TATTOOING a))earing ignorant and less de%isive, T#e su*1e%t #as taug#t &e to *e%o&e &ore sensitive and s#ould al$ays venture into an in"or&ed o)inion rat#er t#an a &ere *aseless i&)ression,

VEILING AND TATTOOING Eor's -ited Hood"ar+ Ho&a 7N,d,8 The Veil in Their Minds and On O r Heads! The "ersisten#e of Colonial $ma%es of M slim &omen, R=RFDR= Volu&e !! Nu&*er G, U&ass,edu Ee*site, >),B, Retrieved O%to*er 1B+ !:15 "ro& #tt):FF$$$,u&ass,eduF$ostFsylla*iFs)ring:CF#ood"ar,)d" -arval#o+ /ean9>aul 7!:1:8 Veilin%, De)art&ent o" E%ono&i%s+ University o" O3"ord, Retrieved O%to*er 1B+ !:15 "ro& #tt):FF$$$,eie",itF"ilesF!:1:F1:F%arval#o,)d" -o&&ittee o" 1:: "or Ti*et 7n,d,8 United Nations Treaties and De%laration and De%larations: 4el" Deter&ination, %1::ti*et,org $e*site, Retrieved O%to*er 1B+ !:15 "ro& #tt):FF$$$,%1::ti*et,orgF4el"9Deter&inationHUN,#t&l Ra)+ Eli.a*et# 7!:1:8 4tig&ati.ation or De%oration: Tattoo as Devian%e, A -ross -ultural 4tudy, 4enior T#esis, De)art&ent o" Ant#ro)ology+ Eilla&ette University, Retrieved O%to*er 1B+ !:15 "ro&

#tt):FF$$$,a%ade&ia,eduF1B5I!A1F4tig&ati.ationHorHDe%orationHTattooHasHDevian%eH AH-ross9-ulturalH4tudy 4te$ard+ 4a&uel 71AA:8, 0ad 0oys and Toug# Tattoos: A 4o%ial History o" t#e Tattoo $it# Gangs+ 4ailors+ and 4treet9%orner >un's+ 1AB:J1ACB, >sy%#ology >ress, I40N ADI9 1BC:!?:!5B, Retrieved O%to*er 1B+ !:15 "ro& #tt):FF*oo's,google,%o&,)#F*oo'sK idLoN6A@#TdMVs-Nd(LNredirHes%Ly