to be or not to be...

I must say that I find it amusing to see a lot of people here especially the women wearing the local hijab covering dress called abaya.

Well, of course I won't talk about the local people or the people of from the Gulf because it has become part of their culture. Their national dress.
I'm talking about those who are not Arabic. Those who came from other Asian countries to be specific.


I have came across one write-up by a local lady on the net expressing her disgust towards non-locals wearing the black national dress which was supposedly to be part of their personality and culture.


Adding on to it, some of these non-Arabic people took to extend of donning the abaya with face covering piece, thus making their feature unknown to the public eyes.
She must have had some uncalled for incidences I presume.


I mean, that was exactly my opinion when I first arrived to this country.
I found it bewildering to the extend of amusing that women of other nationals, and those of whom I'd like to believe to be a Muslim too, wearing what was supposed to be the local people's national dress.


What was in their head, besides thinking that wearing the black abaya seems to be the best way to hide all their overly simple clothings underneath.


Don't they know that these Arabs ladies wore things that are super nice, colourful and expensive underneath the black abayas?


What triggered my jotting about this was following a recent incident with one Indian lady, who tried her best to get away by doing something what the local women did, sometimes --not lining up accordingly to pay for their shopping goods.
When asked to step out of the way, and when she spoke to let me know that she is in a hurry, I immediately I know that the lady is not a local lass and assumed that she is just wearing that to disguise and hoping for 'scott-free' treatment. No?


Understood.
Covering oneself is one of the way and an effort taken to become one good Muslim lady.
But in my opinion, these people ladies can always wear something that covers their hijab without having to disguise and to be who they are not.
There are abayas or whatever they call it, but in colours. Not necessarily to be the black abayas.

And I don't think it would be too much of me if I thought that their doing so was an easy way out of;

1. not wearing anything nice while going for leisure because the abaya is the 'coat of their simplicity'.
2. hoping not be be treated like second class.

I mean, they Do have their own national dress, don't anyone?

And I'm sure they can wear their national dress and in the same time covers what need to be covered.
Just like the ladies in Malaysia for example.
They have no problems wearing their national dress (baju kurung) and in the same time covering their head. Or wearing long skirt or loose pants with some loose top and in the same time covers their head too.

I don't think they'd be wearing the abaya, other people's national dress when they are back in their home country.

Take a look at Turkish or Egyptian ladies.
You don't see them wearing all black back there.
It is just not their identity.

But a lot of people here from what I observed are mere followers.
Perhaps they believe that wearing abaya is part of being a Muslim, and that would make them more Islamic, no?

Anyway, as usual, I've got my simple theory though.

For some female here and their love to adopt the behaviour of the local lads, and not hesitating to becoming a chameleon it was mere easy way out hiding their simple clothings, less time to dress up besides taking advantage of the national dress in hope to be given or receive better treatment than being treated like a maid or second class people in this obnoxiously proud and 'gold-fish' eyed people.

Come on.
Just stop imitating and stop pretending....it wont make you an Arabs if you live and breath in an Arabic countries, it wont make you extra religious if you start donning their national dress and having some Arabic footnote at the end of your 'religious' emails or speak a word or two of Arabic, and ultimately it wont make you, YOU!

Duuhhhh.....;)

p/s: Similar to some Malays who refused to eat using chopsticks because it represent eating some non-halal stuff. What on earth do they think those Muslims in China use to eat? Using hands like them?