AAAS 545: Unveiling the Veil
Monday/Wednesday 10:30 - 11:50
202 Stauffer-Flint

In Arabic, the English term "veil" has no single equivalent. The Encyclopedia of Islam identifies over a hundred terms for dress parts, many of which are used for "veiling," e.g. 'abaayah, burqu', jilbaab, khimaar, niqaab, tarhah. This complexity reflected and expressed in the language is referred to by a single English term "veil." The absence of a single, monolithic term in the language of the people who at present most visibly practice veiling suggests the importance of the versatility of its significance that cannot be captured in one term.

This course seeks to unveil a complex cultural practice that has been increasingly misconstrued. It explores the versatility of the meanings of the veil. It examines the ways in which the veil has become a symbol of privacy, cultural identity, religious assertion, resistance and liberation, besides being a symbol of constraint, oppression, backwardness, and sexual mystery.

Texts and Readings

• Barlas, Asma. Believing Women in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur'an. Texas, Austin: The University of Texas Press.
• Mernissi Fatima. The Veil and the Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Women's Rights in Islam. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1991.
• El Guindi, Fadwa. Veil: Modesty, Privacy and Resistance. Oxford: Berg, 1999.
• Additionally, there is a reading packet available to pick up in Bailey Hall, Room 9.

Course Requirements
Regular attendance, reading of all the assigned readings before coming to class, active class participation and contribution to class discussions, response papers (4), two leading discussions, a group project, an oral presentation (December 6th and 7th), and a major research paper (10-15 pages) due December 6th.

Grading

• Participation, leading discussions and attendance: 25%
• Response papers: 20%
• Project: 20%
• Oral Presentation: 10%
• Research paper: 25%

This web site was originally developed at the Ermal Garinger Academic Resource Center of the University of Kansas with support from a U. S. Department of Education Title VI grant for "Enhancing Less Commonly Taught Languages and Cultures" (Award #P016A990036). All rights reserved. No portion of these pages may be copied or reproduced without the expressed written permission of the Academic Resource Center. All comments and questions concerning this page should be directed to the WEBMASTER. This page created by Naima Omar with the assistance of Rebekah Heacock. Copyright 2003-2005.