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Sunday, February 26, 2023

Sisters in Islam: Enough of policing women’s clothing!




Sisters in Islam: Enough of policing women’s clothing!





Letter to Editor


THERE have been multiple reports that women are being subjected to policing on their attire.

The recent one is in Terengganu where Hanafiah Mat, who is the chairman of the state welfare, women’s development, family and national unity committee, ‘proudly’ announced that action would be taken against women who do not observe a “Sharia-compliant” dress code in Terengganu.


On the same day, a woman was expelled from Parliament for wearing a knee-length skirt with a slit.


FLASHBACK: The Sarung-Gate incident at the Wangsa Maju Road Transport Department (JPJ) which made headlines in June 2015


It is disconcerting to see this kind of moral policing continuously happening in Malaysia.

Sisters in Islam (SIS) opposes any efforts by the government, public institutions or private sector to force women to dress according to their rules and standards. This is a form of violation and harassment to women to choose their attire and undermine their autonomy and dignity.

SIS also strongly condemns any attempts to publicly humiliate women and impose restrictive dress codes on them as shown in Hanafiah Mat’s statement and the Parliament security officer’s expulsion of a visitor merely for her attire.

This imposition of dress codes degrades women and creates a climate of fear and insecurity as women feel like they are constantly monitored and judged by society in public spaces.

Therefore, it is imperative that both public and private institutions as well as individuals put an end to this obsession with controlling women, particularly how they dress. It is misogynistic and sexist to set a standard for what is ‘appropriate’ and ‘proper’ for women. – Feb 26, 2023



Sisters in Islam
Petaling Jaya

2 comments:

  1. Women's attire in public is a VERY important issue for Islamists, because if the Aurat is exposed , it can lead men into unholy thoughts and immoral behaviour.

    Social stability can be severely degraded if this is not nipped in the bud.
    So, they start Small for now, just enforcing strict dress codes in Government departments and for any woman going for dealings with the government departments.
    Eventually everywhere in public.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is Taliban style religious bigotry.

    I doubt if anything will change despite protests by organisations like SIS.

    ReplyDelete