According to Khalaf and Khalaf, the veil concept has its origins in Egypt where it represented a movement that was based and grounded in the Islamic faith and religious tradition. It embodied a moral and behavioral code of conduct or dressing that sought to distinguish the pure Islamists from the secularists. It must have also come to Beirut from Turkey and Iran where similar dressing codes of the hijab were strictly observed and sometimes legislated by the state, particularly in education. The Ottoman laws on clothing for example emphasized on head coverings to show rank and honor in the society. The veil played an important role during rituals in the mid eighteenth century where turbans were carried in the King’s procession. The veil marked a means of judging people’s appearances, defiance, devotion and defiance and hence could be used to identify a stranger (64). The religious movement after the Ramadan or October War between Egypt and Israel also strengthened the religious significance paid to the veil for both men and women. The various forms of the veil as described in the Quran thus represented humility, morality, privacy, moderation and piety that are the cornerstones or fundamentals of the Islamic belief (Khalaf & Khalaf 65). The Quran for example mentions the vail as a form of privacy for wives of the Prophet and also distinguishing them from others.
These authors also argue that the dressing code that prohibited the exposure of women’s cleavage by reinforcing the wearing of the veil “may have been a reaction to the way contemporary women in the region (Arabia-Africa) seems to have worn clothes that exposed their bodies” (Khalaf & Khalaf 67). Hence, it may be observed that the concept of the veil among the Islamists in Beirut may have been informed by the need to preserve the honor and dignity of Islam and Islamic women in order to distinguish them from non-Muslims in other part of the world who exposed their bodies and hence encouraged moral depravity. The concept of the veil in Beirut may also have come from the notion of woman’s sexuality that sought to uphold womanhood and its respectability by imposing on them the veil in order to preserve morality. This is because Islamic faith’s morality outlaws flaunting of sexuality in the public by drawing attention to the opposite sex in a way that raises passions and hence leading to moral decadence. The distraction that any other clothing apart from decent veil would cause during worship is also cited as one possible reason why the concept of the veil in Beirut emerged. Furthermore, the need for a moderation in lifestyle and general austerity also led to the imposition of laws by Prophet Mohamed that bound all Muslims o put on the veil, with men being prohibited from wearing fabric made of gold, rings or silk. In public and private universities, the concept of the veil was introduced by the secular and enlightened students who viewed it as a contemporary model of dressing. Additionally, the Women’s community service in Beirut also brought about the concept of the veil according to the authors as it grounded the principle of piety.
On the other hand, the emergence of the concept of gay identity in Beirut as brought out by McCormick is attributed mainly to the emergence of a new global economy that came with technological growth and increased integration or interaction among people from different parts of the world. The increased access to the internet and television worldwide according to this author acted as a threat to the general moral fabric of the society and hence arguably led to the emergence of the concept of gay identity. Global integration has also led to an internalization and standardization of ways of living, social values and ideas and with globalization making inroads in people’s lives, hitherto alien concepts in Lebanon and Beirut such as gay identity came out. Moreover, despite the fact that the issue of gay rights and identity was traditionally considered a taboo that was not to be discussed or expressed in public, the establishment of the Himaya Lubnaniyya lil Mithliyien (Helem) or the Lebanese Protections for Homosexuals as the maiden voluntary gay rights association made more men to come out openly to declare their gay identity and lifestyle.
Essentially, McCormick blames or identifies interaction of Lebanese or Beirut students with the Western European and American cultures through educational pursuits as the main factor that stirred up the concept of gay identity in Beirut. As the author concedes, “outward manifestations of gay identity are (sic) increasing the gay community is gaining momentum, aided by technology and outward growth of Helem” (Mccormick 175). Furthermore, the 1989 Taif Agreement that brought an end to the Lebanese Civil War and “the abating wartime mentality created fertile grounds to reinforce come of the social boundaries repressed during combat, including a tacit exploration of sexual definitions” (McCormick 175). Further, the prevalence of the internet and Helem’s presence created conducive atmosphere for people in Beirut to develop and express their gay identities, the author notes, and this has portrayed Beirut as an international hotspot for outlandish behaviors including homosexuality.
According to the author therefore, the contribution of the internet and global exposure to Western ideas and values to the concept of gay identity in Beirut cannot be gainsaid neither can it be overemphasized. He argues that “the ‘internet revolution’, by allowing access to material otherwise deemed inappropriate, has shaped many modern trends in terms of sexual identity” (McCormick 181). It has given many young people in Beirut who were hitherto limited by repressive culture to adapt and find ways of expressing their sexual orientation and identity openly and expediently. In addition to these, the emergence of modern commerce and commercial entities like LebTour, a tour and Travel company in Beirut serving gay clients and advertising in gay websites such as the Helem, has normalized the concept of gay identity in Beirut such that it is no longer frowned upon culturally.
Works Cited
Khalaf, Samir and Roseanne Saad Khalaf. Arab soceity and culture: An essential reader. Wesbourne Grove, London & Hamra, Beirut: SAQI, 2009. Print.
McCormick, Jared. "Transition Beirut: Gay identities, lived realities-The balancing act in the Middle East." Khalaf, Samir and Roseanne Saad Khalaf. Arab society and culture: An essential reader .London, Minnesota & Beirut: Saqi, 2009. 175-185. Print.
