Black Abaya

Black is my favorite color. My other favorite color is white. I love these two colors. Most of the clothes I have are either black or white. With a few other colors – gifts.

I have two cars. One is black and the other is ….white.

So, you see, I love black and white.

The weather is changing. It will get cold soon. When the weather changes, we go from white clothes ( not always) to black clothes. More specifically, black thobes come out.  I love black thobes and I love white thobes.

Now…

Here is the problem.

Women wear black abayas. Come winter, come summer.. they wear black abayas. And, during the era of this new ” some freedom for women” in KSA, many women do not cover their faces and some ( but enough) do not cover their hair also. So, they just walk around with a black abaya. Western women do not cover their hair and wear an abaya.

Then there is the problem of the “seekers”. The “deprived” hunters of Riyadh. Those that see a black abaya walking somewhere and race to “pick” up with their cars. As if, that lady came out on the street ONLY to be picked up. They try. And , the trying is just pathetic. In one of my usual meetings on Tahlia Street, at a cafe, I saw four ladies walk towards the “family” section , turn around and show their finger to a group of “hunters” shouting at them from the road. The “hunted” and the “hunter”. Always at it.

So, now when I get a black thobe and go for a walk.. some hunter somewhere WILL stop to look and ensure its a thobe and NOT an abaya. And this has happened. A Hunter friend of mine and me were cruising one lovely winter evening when he saw from the corner of his eye an abaya or the “hunted” walk in to a street. He said, WOW! THERE IS A LADY THERE! and sped to get a U- turn and chase.  He did, against all my protests and ” Man, cut it out.. this is stupid”.. he turned into that street. And, there ” she ” was.. walking at a distance. Not too tall, not too short. Nice wavy well cut hair, walking with her head down. He drove next to her and all his dreams were shattered. This was a guy in a black thobe. I looked at his face, laughed and smacked his head. HA HA HA! OH LOOOL! LMAO!..

So, WHY DO WOMEN WEAR BLACK ABAYAS?  Who asked them to wear a BLACK ABAYA? Why can’t they wear a GREEN Abaya? Or  a BROWN Abaya? Why can’t they wrap themselves with a cloth and and scarfs on their heads? Why can’t they be creative?

I asked a “religious” friend. Do women HAVE to wear a black abaya? No, he said. They need to be covered as prescribed, by any cloth. AH!..

I want to buy a black thobe, but I am not doing it. Instead, I had my tailor make WHITE thobes of thicker cloth!.. not that I am as beautiful as a woman.. but the blind and the lost ” hunters” chase anything in a long black garment as long as it is not extremely fat. And maybe even that. You never know who fancies what!

I have a black Kurta and I hope to get a black Shalwar Kameez.. but again.. same issue. ” Oh , she is wearing a small abaya!” and the chase begins to stop at my face that stares back with a ” Get out of my face or I punch YOUR face in jerk” expression on it.

Ladies, start the culture of colorful abayas. Long coats. Whatever.. reduce the “black”…please.

NOTE: The picture in this post is taken from  www.islamfashionandidentity.blogspot.com .. do go check it out. It is a nice Blog by AISHA and will be nice for women who like presentable Hijab and ideas.