Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: \u201cAllah is beautiful and He loves beauty.\u201d [Sah\u012bh Muslim (911)]
\nEvery culture has its own definition of what beauty is and thanks to patriarchy and its hegemonic nature, society has always allotted this category to women. Don\u2019t be fooled, men are beautiful too. However, the explorations of a man\u2019s body are recognized as scientific, while a woman\u2019s body is perceived more like a sensual part of nature. It is our bodies that people look to for the outlining of what is to be desired in a society. The woman\u2019s body has been the epitome of what constitutes \u2018attractiveness\u2019. As I stated in the opening sentence, every culture has its own definition of which expressions of beauty and body images are acceptable. For example, westerners applaud a woman\u2019s slim physique whereas in countries like South Africa a woman\u2019s heftiness is celebrated. Beauty and body images are not unitary and because of this flexibility there a varying degrees of what one may define as \u2018beautiful\u2019. Those ideas and images pertaining to women, particularly Muslim women situated near the Arabian Sea, will be the focus of my research for Team Sky\u2019s digital Silk Road project. The Silk Route was a vital part of the trade between early societies that stretched from North Africa to East China. Not only were tangible goods merchandised, but ideas concerning a woman\u2019s body and body images were also exchanged on the Silk Road. Back in the day, Islam was the top religion of this region. Today, this is still the case. So, based on modern findings covering the Silk Road, what is the overall consensus of Muslim women’s bodies? What contributions has the Silk Road made towards these ideas of beauty and body image? How has fashion and the obsession of obtaining quality silk garments perpetuated these ideas? And above all, what are the intersections of beauty, body image, status, love, sex and marriage among the women of this area? My examination of these areas will attempt to answer these questions and make connections between the Silk Road and its influence on the lives of Muslim women located in areas near the Arabian Sea.
\nInitially, my research was to investigate to classification of race and the term Afro-Eurasian and its intersection on beauty and body image. Now, my focus will be aimed at the beauty and body images for Muslim women in areas near the Arabian Sea with access to the southern Silk Road. Since my team\u2019s project is solely focused on a modern account, and the majority of the information that I found pertaining to race was mostly historical, I decided to concentrate on the contemporary study of bodies and body images of Muslim women along the Silk Road. The process for discerning this topic will consist of research of the countries near the Arabian Sea with access to the southern Silk Road. Because the Silk Road (north and south) covers so much land mass, only a condensing of one area is necessary for my project. Digital mapping tools will be the primary tool in locating societies within this region. I plan to electronically pinpoint these areas on a digital map and upload data concerning Muslim women\u2019s bodies and body images for the locations. While another member of Team Sky examines the religious side of women in this area, my research will detail the secular side of Muslim women\u2019s bodies and explore their connection to the Silk Road. Another key part of the process is obtaining modern resources about Islamic feminism. Will this be a problem? I predict that this will not be a challenge. Today, there is an abundance of scholars, journalists, authors and activists that document advocacy for Muslim women\u2019s rights. I question the cultural exchange of ideas mediated through the Silk Road for these rights and how these concepts are expressed through women\u2019s clothing, make-up, hairstyles and so forth. Along with using digital tools, books, and journal articles (via Guilford\u2019s Hege Library database), I will assemble information that pertains the lives of women on the Silk Road, specifically the southern route. Books regarding the norms and values of Muslim women, feminism in Islam, and even modern day fashion trends will be valuable to the research for this project. In addition to those topics, a closer look at the Silk Road\u2019s marketplace for fine linen clothing will suffice for this part. Another very important aspect of my research process will be an exploration of the Holy Qur\u2019an. In this book the conditions of love, sex and marriage will provide an inside look at the moral code designated for Muslim women. Furthermore, how does this moral law appeal to an identified Muslim woman living a secular lifestyle on the Silk Road? The key factor to my methodology will be a concise articulation and organization of all the research findings.
\nIf you don\u2019t know who Team Sky is let me take time to introduce them to the audience. Our Team Mentor is Sydney Brown. Her position will help gather ideas, guide and support the team as it moves along with the research. So far, Sydney has provided valuable ideas and insight towards the team\u2019s project. The Recorder\/Innovator will be overseen by Jamie Skjoldager. The recorder will memo (digitally or otherwise) notes taken from discussions our group\u2019s research. Since the formation of teams, Jamie has brainstormed, documented each group member\u2019s contact information and submitted the group\u2019s proposal. The title of Timekeeper\/Checker belongs to Nathan Grannan. This position will ensure that deadlines, meetings and other group responsibilities are kept in a timely manner. At the present time Nathan is assembling calendar dates and times for meetings. Team Sky\u2019s Facilitator\/Harmonizer will be maintained by Elise Tangedal. This position will organize group meetings and ensure the stability of our group if conflict may arise. Elise is equipped with a positive attitude that will surely be an asset moving forward with our digital project. Finally, the position of the Presenter\/Runner will be fulfilled by myself, Tieji Williams. The presenter will act as a reporter for the group correspond with the class and the instructors. The presenter will give the final presentation of the research findings and conclusions for the project. Thus far, only the announcement of Team Sky\u2019s thesis statement was presented. However, I look forward to presenting my instructors and classmates with valuable information regarding a modern look at women in Islam through the lenses of gender, beauty, health and education along the coast of the Arabian Sea with access to the Silk Road.
\nTypically, when I work with groups I don\u2019t mind taking the leadership role in ensuring that things get done in an efficient and timely manner. What can I say, Guilford has taught me well. When it comes to group work I tend to do a lot of quarterbacking in hopes my teammates will catch or run the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. (Excuse the football analogy, but football season is upon us) This was my purpose for typing a full rough draft of the proposal and presenting to my team in class before its due date. I did this to alleviate a last minute rush to complete the assignment. I handed the proposal off to my teammates and they edited, arranged, polished and submitted the final draft. This a wonderful example of teamwork. As we move forward with our project, my intention is to keep a positive attitude about the research, my teammates and the overall outcome of our work on the digital Silk Road project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: \u201cAllah is beautiful and He loves beauty.\u201d [Sah\u012bh Muslim (911)] Every culture has its own definition of what beauty is and thanks to patriarchy and its hegemonic nature, society has always allotted this category to women. Don\u2019t be fooled, men are beautiful too. However, the explorations of a … Continue reading Initial Reflective Blog Post-Tieji<\/span>