In a message dated 14/03/00 19:57:50 GMT Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
<< i've been interested in mod culture since i was twelve (85)
and hung out with some Christian mod kids from my parents'
church... all we ever listened to was the Specials, the Yardbirds,
and the Start- the only Christian mod band in LA =)...ah,
nostalgia... >>
Hello all,
It's easy to be cynical (as some of you, I'm sorry to say, already have been)
about this post but between all the petty bickering I found it truly
inspiring as it brought home to me the true import of an international list
such as this one. Shouldn't such personal accounts provide us with parallels
and be a medium whereby we can truly bond? The message really struck a chord
with my own experience and I thought it would be a great opportunity for us
to share something. We are all the same really.
I've been interested in mod culture since I was seven (1979! What a year!)
and hung out with some Moslem mod kids from the Cumbrian mosque who really
knew their stuff. You might think that Islam is a world away from your own
experience and hardly compatible with modernism but think again.
Many people in the western world criticise Islam for oppressing women but
after initial problems I soon realised that, for women on the Mod scene, not
having an opinion and generally being a bit of a girly sap was a definite
plus and that the head to foot abayah that religion dictates I wear isn't
really that much more dowdy, restrictive and unflattering than the more
orthodox A-line skirt and helmet haircut. Islam is, like Mod, about 'clean
living under difficult circumstances' (food is only ever handled with the
right hand) and with dogged persistence and great good fortune (scouring
vintage shops the length and breadth of Keswick! No eBay in those days...) we
managed to find my great uncle/husband a three button dishdashnah with side
vents.
We're also more questioning, critical and generally sharp than people imagine
- Nation of Islam are a definite no-no as they look like a relentlessly poor
doo-wop band.
Has anybody else got anything to share about how they've managed to combine
modernism with their beliefs? Leave your sarcasm at the door (with your
shoes) please.
Thanks,
Natalie
_________________________________________________________
Enlighten your in-box. http://www.topica.com/t/15
