No: 17264 Friday, June 23, 2017

L o c a l

FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017

By Umm Sara 

W

hen I got my driving license in

1999, the first thing I did was cut

my hair short. I mean short short.

Pixie short. Short as a man’s. The haircut

seemed to shock everyone I knew. At that

time in Kuwait, short hair on a woman was

considered a sign of a rebellious attitude. 

But my short hair has nothing to do

with rebellion. Since then, every time it

grows longer, I go back and cut it short

again. It’s been 18 years since I got my

first pixie hairstyle. But I still get bullied,

mocked and sometimes called a lesbian,

or “boya”, which is a pejorative for a

tomboy in Kuwait. 

Many girls and women prefer short

hair for a variety of reasons. Firstly it is

much easier to care for. If you are a busy,

working woman, wife and mother, you

may prefer to spend your free time with

your family rather than hours in the salon

each week. 

Moreover, the connection between

long hair and femininity is sexist and can

be oppressive. I’m not saying that every

woman with long hair is oppressed. In

fact, just the opposite. What I’m saying is

that women should have the choice. Their

hairstyles should suit their personalities

and lifestyles. 

At the core of the problem is a belief

that women must dress, act and com-

port themselves according to the stan-

dards that satisfy men’s ideas of beauty.

Hair is considered a ‘temptation’ and a

beauty asset - essentially an object to

attract a man. 

But what if I prefer my husband to

love me for my mind? Or my kind heart?

Or maybe for the combination of every-

thing that is good and right and beauti-

ful about me? This outdated concept of

what is beautiful and the narrow defini-

tion of how women should look can be

oppressive. 

The Kuwaiti society, like all small soci-

eties, has a common characteristic -

observation of people and interference in

their freedoms. People around the world

judge others by their color, gender and

clothing, but Arab communities dignify

long hair on women, and humiliate those

with short hair.  

Stereotyping

The situation in Kuwait should be bet-

ter than other Gulf countries because it

has been a pluralistic country since the

beginning. It has always been an oasis of

safety for Arabs, Persians, Muslims,

Christians, Jews, Asians and Africans. With

this in mind, it is illogical that attempts

are made to homogenize the Kuwaiti

woman. I’m happily married and have

beautiful children, yet, I’ve never seen an

advertisement portraying a Kuwaiti moth-

er with very short hair.

Fortunately, this stereotyping is almost

non-existent among young people. There

was once a little boy with his mother at a

children’s clothing department store,

pointing at a woman with short hair and

telling his mom, “Look, she’s like a boy!”

The mother did not bother to apologize

to the woman or even stop her child. The

short-haired woman had just recovered

from cancer. She told me that judgmental

words are more painful than chemothera-

py. The eye of the society is chasing her as

if she has committed a crime of honor. 

I’m not attempting to justify my argu-

ment. But, there’s a hadith in Sahih

Muslim, Book 46, Hadith 6707, which is

transmitted on the authority of Abu

Huraira from Prophet Muhammad, peace

be upon him: “Verily Allah does not look

to your bodies, nor to your faces, but He

looks into your hearts,” and he pointed

towards the heart with his fingers. There is

no difference between a woman or any

human with long or short hair - only when

it comes to the heart.

The problem with

my short hair

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L o c a l

23

FRIDAY

JUNE 2017

Chalets 

A chalet is the perfect place to spend the Eid

holiday, far from the madding crowd. But bookings

have to be done really early. For instance, TEC's

Khairan Resort has been fully booked more than a

month prior to Eid. There are other resorts in

Khairan and Julaia, but most are also booked. 

The Mychalet site still has some chalets avail-

able for rent for the Eid period. The price depends

on the size - there are one-room apartments as

well as 3- or 4-bedroom chalets. It also offers

apartments at Muhanna Resort in Khairan, which

is more affordable than standalone chalets. The

resort has various activities for kids and three

swimming pools.   

The Seashell Julaia Hotel and Resort (formerly

Kempinski) offers chalets and rooms of different

sizes, along with various facilities. There will be a

DJ, music band, dinner, entertainment program,

Russian circus and other activities during Eid.

Sea and outdoor activities 

Those who simply like to enjoy the beach and

the sea can spend the day at any of the sea clubs,

including Shaab, Ras Al-Ardh, Messila, Egaila and

others. Those who like action can rent a jet ski by

the seaside, or go on a sea trip by renting a boat

and visiting any of Kuwait's nine islands, snorkeling

or scuba diving.

Visiting Failaka Island is a popular activity dur-

ing the Eid holidays, as visitors can stay there for a

day or more. The island has a hotel, zoo, museum,

beaches and historical monuments. Visitors can

reach the island either by the KPTC ferry from Ras

Al-Ardh or by the yacht sailing from Marina.

Water parks are also a perfect escape from the

heat. Aqua Park near Kuwait Towers is open from

morning to welcome visitors with new additions

for even more fun. Messilah Water Village also

hosts special programs during Eid. Finally, Flow

House Kuwait, the country's newest water park in

Abu Halifa near Magic Mall, offers water surfing

and many other fun activities. Visitors can rent a

chalet inside Flow House during the daytime. 

Youngsters can enjoy playing soap football by

renting soap fields by the seaside. Another option

is playing paintball near Aqua Park, where people

can participate in groups. 

Fun things to do for 

Eid holiday in Kuwait

By Nawara Fattahova

F

or those who are not travelling for Eid Al-Fitr, here are some activities they can enjoy doing

during the holidays:

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