Black And Beige

Eid Mubarak!

dear sisters, happy eid al-adha! may you have a wonderful eid and may Allah accept good deeds from you and me.. ameen

Miss Arab World 2009

mawadda nour from saudi arabia was crowned "miss arab world 2009" on november 11, 2009 in cairo

sixteen contestants (18-24 years) from all over the arab world were competing for the title

the girls walked in their national dresses in front of the jury who crowned mawadda nour from saudi arabia as miss arab world 2009-2010, and jessy zaher from lebanon as first runner up.. controversy occurred right after the event ended since some critics found that the winner does not meet the standards required for a beauty pageant contestant.. well, may be she's very charming in person...

The New Kiswa For Ka'ba

the new kiswa to cover the holy ka’ba is completed and will be handed over to officials of the grand mosque in makkah on the 1st of dhul-hijja (which is probably on nov.18, depending on the sighting of the new moon), as reported

15 kilos of solid gold thread is used for the embroidery of the Quranic verses on the kiswa.. the total area covered by the kiswa is 658 square meters and it is made of 670 kgs of pure silk.. the present cost of making the ka'ba cover amounts to SR 17 million

the kiswa is replaced every year and throughout history the base colour of the kiswa had differed between green, white and the current black

a specialist team will take down the old kiswa on the 8th of dhul-hijja.. after dawn on the next day, the new kiswa is placed over the holy ka’ba.. specialist technicians stationed at the grand mosque then fold it from the bottom, up to a height of three meters from the marble floor.. this is an annual custom aimed at preventing the kiswa from being torn by pilgrims in the crowded area around the ka’ba during hajj

the manufacturing of the kiswa goes through several stages.. this includes dyeing, computerized manufacturing of the fabric, printing of the Qur’anic verses at the printing department, embroidery of the Qur’anic verses using gold thread, and finally the collection of all the pieces into the complete kiswa

more about kiswa here

TV Presenters In Niqab

the presenters of a new saudi tv show that discusses issues concerning teenage girls and female university students are covered not only in black abayas but niqabs as well

the show named asrar al-banat (the secrets of girls) is broadcast on awtan tv, a saudi religious channel that was first aired in august 2008.. it discusses different issues relating to teenage girls, is aired every friday evening and receives live phone calls from members of the public

there are over 60 religious satellite channels that are broadcast across the middle east via arabsat and nilesat networks.. some of them have women presenters who do not cover their faces and dress in different colors, not necessarily black, while others have no women presenters at all.. awtan is the one channel that allowes women to appear but only when covered from head to toe

presenting asrar al-banat is sawsan salah al-deen, a 26-year-old saudi from riyadh and a BA graduate in media and guidance.. helping her are her sister (a specialist in blood diseases) and a psychologist.. sawsan also wears niqab in real life

the opinions of the viewers on how the presenters of the program look, differ - some encourage them, others criticize

asrar al-banat has so far broadcast four episodes

more on this in arab news

Pantalon Abaya

here's a new abaya style from a saudi designer eman joharjy based in jeddah - pantalon abayas.. the designer claims it to be "the perfect hijab for active saudi women. Whether working hard at the office or while jogging, these exclusive abayas are made from great quality material with innovative design"

innovative? definitely.. however, i would still stick to the classic version of an abaya

what do you think? would you wear something like this?

Pink Hijab Day Outfit

i'm sure you've heard about global pink hijab day, which is coming october, 28 this year.. in case you haven't:

"Pink Hijab Day is intended to shatter stereotypes of Muslim women, as well as raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. All over the world, Muslims participated by wearing pink hijabs, pink ribbons, and donating to breast cancer foundations"

i liked the idea so much and this is what i'd wear on this day