Mourning scapular
My soul mourns the women of Afghanistan. All of a sudden these women disappeared from the streets and had once again to hide in their houses. They were forced to cover their bodies and faces with the burqa. This makes them lose their identity, as women and as unique beings.
I feel terrible pain for this situation in which we all as women are stepping backwards in this fight. We are all facing a great loss. The obligatory use of the burqa manifests a sense of ownership and domination of the woman’s body. We all should grieve for them. What is not good for me is not good for any.
My work is a scapular that covers the chest and back, and can be worn in contact with skin or clothing. It is made of layers of fabric alluding to the layers of grief. It honors Afghan women but speaks to all women, to their individual and cultural wounds. It is a piece of protection to the most intimate and sacred within us, and to which no ideology or religion can ever have access to.