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Nov 21, 2010

Clothes Between AUI-S Laws and Cultural Identity

by Daner Rashid


Clothes are body languages. One of the definitions of human being is that human beings are clothed creatures. Humans express themselves in different languages among them clothes and it’s a part of the identity of 
the individuals. A policeman wearing short and t-shirt will no more be recognized as a policeman. 

This is also true for a college student who should wear clothes suitable for educational environment. Regardless of the motives, AUI-S is careless of the educational policies for clothing and students are careful of attractive dressing.
The dead academic catalogue
Annually, AUI-S publishes a violet-cover booklet that contains AUI-S policies and guidelines. The content is no more than a frozen university code modified yearly with new cover and designs same as a dead body inside a tomb with elaborated decoration and ornaments.
 It is written in the catalogue, “clothing worn at AUI-S should be clean and neat and appropriate to an educational environment”. Well -stated. “Any student deemed by any administrator or faculty member to be inappropriately dressed will be sent home to change”. It has never been implemented after it was written. “All shirts, tops, and dresses shall have sleeves and cover the shoulders”, it is explicitly disobeyed and oppositely done. “Skirts and dresses are allowed but be knee length or longer”. This policy should be changed to mini-skirts or shorter -to- no to be implemented. I doubt that if any administrator or faculty staff has read these policies or they are blind in front of the “flappers”.
The fashion show
Once after the classes, one of my friends told me “let’s go to the fashion show”. At the moment, I was perplexed. I couldn’t get what he is saying until we sat on the green benches. I realized that it is a real stage for shows. Boys were sitting like audiences on the green benches and girls with mini-skirts were showing off, staggering on the stairs like “puppets”. The scene was fascinating but at the same time confusing.
I found myself among the audiences without reservation. An argument started among the students while they were staring at the stage. One of the audiences spoke, “I always feel like I’m in a party but not at Oscar hall at AUI-S campus”. Another replied “Definitely right, I swear some never wear the same clothes again in a month”. Another entered “no panic, winter is coming; they will be wrapped in thick clothes”. It was a funny statement. I have never heard before in ethic and philosophy classes that climate has a great impact on human identity. I thought it was worth contemplating and formulating a theory between climate and ethics. Then we will be famous in the world for an upcoming hypothesis in ethics and philosophy. Later on, I figured out the whole hypothesis is wrong and the main reason is not climate but imitation. It came to my mind that AUI-S student are much concerned about the way of dressing rather than their education. Probably, the goal is not critical thinking but attractive dressing. With no emphasis, AUI-S has already achieved that goal in a short period of time even if it was a long-term goal.
Consequently, the threat will be more dedicated to the goal and future of the university to educate liberal minds and the cultural and traditional identity of the students. At the end, we might be empty- handed of both education and our identity. My last words end with a Kurdish proverb, “we came for beard, we lost our moustaches instead”.

*Daner Rashid is an International Studies and Political Science Sophomore at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani. 


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35 Comments: on "Clothes Between AUI-S Laws and Cultural Identity"

Anonymous said...

Muhammed/ well done kaka Danar. It's a very interesting idea. You are 100% right.
Thank you

Anonymous said...

WOW Danar, you hit the spot. well-written and argumented.

Anonymous said...

Today's show was amazing time: Nov, 21, 2010.

REASON: winter is coming.

THEORY: the fasion show will be closed for 3 weeks.

CONCLUSION: In these 3 weeks grades will go up, that is students more concentrate on education.

CONSEQUENCE: there will be another STUDENT PARTY to fulfill this lost 3 weeks.

SINCERLY: Kham-khorek

afan osman said...

Thanks Kaka Danr gyan for pointing this issue out. I think we should speak out and find a resolution for that. I personally don't have anything to say to the girls who wear those kinds of cloths becuase as it is said they are free. But I want the university to be honest with its students not to write CONSTITUTIONS and never caring of them. I am about to lose my confidence to the university because they are not acting as they have promised us. We are as plenty of students do what the university asks us to do, and we keep it in step. But what about the university? Is it fair not obey your own rules? Is it something political? What is it?

As a student, I have the right to ask the university to tell us and explain in detail why do they let the students to wear those clothes? AUI-S must be honest with us and illustrate this case for its students. The administration might change thier own rules which will be against our culture and identity. Alas, this is not the only problem at the university, but it is one of the tens of problems.

Dear Kaka Danar, I think we need to stand up against the admin and keep it going until the admin finds a resolution and clears it up to the students of AUI-S!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

well done gyus, keep it up. Danar, you are about to miss a nother part of your observation. the people of the main building, how do they wear. they are worse( in regard to cloths and other things) you must add or clearify this part as well. As far as I see they pineeried in breaking the AUI-S's "well written" and sanctified rules. I once asked a friend(Girl) she was always complaing about home wokes, I aked how many houers do you study. It turned out that the time she spend on here make-up was two times more than waht she spent on here home works. Again people of the staff are.............

Anonymous said...

and the clothes are bad for the boys' nights.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Nicely done..

Here is a confession I have to make.
One day, I told my friend, H...., to go to the court in front of the main building. Honestly, it was not to take a mere walk, but looking at the girls who were sitting on the benches as usual. There, two gorgeous girls were sitting on a bench and wearing mini-skirts. 3/4 of their legs were bare and they had a very attractive thighs. Their cleavages also had a very beautiful sight. I never forget that. I ready enjoyed that part actually.

Then I rose my hands at the sky and said, "I thank you my Lord for making the administration not to see the clothing policy at AUI-S's academic catalogue..!!"

yours,
I like white thighs.

Anonymous said...

Your article is based on the false assumption that women can't 'look good and be smart.' Can't female students care about their clothes, how they look, and study hard? Intelligent women can't be 'hot'? Please. How archaic and narrow minded. Smart women are so smart that they have time for both. And while you think these women are objectifying themselves, it is really you who are doing this. You state that it is the girls who are wasting time on clothes, when it is really those that attend the fashion show that are wasting time. And if the two are not compatible in your mind - style and intellect - why don't you comment on the boys who dress fashionably? And finally, why did you come to AUI-S? While I absolutely agree that there is a line, and that local culture and tradition should be kept in mind, at AUI-S there is space for all identities (rather than just one, as you imply) - one can dress in traditional Kurdish clothes, another in a t-shirt and jeans, a third in a skirt and high heels. Do the latter 2 really threaten the former, as you also insinuate? All of them are students here.

Anonymous said...

Your article is based on the false assumption that women can't 'look good and be smart.' Can't female students care about their clothes, how they look, and study hard? Intelligent women can't be 'hot'? Please. How archaic and narrow minded. Smart women are so smart that they have time for both. And while you think these women are objectifying themselves, it is really you who are doing this. You state that it is the girls who are wasting time on clothes, when it is really those that attend the fashion show that are wasting time. And if the two are not compatible in your mind - style and intellect - why don't you comment on the boys who dress fashionably? And finally, why did you come to AUI-S? While I absolutely agree that there is a line, and that local culture and tradition should be kept in mind, at AUI-S there is space for all identities (rather than just one, as you imply) - one can dress in traditional Kurdish clothes, another in a t-shirt and jeans, a third in a skirt and high heels. Do the latter 2 really threaten the former, as you also insinuate? All of them are students here.

Dana Jaf said...

Good argument Danar.

While I believe clothes should be left for personal taste and choice, AUI-S has an obligation not to discredit its own rules.

The clothes code is only one of the things that are written in the catalogue, there are many other things which can be brought up by some other writers.

I am not really concerned with the individual choice of clothes, girls or boys, I am concerned with the rules being devalued by not being applied. If we really don't need a clothes code, let's remove it from the guidelines, and if we need them, let's stick to them.

a boy said...

let them do what they want but not brag about it.
let them seduce us but satisfy us. let them spend hours on makeup but not neglect their duty.
let them show off their beauity but not believe beauity is everything. beauity is in the eye of the beholder.

Anonymous said...

Thank you all for your comments.I know this is not a concern for all.it is a pleasure for some as well.I might be narrow-minded, but is that the attribute of the open-minded to praise everything without any consideration? I may call that absent-minded.i recommend neither to be an audience nor to be an actor because it is not the play of ours.there are many more roles for a college student to take on the stage.
The writer
Danar Rashid

HAZHA JABAR said...

hi kak Danar how are u? first of all, you study at the AMERICAN university, do u realize how BIG this name is? which means you have to have the concept that people are FREE and have the right to choose what they wannna dress or how they wanna look. secondly, Why do u think that women cant be smart and stylish at the same time? have u seen one of the beautiful girls who dress like what u taked about failing?, so it is not ur job to watch people and be couriouse of how do they behave or what do they wear. it is a BIG shame on u that u sit to wahtch girl's legs!!!!!!. here is the difference btween a western mind and a kurdish mind!. if you dont wanna see atractive girls, just dont look!. you cant control urself and want the girls to wear modest clothes or the university to ban short skirts? thirdly, we have a word for men who care about woman's drees or make up in kurdish which is ZHNANE or womanish.so, for u all auis boys please behave like a real men and dont interfere with woman's clothes or make up. fourthly, look at the world around u, there are beautiful HOT women weraing almost nothing have their respect and study and get high markes because they are smart. i am a girl who gets up an houre before class and prepar myself in a 30 minutes still i wear make up and choose my clothes carefully, eat breakfast. so, dont be narrow minded and judge from appearance of anyone. sometimes there are girls who take care of their style and take care of their study too. above all i think that boys and girls who come to university, should look clean and wear good clothes. why dont u talk about boys who come to university wearing dirty clothes and look if they havent take a shower for a month, wear shoes without socks and look terrible.why dont u just foucs on girls? i think it is the matter of culture that boys always look at girls and if they dont care about their look they will say not attractive girls and if they take care and wear nice clothes say oh that is not suitable for university. by the way i will say my name cause i dont fear of what i believe in thanks

Anonymous said...

Apparently sexism is part of your cultural identity. I hope that evolves eventually.

Anonymous said...

Tanks hazha xan for your answers and your brave comments.first of all, this is not a concrete piece that is not argueable.i never stated something to devalue the intelligence of girls and never generalized the issue.this is my argument and you can oppose it.it is not your job to call any body narrow-minded or open-minded.keep that for your self.if you are interested in western minds, so it is easy just deny from your kurdish-ness.secondly, you are free up to my nose.your rights end where my rights begin. the clothes policy is already made by AUI-S, so you can ask them why they made such policies.by the way,this is a last-longing issue, thank you for your counter openions.
The writer

Anonymous said...

Kurdishness should mean freedom. We've all earned it.

hazha jabar said...

i am Kurdish and i am PROUD to be so i love my nationality till death and if i wanted to have another nationality in this world, i would choose to be KURDISH!. please Kurds are open minded and if u are a Kurd, it doesnt mean that u should be narrow minded. i want to develop our society to better not if i found people who think like u just give up being Kurdish and go to be someone else WRONG!. if all people do like this, we wont have a better society ever. by the way, when i say develop the society, dont think that i mean make it corrupt like west and have free sex and things like that, no why dont we take good points in western societies and apply them to have perfect one here? i mean to take the freedom of thought or personal rights or the idea that no one interferes in others affairs. no guys look at girls in a such way u described that what i mean. thanks

Anonymous said...

Hazh gian just tell me what are you talking about???? Do you wanna refute AUI-S student catalogue's code or Mr. Danar's argument??????? I think Danar has an excellent comment on the violation of the mentioned code, so do you wanna participate in violating the code, or do you wanna be helpful to respect the universities' codes???????
If AUI-S doesn't fix this problem, it MUST delete this code on the student catalogue as soon as possible otherwise the other codes will be violated!
Thank you,
Mr. 7aqba u raqba

Afan O. Halabja said...

To be a part of the conversation, I want to tell something to everybody.

Hazha, you are totally out of the conversation. You don't need to show off because we understand that you know nothing about the published article. What Danar talks about is not what you are commenting on. He particulary talks about the violation of AUI-S's policy. Why are you so proud of AUI-S while you don't want to read its policies? Why are you showing off while your arguments are too childish? Do you think that you surprise anyone here? Hazha, this is, as you say, AMERICAN university, and the students don't want to hear weak arguments. So to be honest with you, an academic student should carefully know how to comment. Is there any problem with your reading abilities?

We are all AUI-S students, and we are here because we believe in it. We haven't come here accidently. Many of the students left their previous colleges to study at AUI-S. Please, don't think that we don't know why we are here. We are all together responsible of the success and failure of AUI-S. It is you who doesn't want any improvement at our university.

Ask anyone at AUI-S about Danar's personality, and you will be sorry for writing, " it is a BIG shame on u that u sit to wahtch girl's legs!!!!!!." If you read the article twice, you understand that it is not Danar who looks at the girls'......! Haha, why don't you read it now because it is not too late. Maybe you can learn a lesson from it.

We are not narrow minded, and don't use it over and over. As I have already said, I am not concerned about the girls, and I don't have to. Many of these girls are my dear friends, and we always work and help each other in understanding the classes. All I am concerned about is the AUI-S's policy.

Hazha, please, correct your numerous grammatical mistakes because they are directly hurting your "already weak" argument. If you don't know how to correct them, ask Danar or go to the writing center. Sorry, the writing center is not for academic students, so just ask Danar.

Yours Afan!!!

Anonymous said...

guys don't discourage each other; Hazha's writing is very good and understandable. I'm not joking kaka waLa i can understand her very well.
Thank you,
Muhammed

hazha jabar said...

Kak Afan
fiest of all, i am not showing off
secondly, i didnt say anything about the article in the academic catalog
i did NOT say that there is no such article
THIS part of the argument is COMPLETELY true and i dont know if u are a new student, but two years ago when i came to AUIS, i received a sheet of paper that had some articles one of them was the the policy of dressing. i signed that sheet and turned to the administration. so, i know that article even before we have academic catalog!. what kak Danar focused on girls spend time on make up and dressing and not on studying.
second, u are not a professor to teach me how to write. we are all not professorial at English especially in writing and that is why we have 4 English composition classes. thanks for pointing out that i have grammatical mistakes but i ant you to know that i do well in writing and always have high grades. i am satisfied with my writing abilities and as time passes and have more courses and write more i will be better. i think who are the one who show off because u talk about my grammatical mistakes. do u know that we have students in different levels? do u expect that all the readers to be perfect English writers? or this is not a place for these students? if a student in level 1 comes and see that u call my GOOd writing weak, he or she will feel shame to write a comment. you should not care about grammar. i have never been to the writing center because my teachers in EWPLI told me that'' you dont need it''!.thirdly, i didnt write to shock you as you said, but i am not afraid of saying what i believe in, so i wrote my name. Kak Affan, i want you to know that i didnt see ur name under the article, so why do u assume that u wrote it. i dont know if AFFAN and DANAR are the same person. kak danar wrote in his second part of his article '' fashion show'. he wrote'' It came to my mind that AUI-S student are much concerned about the way of dressing rather than their education. Probably, the goal is not critical thinking but attractive dressing. With no emphasis, AUI-S has already achieved that goal in a short period of time even if it was a long-term goal. so, he is assuming that when students at auis care about their appearance, they give up their goal and wont be creative in future. so , i understood the article 100 percent. i dont need to ask about anyone and if i saw you, wont know you because i dont need to. about that kak Danar is a good guy and dont sit and look at the girls, if you know English well then you will know that YOU means personally you and used for plural, i meant by this sentence, BOYS in general. the boys who told him to go to the fashion show and the one who swear that girls do not wear the same clothes in a month. did u understand now? i hope so, it turned out that u who need to go to the writing center because when you read the article you just understood the first part of it '' the dead academic catalog'' but the second one u obviously did NOT. i wasnt off of the conversation because i wanted auis boys to wake up and let people alone do what they want. and about the catalog i am 100 percent that it should be changed. when i write i never mean someone personally especially when i dont know him or her. calm down and breath as we say in kurdish '' dnya awa nahenet''. you should read my first comment to learn a lesson from because i know what i wrote. i know it is difficult to accept that a girl comes and comments on such an issue and dare to say her name. thanks alot

hazha jabar said...

dear miss or mis 7aqba and raqba, what you say is so right but that was not what i commented on. i just commented on the second part of the article. and about what kak Danar's friend told him after class and the conversations that went on at the fashion show. i think what he should focussed on was to say to the faculty that u cant control people's right and when this is the issue, please, change the catalog. instead of talking about girls in such a way thanks a lot.

HAZHA JABAR said...

sorry MR. 7aqba and raqba, i am really sorry i did not know that you are boy because i didnt see Mr.before ur name and i dont know what ur name means. thanks

Anonymous said...

Hazha xan,as long as I read your comments, I come to the idea to offer you some suggestions; here are some very brief, but useful suggestions for you dear:

1- You need to read Danar's article 5 more times.

2- You might be more careful naming [any] students "zhnani" because it is better to think twice before you make a decision.

3- I swear the God it takes more than 40 minutes to change clothes, wear make up, alone.

4- Do not say ever "dnya awa nahenet" ever, ever, ever because it takes a lot to say..!!

5- Please do not claim "too little, too late" comments, try to be more logical.

6- Hazha, write shortly, but deeply.

Dear Hazha, I admire your courage and I would like you to not stop answering comments "logically". Ask your girl friends at AUI-S to do the same to prove your abilities. And I want to say "get your courage up" always.
Well done Hazha xan.

But remember, you still need to read the article at least 5 more times..!

yours truly,
Teemsahy Naylon(Nylon Crocodile)

Anonymous said...

girls are also" Boyhilic. Again read Hazha's comment she said that many boy come to the fashion show( or the University in other words)whoes clothes are dirty and " not wearing "Gorawe" socks"
for the last time, people try to "think critically" but criticise in acordance to your religion and culture. you dont have to abondent your past and calues to gain some modern wilde once.

HAZHA JABAR said...

thanks kak NILON '' Nylon crocodile'', thanks for your points. I really don't have time to read such a short argument 5 times. because I have exams. if i don't understand such an easy argument like this, so how do i get As of the BIG difficult academic books? thanks a lot for spending ur time writing the points.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Everybody is free to wear whatever she/he likes.Even though some girls push this right to extreme, still it is not anybody's business. May I remind the author that it is the boys who are sitting on the benches looking at the girls like they have nothing better to do,not the girls. So, it is the boys who create the fashion show not the girls.If you are so worried about academic performance of the university, then why don't you criticize the boys who are sitting on the benches for hours looking at other people , like a wolf waiting for its prey. They make the university campus look like Bazar. So plz next time look at the both sides of the issue. Don't just make it the girls fault.

Anonymous said...

Afan, have you ever turned in a paper as long as your complaining? Are you jealous of Hazha in some way?

Anonymous said...

Hazha is right!

Anonymous said...

Wow an amazing fighters!!!!
well done Daner

Anonymous said...

what?! are you guys aware of what you are saying?! everybody is FREE! Danar is free to write this article ( though he shouldnt have generalized it) and anybody who doesnt agree with him is free and YOU ALL SHOULD RESPECT THAT!
if you know that you are not one of these girls who he is talking about then you dont need to worry. just blv in urself
as for you Danar, it is not a fashion show! it is just because boys are not aware of the world outside of AUIS thats why they think girls only come to school to show their legs!
its sooo not appropriate to say that girls seduce you! its not good for your own personalities guys...

with all my respect to all the girls and boys

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