Monday, March 11, 2013

Gonibillo- Galgoda Atthe Gnanasara Thero!

My dear Gnanasara Thero!

I heard you talking (blasting actually) on various occasions and was able to pick out a word you are very fond of using. A word you use to refer to Muslim women. 'Gonibillo', which is a word used by mothers to scare their children when feeding them. I do not know what similarity has Gnanasara Thero found with Gonibillo and Muslim women. Oh! He may have been deceived by their dress (But aren't monks not supposed to look at women?).


He might not be having the proper knowledge or understanding why Muslim women wear clothes covering the whole body. It is a duty of us to make him aware. (But it arises another question, why should a monk care if a woman covers her body or not? Does he want the women to take off their veils because he wants to look at women? I do not think so. Am I right, Gnanasara Thero?)

Gnanasara Thero, it is not appropriate to ask you this question since you are a monk. But you made me ask this from you. Will you get attracted and look at a girl who is revealing herself or a girl who is covering herself? It is obvious that revealing drags more attention and attraction, especially in the case of a woman. Any man would like to have a second look at a woman who reveals herself, which may lead to serious crimes such as sexual harassment. Islam, therefore as a precautionary measure, wants the Muslim women to cover themselves.

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigor  or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.- The Glorious Qur'an- Surah An-Noor. Chapter 24. Verse 31.
Hence Gnanasara Thero, it is the duty of a Muslim woman to cover herself since it has been ordered by Allah. And as Sri Lankans, I hope that Muslims do have their religious rights, which means they have the total right to practice their own religion. If a Muslim woman is to practice her religion completely, she should cover herself. 

Ask yourself whether is it appropriate to call a woman who practices her religion and wants no men to witness her beauty, a gonibilla?

Finally Gnanasara Thero, I post this picture to make you understand what I mean if you are still not clear.

I know that you did not have an idea on why these women wear clothes that are totally covered and unattractive. And now I hope that in the future you will not use such terms to address women who are trying to protect themselves from the gaze of men.


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