Was she wearing a hijab?
She wasn’t. Some women were covered, but they were saying, This is what we believe, yet we don’t want to impose our views on everyone. The lawyer had burgundy-colored hair and very dark makeup. But wearing or not wearing the hijab, or even the abaya, is no indicator of passivity. Years ago I was in a Bagdad market and I saw this woman all covered up beating this man in the head with her bag! He had touched her or something. But, you know, before Hussein it was optional. Now everyone wears it. When I was there [in February] I wore it too, out of fear. In spite of the success of the conference, the draft constitution is pretty much void of any tangible protections for women. Do you feel a little defeated? Never! [laughs] It’s definitely a downer, but one should never give up hope. I’ve seen four drafts in two weeks already, with significant changes in them. We still have another week. Also, the process of discussion is key. This was the first time the women had met with the drafting comm
