In an elementary school classroom on the third floor of the Islamic Society of Boston, Rana Abdelhamid is teaching a group of women how to yell. It’s not an easy task. Abdelhamid demonstrates the self-defense move again. She settles into a fighting stance, her right foot back, her left leg slightly bent. She raises her fists in front of her face, which is framed with a royal blue headscarf. Twisting at the waist, she launches a powerful punch with a loud, sharp “KI-YAH!” When the women do the same, they dissolve into embarrassed giggles.
“This is important,” Adbelhamid says, gathering the women around her. They range in age from teens to 40 somethings. Some wear hijabs, the traditional Muslim headscarf; others don’t. “As women we are told not to be loud,” she says. “We are programmed to be respectful, to be nice, to smile. We giggle, even when we are threatened. I needed to use these self-defense skills once,” she tells the class. “But I didn’t have the confidence to use them.”
role: Author outlet: Middlebury Magazine publication date: Spring 2016 category:Other
