Tamanna Azim remembers the night she did a henna tattoo on her hand and then went to bed. The Troy resident usually wraps her tattoos in plastic, but that night she didn’t.
“When I woke up, my head was resting on my hand, I ended up with the henna pattern on my face,” she said.
It was a personal experience Azim and her friend Maisha Rahman shared with patrons of the William P. Faust Public Library during the recent Henna and Hijab program. The presentation is one of four the library is hosting as part of its Muslim Journeys program which looks at the the Muslim culture.
The two women talked about the ancient art of tattooing, using a paste made from the dried leaves of the henna tree, and about the traditional head scarf worn by many Muslim women and then demonstrated how they are done and worn.
They were pressed into service to make the presentation after a friend who normally does the program moved away. It was the first time Azim had done such a presentation. She decided to focus on her personal experiences rather than fill the program with facts.
“You want to get the best stain, the best kind is made from henna leaves,” Azim said. “It’s all natural; it’s good for the skin.”
Turned into a powder, the henna becomes a paste that is applied to the skin. It stains the skin, creating a temporary tattoo that eventually fades in time.
‘Cultural thing’
According to Azim, henna is “strictly a cultural thing.” The tattooing dates back to ancient Egypt is done “just on hands, although some people do it on their feet.” It’s used for festivals and religious celebrations and weddings with the bride decorating her arm with tattoos from her palm to her elbow.
“It’s usually done in intricate floral patterns, and you get better at it with practice” said Azim who does the tattooing for her friends and family.”
In the case of the hijab, Azim doesn’t wear the scarf, but Rahman does. She talked about its purpose of the scarf and helped participants try on ones she brought to the program.
“I think wearing the head scarf comes with the way you dress and act,” said Azim. “I’m focusing on having a good moral code. Maybe in the future I will decide to wear one.”
Programs like Henna and Hijab let people learn about the complex history and culture of Muslims in the United States and around the world.
“You can’t walk up to someone on the street and ask them, these programs let people ask questions in a friendly environment and learn about the culture,” said Andy Schuck who handles library programs and adult services at the library.
National program
The Faust library was among 8423 libraries and state humanities councils nationwide to receive the 2013 Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The collection includes 25 books, three DVDs and access to the films and access to the Oxford Islamic Studies Online database.
The books are currently in a special area of the library’s non-fiction section until the end of the year and then will be moved into the entire collection.
In addition to those materials, the library has partnered with the Arab American National Museum and the Islamic Center of America to develop the programs that compliment the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf.
To date, there has been a musical program on the poetry of Rumi, the Henna and Hijab presentation that was geared for teens ages 12-18 and last week’s viewing of the film, Koran by Heart. The next presentation will be Sept. 26 when Dr. Hashim Al-Tawil, professor and chair of the Art History program at Henry Ford Community College, will leads a viewing and discussion of movie, Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World.
Schuck said that the library’s close proximity to Dearborn and its large Arab American community led to considering applying for the program. There are a lot the stereotypes out there and Muslim Journeys offered the opportunity to “talk about the Muslim faith and culture in a friendly manner.”
“It’s a free program and with all the free materials, it felt like a good fit,” said Schuck. “It’s absolutely been a success. We’ve had nice crowds for the programs and they people who come are super excited.”
More information about the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is available on the library’s website at www.westlandlibrary.org or by calling 734-326-6123.