What do you do when you profoundly disagree with someone you love? Wearing a hijab is a touchstone of religious identity, but it is also imbued with a complex array of historical and contemporary meanings. The cultural meaning of the hijab has become a wedge between generations.
At the heart of Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah is the relationship between an aunt and her niece. Both devout Muslims, the younger woman wants to put on a headscarf, the older woman tries to dissuade her. For Aunt Sarrinah, the hijab represents a world from which she has escaped; for her niece, Shafana, it is a personal statement of renewed faith.
To listen to Alana Valentine talk about the play in Currency’s Not in Print Podcast series, click here.
To listen to Dr Christina Ho read her introduction to the play, also in Currency’s Not in Print Podcast series, click here.
Cue the Chorus is a series of critical responses by Australian playwrights to classic Australian plays, offering insights and personal responses. To read Angela Betzien’s response to Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah, click here.
