Now when we went to Aqaba, we are part of the anonymous huddle of covered women no longer allowed to enjoy the magic of the sea. For even on the beaches Islam shrouded us all. It is mainly men and small children who are allowed to enjoy the beaches and water sports. Women would never dare to be seen in a swimsuit. They sit on the shore, fully clothed, and tend to the needs of their men and their children. They are only allowed to enter the water and try to swim if they wear their shar’ia. Sad and ludicrous—but all too familiar—is the sight of a woman struggling to stay afloat while her voluminous black dress billows up around her despite her efforts to beat it back into the waves. It is an act of frustrating futility that now seems an apt metaphor for the lives of Jordanian women.
