An Ode to Ebony

At times I am forced to contemplate on certain issues. Issues that never involve nor affect me and my life, issues which I can remain indifferent and impervious to without showing a slightest ounce of concern. But sometimes when you come across a thought – provoking article in a newspaper, or watch a film that boldly sheds  light on the intricacies and complexities of life- it is an inane human tendency to feel an inclination, an urge to express one’s opinion about it, thus inadvertently  making an effort to construe the  message conveyed by a particular  medium. This testifies for the immense and groundbreaking influence the print and electronic media has on our lives, albeit not always a positive one.

Asian women have always had a strange(read unhealthy)fetish towards fairness of  the skin.  White skin tones are held synonymous to beauty, aristocracy and most appallingly- acceptance within a social circle. Time and again we have seen women with dark skin tones alienated  and completely ostracized by the society. Well, isolation may sound like an overstatement or an exaggeration, because we see women and girls with dusky or dark skin tone around us quite often and they seem to be living a ‘normal’ life like anyone else, but the underlying reality might be completely different from what it appears to be. A ‘not very fair’ maiden, as society labels it might not be receiving proposals from eligible bachelors because her other attributes are overshadowed by her skin  color, and thus she is deemed is unattractive or simply ‘ugly’. A young girl in her teens might feel insecure and inferior  in school because she is the one with the darkest visage among her peers. These nondescript faces and individuals deceive the world with a façade of normalcy and positivity, but underneath lies a scarred and emotionally volatile human being who is stabbed every moment by the pitiful, appraising   and judgmental glances  of  people.

Today, advertisements are probably the single most powerful tool wielded by companies in order to market their products. Beauty products have a strong customer base, consisting of mostly young women  in their twenties. Incidentally, the disturbing truth about most of these products is that they endorse themselves as ‘fairness creams’, in other words creams that claim to lighten one’s skin color. As said earlier the media plays a pivotal role influencing people’s perspectives, thus when we see an advertisement openly claiming to turn a woman into snow white in 30 days or how it is impossible for a dark girl to get a job and how she magically transforms her skin color, eventually getting the job. Objectification is the first word that comes to my mind   when seeing these. A  woman is being displayed as a mere commodity, a consumable that is packaged in the form  of white skin and perfect, chiseled features. Rather than being judged by her character, persona, intelligence and intellect she is  scrutinized according to her physical attributes and depressingly, her skin color.

We tend to forget that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Quoting Rumi, ‘’the most long lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart’’, we should realize that when we criticize a person, we are criticizing Allah’s creation. One should remember that beauty withers away with time, just like a beautiful flower that perishes.   Why should an epitome of beauty always have skin as white as snow? It can be as dark as ebony, yet more beautiful and pure than the whitest of  snow. The dusky girl in your class may not be the most desirable, but she might be ten times as brainy as the prettiest girl. That dark woman might not portray one’s stereotyped ‘dream girl’, but she probably has a heart of gold, filled with compassion, love and care. Her tears may be unnoticed and unheeded , but she is strong enough not to shed them for the wrong people because they are as precious as diamonds. It is because she silences the sound of her heart breaking to pieces, pretending not to hear them as they fall apart, when she is dejected and lonely. 

A similarly titled article in a newspaper caught my attention one day, and I am proud to admit, it was an eye –opener.  Touching and articulate at the same time, it conveyed the universal message that, dark is beautiful.  It is not  a lifelong curse or an obstacle  to success and neither is it a crime to have a dark complexion, because it is not your appearance which matters, rather the values and morals you live by and the humane qualities you possess,  accentuated with self-worth and confidence.  And To be honest, imperfection is beauty…