Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah

A story of two Australian Afgani Muslim women and the tension within a family over the wearing of the headscarf. A young Australian-born Muslim woman, turns to the religion of her heritage for answers after the September 11 attacks in 2001, resulting in a deep experience of faith and a controversial decision to wear the hijab. Partly a plea for understanding, partly a bellow of rage from Muslim Australian women about the ignorance and misunderstanding that surrounds the wearing of the traditional Muslim headscarf, Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah is based on personal interviews with Muslim women from a diversity of Muslim cultures. The play addresses theatrical and social questions about representation, religious freedom and inter-generational conflict.