On God Forbid we’re talking about the sacred strands that sprout from our skulls. 

Whether it’s being grown long, shaved off, or covered up... hair has long been a point of contention for faith communities.  

Claims of both modesty AND freedom come up when we discuss hair coverings... and often a similar piece of fabric will elicit very different responses depending on the religion of the person wearing it.  

From turbans to tonsures, hijabs to high-top fades... hair is more than style, it’s spiritual. 

GUESTS:

Michael D. (David) Barbezat - a historian of medieval European religious history. His first book, Burning Bodies: Communities, Eschatology, and the Punishment of Heresy in the Middle Ages. 

Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa - Director of The Blue Room Theatre in Perth. She’s a writer, performer, theatre and filmmaker. Since her sell-out theatre work Fully Sikh she’s currently producing A Hairy Tale, a documentary exploring female body hair. 

Aseel Tayah - Palestinian-Australian artist, CEO of community art project Bukjeh in Melbourne, and hijabi Muslim.

This episode of God Forbid was made on Gadigal land, the land of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people and in Naarm.