...therefore, making a smooth(ish) transition from my last post, we've touched on freedom of speech, so how about freedom of expression? I'm talking religious dress and in particular the hijab.
So, hijab from a Muslim understanding, is more than just a headscarf, it is using modesty as an expression of faith; through both clothing and character (See more here).I was reading an article and it got me thinking of the ways religious dress has been portrayed in wider society. Looking back to the religious dress ban in France, doesn't it make you wonder why some people are so threatened or opposed to religious expression? And whats more expressive than religious dress, which literally stares you in the face..?
Now, if you’re a “hijabi” Muslim female (particularly living in
the West), you’re more or less going stick out like a sore thumb (watch this *slightly extreme* example) and to top that, there's that ever-prevalent view that hijab is oppressive and
restricting. Ironically, it’s these views which are oppressive and restrictive
for Muslim women, more than the hijab itself is. (Read more on this here).
So, what are the usual sorts of words thrown around when it comes to Muslim women covering up? Of course, there's the old favorite oppressed... also passive, victim, controlled, indistinguishable silent, invisible and not forgetting "does you husband/dad/brother make you?"
... but...
how about Hijab as empowering? Promoting individuality and independence? and a result of freewill? No?
That's the difference between looking at hijab from an insider and outsider perspective. If you look past the sympathetic (bordering on patronizing) assumption that Hijab-wearing Muslim women need liberation, you'll begin to see that it is the hijab itself which is seen as the ultimate form of liberation for Muslim women. The Muslim female equivalent of the bra burnings of the 60's. Symbolic. Women are not just ornaments but should be valued for their individuality, character and thinking. Sure, Hijab is not the be all and end all of being a Muslim female, but its a stance and a show of pride and spiritual identity. And Hijab as a profession of modesty is by no means limited to Islam alone. Check out this video (it's really cool, a Christian woman who wears hijab, indicating religious values can be shared across beliefs).
What is boils down to is that the next time you're thinking "gee that poor lady in a hijab" (assuming you think that), look beyond the covering and think, maybe Muslim women don’t want a western conception of liberation? ...How about the Islamic brand of liberation which comes packaged modestly and enables the world to look beyond the physical and be forced to see and appreciate a woman for her mind rather than her appearance. Liberation from the image-obsessed time we live in.
It's not as easy as just removing a head-covering because hijab is an entire way of thinking and acting, and you might be able remove a headscarf or change the way someone dresses, but can you remove a mentality? I don't think so.
... but...
how about Hijab as empowering? Promoting individuality and independence? and a result of freewill? No?
That's the difference between looking at hijab from an insider and outsider perspective. If you look past the sympathetic (bordering on patronizing) assumption that Hijab-wearing Muslim women need liberation, you'll begin to see that it is the hijab itself which is seen as the ultimate form of liberation for Muslim women. The Muslim female equivalent of the bra burnings of the 60's. Symbolic. Women are not just ornaments but should be valued for their individuality, character and thinking. Sure, Hijab is not the be all and end all of being a Muslim female, but its a stance and a show of pride and spiritual identity. And Hijab as a profession of modesty is by no means limited to Islam alone. Check out this video (it's really cool, a Christian woman who wears hijab, indicating religious values can be shared across beliefs).
What is boils down to is that the next time you're thinking "gee that poor lady in a hijab" (assuming you think that), look beyond the covering and think, maybe Muslim women don’t want a western conception of liberation? ...How about the Islamic brand of liberation which comes packaged modestly and enables the world to look beyond the physical and be forced to see and appreciate a woman for her mind rather than her appearance. Liberation from the image-obsessed time we live in.
It's not as easy as just removing a head-covering because hijab is an entire way of thinking and acting, and you might be able remove a headscarf or change the way someone dresses, but can you remove a mentality? I don't think so.
Ok, readers, what do you think? Is hijab redemption that's got some real bad press? Can someone express their religious identity and duty without being dictated by it? With all this freedom to do stuff lying around, why is freedom to wear hijab questioned? ...Isn't that ironic? ...Also, (random thought) why are nuns respected for dressing modestly for their beliefs whilst it's suddenly an issue when Muslim women do the same?
I think I may have linked slightly too many pages to this post X_X ....Enjoy the links ^_^
Peace.
Peace.
(btw here's a pic I found which for me, sums up the opposing views about "covering up")
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| What do you think of this? |
Hi Umme Hany; Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteI mentioned that hijab is not the be all and end all of being a Muslim woman. Belief comes before practice.. i've used the hijab concept more as an expression of identity, not as a measure of faith, because as you mentioned, that's something which cannot really ever be measured
.. appearance isn't everything and particularly in Islam, its intentions which outweigh actions.
...Yes, humans will always judge. Perhaps judging is the most basic defense mechanism we have. But judging usually stems from stereotypes, and the issue remains since when did hijab become the symbol of all things bad?... In the bigger picture, linking into you school experiences (sorry to hear about that).. when did Islam itself become something bad enough to bully someone over? I've never heard of anyone being picked on for being Christian or Buddhist.
the result of more negative stereotyping?
Pictures really do speak a thousand words- they might be exaggerated but they clearly state views well. People DO see the hijab/niqab as a prison for women, and on the other end women who choose to wear it find it troublesome to be told that they are oppressing themselves by doing exactly what they want to do for their own reasons!
ReplyDeleteWhat I truly find contradictory and confusing about this issue are some feminists who take this viewpoint- surely as feminists (taking into account that of course some people are pushed into wearing it, but people are pushed into many things, we can't exactly generalise like that) you would suggest that if women are free to dress in as little as they like without question, they should be able to dress in as much? I mean these are usually the same feminists who baulk at the idea that a woman is considered promiscuous for wearing 'revealing' clothes, so I would think that they have equally little right to stereotype women in hijab as oppressed and weak.
End of rant, just what this blog made me think about!
Thanks for the comment Jo, interesting observation; double standards on the wearing what you want to/don't want to front there methinks. Since when was uncovering empowering and covering a sign of being weak?
ReplyDeleteYour comment reminded me of the quote by Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman;
“Man in early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is a regression back to the ancient times."
What do you make of that?