Why Muslim Women Wear the Veil
Description: Even in the face of adversity Muslim women choose to obey God.
In recent years, a small piece of cloth has managed to cause quite a stir. =
The scarf or hijab that Muslim women wear on their heads is making headlin=
es around the world. Hijab is banned in French public schools and other Eu=
ropean countries have adopted, or are drafting similar legislation. In Aus=
tralia, a radio presenter triggered both debate and outrage when he called =
for the face veil (niqab) to be banned from banks and post offices. Even p=
redominantly Muslim countries such as Turkey and Tunisia ban the hijab in c=
ertain government buildings. When a small piece of fabric causes such cont=
roversy and conflict, wouldn't it be easier to remove it? Why then, under =
such circumstances, do Muslim women wear scarves?
There are a myriad of reasons why, but the easy, one sentence answer is, be=
cause they believe God has made it an obligation for believing women. In t=
he Quran God tells the believing men and women to lower their gaze and to d=
ress modestly. He (God) specifically addresses women when He asks them not=
to show off their adornment, except that which is apparent, and draw their=
veils over their bodies. (Quran 24:30-31)
These verses of Quran are known as the verses of hijab and it is the consen=
sus of Islamic scholars that they make the wearing of hijab mandatory. Som=
e countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar do enforce a dress code. Women=
there are expected to cover their hair and wear some sort of loose fitting=
, full-length garment over their clothes. However, for the majority of Mus=
lim women around the world, to cover, or not to cover, is a freely made cho=
ice. God requires Muslim women to dress modestly and to wear the hijab in p=
ublic and in the presence of men who are not close relatives.=20
Although the English word scarf and the Arabic term hijab have become inter=
changeable, it is worth noting that hijab is more than just a scarf. It is=
a term that covers a variety of clothing including scarves, but also a var=
iety of different dress styles from around the world. Many have cultural c=
onnotations such as the Pakistani shalwar khamis or the Afghani burqa, but =
whenever a Muslim woman covers "her adornment", she is said to be wearing h=
ijab.
The literal meaning of hijab is to veil, to cover, or to screen. Islam is =
known as a religion concerned with community cohesion and moral boundaries,=
and therefore hijab is a way of ensuring that the moral boundaries between=
unrelated men and women are respected. In this sense, the term hijab enco=
mpasses more than a scarf and more then a dress code. It is a term that de=
notes modest dressing and modest behaviour. For instance, if a Muslim woma=
n was wearing a scarf but at the same time using bad language, she would no=
t be fulfilling the requirements of hijab.
The majority of Muslim women wear hijab, to obey God, and to be known as re=
spectable women. (Quran 33:59) However, in the last 30 years hijab has em=
erged as a sign of Islamic consciousness. Many women see wearing the hijab=
as indicative of their desire to be part of an Islamic revival, especially=
in countries where the practice of Islam is discouraged or even forbidden.
While those who seek to ban hijab refer to it as a symbol of gender based r=
epression, the women who choose to don a scarf, or to wear hijab, in the br=
oadest sense of the word, do so by making personal decisions and independen=
t choices. They view it as a right and not a burden. Nor do these women r=
egard hijab as a sign of oppression. Women who wear hijab often describe t=
hemselves as being "set free" from society's unrealistic fashion culture.=
=20
Hijab frees women from being thought of as sexual objects of desire or from=
being valued for their looks, or body shape rather then their minds and in=
tellect. No longer slaves to consumerism, hijab liberates women from the n=
eed to conform to unrealistic stereotypes and images dictated by the media.=
Women wearing hijab have expressed that dressing modestly and covering th=
eir hair, minimises sexual harassment in the workplace. The aura of privacy=
created by hijab is indicative of the great value Islam places upon women.
It is true that in some families and in some cultures women are forced to w=
ear hijab but this is not the norm. The Quran clearly states that there is=
no compulsion in religion (2:256). Women who choose to wear hijab do not =
make the decision lightly. In fact many women testify that they faced grea=
t animosity from their Muslim or non-Muslim families when they decided to c=
over. Across the globe there are numerous instances of women having to def=
end their right to wear the hijab.
Hijab can be a symbol of piety and it can be a sign of great inner strength=
and fortitude. A woman wearing hijab becomes a very visible sign of Islam=
. While Muslim men can blend easily into any society, Muslim woman are oft=
en put on the line, and forced to defend not only their decision to cover, =
but also their religion. Nevertheless, women who wear hijab insist that th=
e advantages far outweigh any disadvantage conjured up by media bias or gen=
eral ignorance.
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/2770/why-muslim-women-wear-veil/
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