Argumentative Essay On The Hijab

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Rationale and Preliminary Research Religion continues to be a volatile characteristic of American politics and culture today. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the pervasive fear of extremism and terrorism was increasingly connoted with Islam. The hijab is a trademark of the faith and a part of a Muslim woman’s identity but often leads to ostracization in society. Living in post-9/11 America has outlined the need to understand the spiritual perspective of Islam as I have witnessed numerous instances in which people have shown initial apprehension to my Muslim best friend due to her hijab. The discriminatory label of the hijab as a symbol of oppression and allegiance to fundamentalist beliefs instigated my desire to study what …show more content…

Eight of the nine women were ultimately allowed to make their own decision without their parents forcing the choice on them. Six of the nine interviewees stated that they had no reservations about choosing to wear a hijab and did not mention family adding pressure onto the decision. However, Yousra Omer described a situation in which she involuntarily had to begin wearing the hijab at age 11 due to her parents and sister. Although she had no reservations about wearing one as a symbol of her religion and culture, she worried about the underlying judgments that would come from it and also disliked that she was denied the opportunity to make this personal decision on her own. In addition, Khawla Suhaila did have reservations about the decision because of societal pressures and wanting to fit in but found that her mother and sister’s support, along with self-reflection, helped her to finally choose to wear the hijab on a regular basis. As mentioned before, Ms. Gilani does not wear a hijab, which was a decision affected by her experiences of being called a terrorist when growing up and the implications it would have on her financial security. Her parents did believe in modesty but still did not force her to wear a

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