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Womens rights in the middle east religion
Women's rights in Islam essay
Women's rights in Islam essay
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The “Burqa Ban”
In society, people fear what they do not know or understand. Today, this fear has become a prominent issue. It has caused a clash between two very different cultures, the traditional Islamic culture and the Western society. Some Muslim women want to wear the burqa and other veils for religious and cultural purposes, Western society wants to ban it on the basis of it being oppressive to women. As a woman being allowed to wear what I want based on my culture is not oppressive. In the western society, skirts and dresses are traditionally a female clothing. A ban on this clothing would be seen as ridiculous which is not any different than the ban on the Muslim veil. The burqa can be seen as oppressive to women, but the “burqa ban”
It is a part of the Islamic religion and culture, and it is something that should be the woman 's choice to wear or not to wear. The main reason Muslim women choose to wear the veil is that it allows a woman to be taken seriously and respected for her inner beauty and mind opposed to her body (Friedman 39). This belief is something that many Muslim women have been taught from a young age. In western society, the Islamic culture seems male driven because women wear more clothing. From a Muslim’s viewpoint it may seem as though the western society is male driven because women are expected to wear less clothing. People’s perspective on what is right and what is wrong has a lot to do with the culture they grow up in and what they are taught. Many Muslims are taught that Islam is more than a religion, but a complete way of life (Dudley 44). Wearing a religious veil is a part of many Muslim women’s lives. Their religion is not something they can pretend to just not be a part of when they are in public, and many are not willing to do that. The religious veil is a symbol of a Muslim woman’s dedication to her faith and her respect for herself. In society, there are many ways people can express themselves, and the Islamic facial veil is just one of these
...th her point of view. Dr. Hargey also pokes fun at Muslims by insinuating that clearly-thing Muslims will not oppose the ban. Another example of ethos is the passage first cited as a logical appeal—the statement that “many eloquent, equally educated Muslim religious… women insist that the Koran does not mandate that women cover their faces… Leading Islamic scholars agree with them.” This passage, while mostly a logos appeal, subtly boosts Chesler’s credibility because practicing Muslim men and women recognize the burqas and niqabs are not required by the Koran. Because these men and women, simultaneously educated and religious, acknowledge that burqas are optional, readers can begin to support the argument, too, as it comes from reputable sources.
Should Britain and other Western countries follow the Belgian and French examples and ban the burqa and the niqab? In other words, should the West prohibit any and all clothing that conceals one's identity? According to some surveys, most Europeans seem to expect the ban of burqa and niqab ("Widespread Support for Banning Full Islamic Veil in Western Europe"). However, a significant part of society, particularly in the United States and quite a few feminists have considered such a ban as religiously intolerant, anti-Western and primarily anti-woman. They maintain that the state has no right to decide what a woman can and cannot wear—it is her body, not public property; that given the worldwide exploitation of women as pornographic sex objects, wearing loose, comfortable, modest clothing, or actually covering up, might be both convenient and more dignified; that because of the West's tolerance toward religions, the state cannot come between a woman and her conscience because it would be a betrayal of Western values; and that women are freely choosing to wear the burqa. Some Western intellectuals, such as Leon Wieseltier,
For some women wearing a veil is not something that is forced on them but rather a choice of their own. Martha Nussbaum and Maysan Haydar are both authors that try to explain their reasoning that veiling isn't an oppressive tool used against women. Martha Nussbaum's article “Veiled Threats”, is a political and philosophical take on why banning the burqa is a violation of human rights. On the other hand Maysan Haydar’s article “Don’t Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering”, is a more humorous and personal take on why veiling shouldn't be as judged or stereotyped. Though Nussbaum and Haydar have equal goals this essay is being used to understand the main argument, claims and whether or not each article has any weaknesses.
...spects, as manifest destiny attitudes could spur conflict. Similar to the conflicts of instating leaders into other countries, adoption of American and Western culture has become a mandate for any country seeking further economic progress. France has recently had issues with the banning of wearing a full face veil, religious headwear for women in Islam, while on in public (Erlanger 1). While in the West there are outcries of sexism and discrimination, for the women wearing the hijab, it is an essential part of their religion and taking it away from them diminishes their chances of an afterlife. While the institution of Islam may be sexist, that should be left to the followers. With the tools to make the decision for themselves, removing the hijab can be a possibility, as long as the Western World does not try to make them “see” when so blind to the culture of Islam.
Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving by Lila Abu-Lughod describes Western feminist beliefs on Muslim women and their burqa/veil and how focusing on these misconceptions are doing far more harm than good. This causes Western feminists reduce the culture and beliefs of Muslim women down to a single piece of clothing. The burqa is a type of veil worn by Muslim women for a number of reasons such as proprietary and signaling their relationship with God. The burqa is often seen a symbol of suppression amongst the Western world and it was expected for women to throw it off in a show of independence once liberated from the Taliban. The saving of Muslim women is often used to justify the “War on Terrorism” as exemplified in Laura Bush 's 2001 speech. The belief that Muslim women needed saving existed before the “War on Terrorism” as seen when Marnia Lazreg wrote about a skit where two Afghan girls talked about the beauty of the free Christian France.
The creation and enforcement of the burqa comes from a combination of a misinterpretation of the Koran and influences from the Pushtun residents of the country. The Koran has a brief passage that describes that women should abide by decent codes of conduct and their bosoms and private parts should be veiled (Goodson). In Pushtun societies women have a lesser role and lead more sheltered lives, but they were still respected (Goodson). So women had a very restrictive dress code that included wearing veils that covered almost their entire body till the late 1950’s, but it should be noted that they were treated with a lot more respect and equality than during the Taliban regime (Schulz).
The hijab, while not always popular, has seem to be customary for most women to wear in the Islam world for good or for bad. Prior to the 21st century the hijab was not very popular and was looked as a rarity, but now most women adopted this clothing choice for a multitude of reasons. Many women choose to wear it because they feel god instructed women to wear it, to highlight modesty, to show faith in god, or to show Muslim identity. There are many reasons women wear the hijab, even if the veil is forced upon them because of family members; However, the sight of the veil concerns many women activists whose main priority is to insure equality for all women. Many women activists don’t like the veil to be forced upon women and the idea
As for Muslim women,they wear a headscarf known as the hijab. Hijab is a veil that covers the head and chest. Most Muslim women at the age of puberty,wear the hijab in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family. Most women wear abayas. Abayas are long/loose dresses.The purpose to why they dress the way they do is,hence they want to protect themselves from harm and to keep their lovely beauty for their husband.This is worn in public, yet still they can dress however they wish in their place of residency.Abayas are very similar to the graduation gowns worn when high schoolers graduate and when judges in courts judge .If successful mortals wear them ,therefore it is a sign of greatness and achievement.Some citizens find that wearing religious garments in public should not be permissible,hence it would be as if they said a human being graduating shouldn't be permissible to wear the
The author of this essay thinks it is ridiculous that women cannot wear their hijab in certain places around the world. Many people think the hijab is not necessary. However, it is part of what Muslim women believe. She explains in her essay, "So next time you hear about a hijab ban think about your best pair of jeans or your faded t-shirt with the logo of your favorite band" (Fakhraie 461). A hijab is just like every other piece of clothing that covers up the body. It can be part of their religion, or they can wear a hijab just because they like how it
Professor Leila Ahmed, active Islamic feminist, in her article “Reinventing the veil” published in the Financial Times assumes that there is a connection between “advancement” and veiling, which means that unveiled women are advanced and vice versa. In addition, she supports that it led to increasing rate of violence. She questions why women wear veil, that is considered as “symbol of patriarchy and women’s oppression”. However, research changed her position towards wearing veil. Firstly, she states that wearing veil was essential for women, because it could be beneficial and influence to how people treat women, in terms of job, marriage and free movement in public. Secondly, her assumption was explained while interviewing women, who stated
To begin this argument I would like to cite the works of Richmond Campbell in “Moral Epistemology”(Campbell 2003.) In this he states that “Moral knowledge exists, but moral facts are relative to the social group in which moral sensibility is formed with the result that no moral truths are known to hold universally.” While it may be fair to judge someone of your own culture off of your moral intuition, the statement above shows that you cannot equally transfer this moral judgment to another culture. Campbell uses the argument of a woman wearing a veil over her face. He says that while in one culture this may be morally wrong, in another there is nothing wrong with it. (Campbell 2003.) Through the eyes of your average American this would seem morally wrong. By doing this you are shaming a woman, or hiding her from the world. But, you must look at this through the context of the culture. In the countries that this ideology originated there is nothing wrong with a woman covering the majority of her body. In these cultures women tend to be much more mode...
Women have always been thought of as something that needed to be controlled in Muslim culture. Their bodies are a source of shame that must be covered during prayer and also in the public (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 3). Veiling, done by a hijab or chador, is when women either wear a headscarf to cover themselves or they wear a veil that covers their entire body, excluding her hands and eyes (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 1; Mir-Hosseini 2003: 41; Berger 1998: 93; Smith-Hefner 2007: 390-391; Brenner 1996: 674; El Guindi 1999: 6). Veiling is used as a tool for oppression. By having women veil themselves, it enforces the control by the male run and male dominated society (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 7). Also, the punishment for women appearing without a veil transitioned as the concept of veiling was addressed, transitioning from seventy-four lashes, to being arrested and held between ten days and two months for being “immodest” women and offending public morality, or fined 50,000 to 500,000 rials (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 8). The oppression of veiling is perpetuated through the thought that it is a woman’s religious duty to wear one, condemning foreigners and women in society if they refuse. Although it is a tool for oppression, there was resistance the oppression. In ...
299). The study consisted of having in-depth personal interviews to share their experiences of being a Muslim American woman (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 300). Veiling to these women was a way of freedom while also having a Muslim identity (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). It was also a source of behavior control, to not be sexually objectified, a way of commanding respect from others and even a source of checking their own behavior (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). One of the women interviewed said, veiling to her was a way to feel connected to other Muslim woman who veil (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 302). Veiling can be a way to feel connected to your religion and God as well as being connected to those who practice the same faith, it can be considered an act of membership. Many of the women interviewed noted they have been removed from planes, been treated unfairly, and have had strangers shout at them all for just being Muslim and being more visibly recognized from veiling (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 303). This is an example of how media can affect the general population. When the media only shows radicals and compares all Muslims to being terrorist or dangerous they are actually putting Muslim people at risk of being assaulted in public. Muslim woman in particular are more at risk for being assaulted as they are more identifiable. So while veiling can be a source of empowerment and freedom for women it is a double-edged sword because it also puts them at further risk of being
Wearing the burqa and veil by Muslim women in France has become a controversial topic. The burqa and veil are recognized in France as a conflicti...
“Women’s rights in Islam” is great controversial topic going on nowadays. The world is colored with different cultures and religions. Most people come up with different thoughts for other religion’s people by just having one look on them. Veil is obsession for some people, whereas, being bald is freedom in some people’s point of view. There are lots of misconceptions about women’s rights in Islam among non muslims. If women are covering their body or if they like to stay at home, people think that they don’t have any freedom in this religion and women are obsessed. But this is not reality. A person cannot point out anything wrong and blame other’s religion just because of his own confusion. He needs to study thoroughly and then come up with opposing viewpoints. Therefore, the misconception about women’s rights in Islam should be removed because women have equal rights, veil is for their protection, and they have freedom of speech and expression.