Muslim Women

One aspect of women and religion that I am choosing to write about is the wearing of head coverings by women in Islam. Before learning about this religion, I didn’t know much, aside from the fact that they serve one God, Allah, and his messenger is Muhammad. This was the extent of my knowledge of Islam at the start of the class, and it remained the same at the midterm reflection. In my pre-speaker reflection, I wrote that the “perceived image of a Muslim woman is one hidden behind a veil, someone who is silent and voiceless.” Although I knew that Muslim women wear the head coverings, I never truly knew why that was. I figured it has to do with modesty, but our guest speakers revealed a more deeper meaning behind it (in addition to modesty).

I never believed that this was true, but hearing Berna and Semanur speak about themselves and other women in their religion, my thinking was changed. Muslim women are equal with men, in terms of rights and privileges, but they aren’t made to be completely submissive to men in a demeaning way. Berna explained that, like in other religions and cultures, men and women in Islam are biologically different and therefore have different skill sets that they are good at. This doesn’t mean, though, that women can’t so stuff that men do, and vice versa. Berna said that Muslim women have no limitations and that Muslim men and women complete each

in addition to my new knowledge of the head covering she wears, I admire her devotion to her religion and her passion to follow her faith. She was so positive and radiant when speaking about her religion; it’s clear that she loves her religion and is very happy when expressing it to others. One reading that made a difference in my perception is Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject by Saba Mahmood. This quote in particular is one of my favorite from this reading: “It’s just like the veil [hijab]. In the beginning when you wear it, you’re embarrassed [maksufa] and don’t want to wear it because people say that you look older and unattractive, that you won’t get married, and will never find a husband. But you must wear the veil, first because it is God’s command [hukm allah], and then, with time, because your inside learn to feel shy without the veil, and if you take it off, your entire being feel uncomfortable about it.” (pg. 157) This shows me the perspective of a woman in a religion who does something whether they want to or not, because it is what their God has commanded them to do and they are devoted to the religion.

The person who I was at the beginning of this semester (regarding perception) is different from the person I am currently. I have learned about world religions and heard things from other women’s perspectives, listening to each individual