Now more than ever the Muslim faith is being put into the spotlight. America continues attempts at banning 7 Muslim majority countries from entering the country. With all this negative publicity, there has been an increase in hate crimes towards Muslim people. It is often hard to tell a person’s faith just by their appearance. However, women who practice Islam are required to wear veils which cover their hair. By wearing the veil these women are susceptible to hate crimes since they can be identified as practicing Muslims. Additionally, in the Western society the women who wear the veil are often seen as oppressed. Homa Hoodfara, a professor at Concordia University, discusses the Western Societies’ views on veiled Muslim women in her article The Veil in their Minds and On Our Heads: The Persistence of Colonial Images of Muslim Women. In this article Homa discusses the negative interpretation that the Western society has on the veil. She also explains how these negative views contribute to prejudice views and the discrimination of veiled women. Lastly, Homa tries to explain how veiled Muslim women and women in general living in the Western society both suffer from female oppression. …show more content…
Due to this fact, multiple restrictions were placed on the wife’s actions and behaviors, also these restrictions were stricter with wealthy families (Hoodfar, n.d.). However, poorer families did not exhibit these same strict restrictions since all women were required to work. Homa also explains how the veiling of Muslim women initially began as an indication of a woman’s social status. Due to this then veil becames a cultural, or social practice, that was adopted by Muslims and was perpetuated for the most part for financial purposes” (Haniffa, p.65). The veil also allowed families to delegate the distribution of their wealth via marriage and
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Show More299). 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
Being open about sexuality is usually seen as a women’s freedom or liberation, while the veil is seen as something that rejects freedom or liberation. Though some would argue that it allows the women to control or sexuality. “With the rise of prostitution and growing interest in the harem within the colonies, colonizers were frustrated with immutable veiled women who made apparent their denial of sex.”(Scott 60). Thus, aids to the initial resentment toward these veil
Society in western civilization sees Islam's treatment of women as heinous, unfair, and typically cruel. How can one respect a religion and culture that makes their women cover themselves from head to toe in 100 degree weather, walk behind her spouse, enter separate doors of the mosque (if they are even allowed to enter), pray in an closed off area separate from the men, marry complete strangers, and receive little to no education. These few examples and a lot more can surely discourage anyone from even wanting to become a Muslim, especially women. These problems are particularly ironic due to the fact that Islam was the first religion to try to equalize men and women, which is truly hard to believe being that Muslim countries by far treat their women the most unjust. This paper will discuss certain hardships of the women of Islam and further discuss if this is truly a religion that discriminates women and if not where the problem exists. The topics that will be discussed are the problems for women in mosques, and common misinterpretations of rights of Muslim women vs. the laws they actually have.
In Islam, there is prevailing an equal treatment for both men and women. Islam worked as a changing factor to upgrade the position of women and for the betterment of the then pre-Islamic Arabian women to the early Islamic Arabian women. The Arabian peninsula which was mainly the center of spreading Islam is an arid place for survival. The Arabian people used to live within their clans where they belonged to from birth. Particularly, the Bedouin (nomadic group) culture evolved from this area and everyone had to be loyal to their tribal groups (Bedouin clan). Their lifestyle mainly depended on agriculture and camel and goat herding. Though it was always hard for Arabian Bedouins to struggle for their lives in a dry place, both men and women worked equally there. In large extent, the Bedouin women were not treated in a proper way. The women were oppressed by the male dominance. Their status was so disgraceful that they didn't have the right of decision making on family matters and on public life as well. It was considered as shame of being a female on that period and the deliberate killing of female child was nothing more than an obvious issue for them. Bedouin men were dominating over women and abusing them in whatever way they wished to be. The Arabian women of that period had no sorts of rights to inherent the property, to divorce or to have opinions of choosing partners. Women were supposed to treat as weaker person and were maltreated by men. Above all these reasons, this period was called "The age of Ignorance" (Aiyyame Jahelliyya). The rise of Islam brought about a drastic change of the position of Arabian women during the pre-Islamic period and some legalized Islamic rights were necessary for the shift from this dark age to a...
Spencer, Robert, and Phyllis Chesler. "Islam Oppresses Women." The Violent Oppression of Women in Islam. Sherman Oaks, CA: David Horowitz Freedom Center, 2007. N. pag. Rpt. in Islam. Ed. David M. Haugen, Susan Musser, and Kacy Lovelace. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
The hate directed towards Muslim Australians, especially women choosing to dress in hijabs and niqabs, is unbelievable. In the experiments conducted in public showed that Muslim women are subjected the hateful slurs and hurtful comments purely based on the way they are choosing to dress based on their religion. A finding from the survey by Professor Kevin Dunn found that a substantial number of Australian citizens having ‘negative’ feelings towards those identifying as being Muslim. 31.6% of those surveyed claimed to feel negatively towards Muslim Australians. This differs greatly from the 22.4% claiming to have negative feelings towards Middle-¬‐Eastern Australians.
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.
Muslim women commonly wear the headscarf when they come of age, though not all women prefer to wear it. It is usually worn in front of all men excluding family, cousins, and children (Quran 24:31). Therefore, Muslims do not wear the scarf everywhere; it is most commonly worn in public. The purpose of the hijab is not only to hide an individual’s beauty, but also to reveal their true personality. “Many believe that the headscarf actually emphasizes a women’s beauty by drawing attention to the face and away from the hair and the body. It changes the focus to the face, facial expression, and conversation” (Mir n.p.).
Within the chapter ‘size 6: The Western Women’s Harem’, Fatema Mernissi analyzed the depiction and relegation of women from both the perspective of a Muslim woman and from that of a Western woman. Mernissi disputed that the subordination and suppression of Western women by their own society, more specifically men, are more insensitive and overall worse than the general depiction of Muslim women. Her reasoning revolved around the idea that Muslim women are perceived as more repressed because they wear a veil, among the plethora of other constraints on women in Islam. Mernissi ultimately wants the audience to relate to her issue by means of an emotional appeal, while also utilizing both ethical and logical appeal to support her thesis. Though, there may be stereotypical flaws within the authors reasoning behind the depiction of American women, I do find her thesis to be very well supported
A common myth set by westerners is that Iranian's don't care about women's rights because they are forced to wear veils and are considered lower than men in Iran. However, Marjane disagrees: “In no time, the way people dressed became an ideological sign. There were two kinds of women. The fundamentalist women and the modern women. You showed your opposition to the regime by letting a few strands of hair show” (75). Marjane shows that citizens of Iran are care about the rights of the women. The way you dressed was a great and easy way to show opposition to unequal women’s rights. The women that wore the veil over their head believed that all hair should be covered while the ladies with some hair showing oppose the rule and the regime that set it. And unlike what most believe, the women that are coving their entire body are not forced to do so, they make the choice. On top of that, the veil was forced to be put on women because of the religion that most citizens followed in Iran. The largest setback of this dangerous false myth is Westerners believe that Iran is not civilized and modern because they do not believe in giving women the choice of wearing the veil. Showing that women have preferences and only wear the veil for religious purposes destroys myths that there are no women's rights in
Furthermore, Haydar expresses that she has been able to embrace the modesty in veiling and that it allows her to be seen as a whole person. She addresses the fact that “many Americans see veiling as an oppressive tool forced on Muslim women by the men in our culture” (414). Yet, Haydar informs the readers that veiling isn’t specific to the Islam culture and is also a choice for many women. She even points out that many other religions promote and advocate for modesty in
While people in the west think that women in Islam are oppressed, they do not know that Islam liberated women from oppression. There are many people who have opinions about the religion of Islam, but mostly about the women who follow it. Westerners have this idea that women in Islam are disrespected, mistreated and oppressed. In actuality, these allegations are incorrect. Women in Islam have rights and are not oppressed. The veil is widely misunderstood and many do not know what it represents. In many ways, men and women are equal as much as they are not; and this is in every religion.
In the Islamic faith, Muslim women are required to dress modestly by God. In the Qur’an, God speaks directly to all Muslim women and says “...guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment (The Qur’an 24:31)”. Muslim women have to wear a hijab, or a head covering, when they are in public places and when they are around men who are not close relatives. In fact, countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar have a mandatory dress code enforced. Muslim women in these countries have to wear a hijab and an abaya, or a full-length, loose fitting garment on top of their clothes. Although God requires Muslim women to dress modestly and Saudi Arabia and Qatar have a dress code, it is entirely their choice on what they would like to wear.
The prophet, Muhammad, said that “The pursuit of knowledge is a duty of every Muslim, man and woman,” this gave people the motivation to educate themselves, regardless of their gender, which was originally frowned upon (Angha). Since women are now able to educated themselves, they have the necessary knowledge to take advantage of their new freedom, joining the workforce. By joining the workforce women in the Islamic culture can really feel a sense of freedom because they are no longer expected to just sit at home and take care of the house and children, while their husband is at work. Women’s education and work abilities also helps further push for equality and allows them to join “reformist efforts to challenge the control of the male clerical elite over social life” (Fisher). The women in the Islamic culture have become empowered to make changes by being allowed to gain further education. In pre-Islam, women could not purchase their own property, but with women not being able to work, they would have never had the funds to purchase the properties. Today in Islam, women can work and use the money to purchase their own property, another step in making women equal to
Women who have the misfortune of living in predominately Muslim societies often are confronted with adversities concerning their rights in marriage, divorce, education, and seclusion. Consequently, many Westerners seeing a lack of equality towards women in these societies consider it as a confirmation of their own misconceptions about Islam itself. Islam is often rejected as being an intolerant and violent religion that discriminates against and subjugates women, treating them as second-class citizens. From a Muslim’s perspective, Islam’s stance on women can be approached by two opposing views. Scholars amongst the Muslim apologists have claimed, “The verses in the Qur’an represented Muhammad's intention to improve a debased condition of women that prevailed during the Jahiliya, the time of ignorance before Islam came into being.” (Doumato, 177) If inequalities still exist between men and women, they cannot be attributed to Islam, but are a result of the misinterpretation of Islam’s true meaning. Others have entirely denied the notion of inequality between men and women in Islam, claiming that the alleged inequalities “are merely perceived as such by foreign observers who confuse seclusion and sex difference with inequality.” (Ibid.) Many Muslim apologists defend the Koran as noble for the very fact that it raises women to an equal status of men despite their inferiority.