Among recent years, the Hijab or, the veil, has been the subject of much controversy. Whether the controversy is in the French government controlling when and where women can wear the headscarf, sighting security concerns, or feminist stating the hijab is a form of oppression. None of the opponents to the hijab taken the time to explain what it is. They have only express displeasure of the garments use. I say garments because the word hijab is often used as an umbrella term; to describe the many types of coverings Muslim women wear. Some of these coverings include: the Khimar- a scarf that wraps around the head covering the neck and shoulders but it leaves the face unveiled. The Chador- a cloak that wraps around the head like a khimar but …show more content…
Others wear it to communicate their political alliance with the country of origin and to challenge prejudices. Others still wear the hijab because they believe Allah has commanded women to wear it. The garment is a personal choice and is made to reflect their devotion to Islam. This leads into misconception the West has about the hijab. The veil is not obligatory; Islamic women choose to wear the hijab. Below is a complete translation of Surah 24: 31; a verse from the Qur'an that address …show more content…
Most Islamic scholars agree that when a woman is wearing the hijab, her head neck ears and shoulders should be covered and in front of unrelated men (Muslim or non-Muslim), a women must cover. Unfortunately this is where the general consensus ends. Some scholars believe that everything except a woman's face, hands, and feet are awarh- an Arabic word referring to the parts of the body that should be covered by clothing. Other disagree. Some say that women should cover in front of non-Muslim women to keep them from describing the appearance of the hijab wearer to men. Other disagree and say the if the non Muslim is trustworthy then the women could reveal as much as she would in front of another Muslim woman in her presence. Muslim Scholars accept that's for a man everything between the Naval and the knee is awarh and should be
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
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 ...
There are many different views towards Muslim choice of clothing especially wearing the veil. “I wear it believing it is necessary, but someone else can be wearing it believing that she is doing something extra” said Hamna Ahmed. One of the many reasons a Muslim can be wearing the veil are their own personal decisions too. Hamna has been wearing it for seven years now, despite her mother and three of her four sisters staying uncovered. Socially this causes an issue with the meaning of the veil and conflict with other groups. With many different consumptions of religion, what it means, what is considered to be practicing and what is not can lead to negative misunderstandings. Ultimately the decisions are up to the individuals although; there is likely to be misinterpretation between the meaningfulness of religion to family and society. On an even bigger scale of things this could also impact society and it...
Most of these things it is possible to see through the analysis of the situation that exists in practice and analysis of several court cases. In France, for years women with Hijab encounter problems, both in education and in ...
One interesting facts I learned from reading about the Muslim faith is that a folkway they have is to dress modestly. I did know that they had to dress with cloths covering their body, even the men always have pants on never shorts, and the women have a scarf covering their head. However, I did not know that the headscarf for women is optional,
Hijab is a choice that some women or girls make for their own security, for more privacy, or because it makes them feel comfortable and confident about themselves. It should be a choice though, and as it is not proven to us that it is obligatory, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan should remove their laws that insist every girl puts the veil on. Freedom of choice should be given in these countries. It is not required in Islam so it shouldn’t be forced on anyone anywhere. In addition to this, Islam’s beauty is it’s freedom, the choice it provides you with, let it not be ruined.
In addition, Muslim women wear Hijab/ Veils because they are a part of some Muslim women’s identity. Muslim women want to practice their religion and show the public that they belong to Islam. Any woman who wears Hijab/Veils can be easily considered that she is Muslim. Muslim women do not want to change themselves because of globalization. They assert that women have their freedom to wear what is comfortable for them.
The hijab is supposed to mean modesty, not just the article of clothing that women are supposed to wear (“WHAT). The hijab is not to cover up themselves so they do not take the “spotlight” away from the males and so they don’t distract the males. The hijab is to show modesty and humility. The women are devoting themselves to their God as a form of modesty. The Koran says that both women and men should be modest, they hijab is not worn because the Koran says that
Women are not allowed to leave the house unless they are completely covered from head to toe and if they are accompanied by a close male relative or if they have their permission. In many countries this means that a woman must wear a veil or a headscarf. Examples of these are burqa and abaya, which are head-to-toe garments. Veiling may not seem like an issue, but it is.
It is worn on the head, it also covers the neck and chest. Mostly seen in the Middle East, they are traditionally worn by Muslim woman in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family. Worn for modesty and privacy. Hijabs can be used to refer to the seclusion of women from men
The hijab is a very important and powerful Muslim symbol that is worn by billions of Muslim women all over the world. Many wear the hijab as a symbol of faith, while others wear it to protect themselves from society’s expectations of women. Some people think that banning the use of the hijab in public is a violation of freedom of religion and freedom of expression. However, others think the banning of the hijab is a necessary precaution. The wearing of the Muslim hijab should be banned in public because it is impractical, Muslims use it to separate themselves from society, and it is a security risk.
Within the Middle East, the largest population of the men and women are Muslim. The Muslim religion suggests that women wear a veil or hijab, which is a head scarf that only exposes a woman’s eyes, accompanied by a burqa which is a full body cloak. The sole purpose of the clothing is to cover a woman’s feminine features from men’s eyes. The Qur’an, an Islamic scripture, supports and slightly obligates the uniform by saying that women are to be conservative, “let them wear their head covering over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments.” (Qur’an).
Why do Muslim women cover their head? Because wearing hijab identifies us as a Muslim. Wearing hijab identifies me as a Muslim, no matter where I am, people immediately know what I believe in. Muslim women wear hijab in order to gain respect from others and also because it is an order from their Lord. (Quran 33:59) A Muslim woman who covers her head is making a statement about her identity. The hijab is regarded like an indication of dig...
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.
I hope that with this understanding in mind, Muslims and non-Muslims, both men and women can start a process of communication and dialogue in order to remove misconceptions, suspicions, and fears. So as you can see, there are many challenges for today's Muslim woman whether in the westernized world or in traditional societies. Through internal and external dialogue, I am confident we will find the ways to remain true to the Shariah and Sunnah and contribute to the world today.