Essay On Burqa

There has been debates about whether the Islamic face veil should be banned in countries. The arguments that governments of countries that have banned the Muslim face veil (France, Syria, Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium) argue that the full-face veil is oppressive, degrading towards women, and goes against values of each country. However, many Muslim women believe otherwise and strongly disagree with the banning of the veil. I strongly believe that the Islamic face veil should not be banned because it is a complete violation of religious and expressive freedom and forces them to conform to an alternative culture.

Since the incident of 9/11 occurred, many people have debated over the Muslim faith and its practices. Muslim extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS have affected the name of Islam causing majority of Muslims to be blamed. Recently, a tragic event that occurred in Paris killing over a hundred people left the people of France shaken with fear and anger. These events have lead to an increasing amount of hate and tension towards Muslims all over the world from protests at mosques, where Muslims go to pray, and anti-Muslim rally’s. Islamophobia is a massive issue that has steered European counties like France to enforce laws that ban religious garments that Muslims wear such as the niqab and burqa. Some people perceive these garments to be

Within the Middle East, the largest population of the men and women are Muslim. The Muslim religion suggests that the women wear a veil or hijab, which is a headscarf 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). Muslim women, instead of feeling oppressed, view this as a positive aspect in their lives, influenced by their devotion to Allah. Their acceptance could be influenced by their

Abayas, shailas, burkas, and chadors: all are forms of veiling in the Middle East, and all are perceived as symbols of oppression and patriarchy by the West. The veil worn by a Middle Eastern woman is striking and beautiful in its simplicity and elegance. The hijab, the most common form of veiling, leaves only the face visible with the neck and hair completely covered. Onlookers are in awe at the mystery and symbolism associated with the many veils created out of fine, exotic silk. But such notions of oppression and patriarchy often associated with veiling are not only inherently biased and ironic – it would be interesting to explore the symbolism behind a mini-skirt or a pair of five-inch heels, no? – but they are also inaccurate. Although veiling has most definitely been used in the Middle East as a “mechanism in the service of patriarchy, a means of regulating and controlling women’s lives” (Hoodfar, 5), it has also been used as a mode for rebellion and self-expression. Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian woman who grew up during the Islamic revolution, resisted the regime and the universalizing nature of the veil in the hope that she could maintain her individual identity whilst communicating her political ideologies. By examining the way in which the veil is represented in Satrapi’s graphic memoir, Persepolis, while also considering the history of veiling in Iran, it will become evident that the veil is not just a political tool used by male chauvinists; it also presents an

. The wearing of burqa has become contested in European nations for reasons of security and identification but also as a challenge to women's rights from both sides of the fence . Opponents argue that it is from an oppressive patriarchal culture that makes women cover up, though for many Muslim women they feel it is their choice to wear it for religious reasons and stopping them doing so is impacting their rights. Groups both in the West and those that oppose the west have presented ideas about the nature of Muslims to support their cause, this comprising of being highly aggressive, opposed to liberty,unafraid of death being prepared to go to any lengths to achieve their objectives. These ideas mean immigration within the west has become highly contested especially since the recession for economic , social and security reasons, and a fear about immigrants has been created that is not beneficial to moving forward . An article in the Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) polled attitudes towards muslims and found that they were more favourable when groups met and discussed their points of view, they found that it led to a greater understanding and reduced

The article Behind the Ban by Ash Garton Timothy argues in his opinion women in France should be able to make their own choice of wearing burkas even though it is unnecessary. Ash states three arguments in his article which are that burkas are a threat to public safety, criminals can be wearing burkas to cause harm, and burkas attract voter back from the xenophobic far right. Many people may think that these women fathers and husbands make them wear these to not show anything, but in reality the women feel more comfortable with them. Ash explains that a study done by the Open Society Foundation, “Report in-depth interviews with 32 women who wear the full- face veil in France. All but two say they are the first members of their family to do so, and almost all insist this was a matter of free personal choice” (Ash). Almost all the women in France say that they wear the burkas for their spiritual journey; it is their way of protesting for their sexuality. Ash states from Vivi, 39, South of France, “‘For us it’s a way of saying that we are not a piece of meat in a stall, we are not commodity’” (Ash). Getting treated like a product is something really hurtful. No matter what race you are everyone should have respect for each other. Concluding he say “Let us defend free speech against violent Islamist intimidation” (Ash). If someone is not white it does not mean that they are criminals or are capable of cause

The banning of the burqa has become an issue in many places, including France. The French Parliament has decided it is time to ban the burqa in public. They believe is a sign of the subjugation and submission of women to males. Some believe it is used to cover up abuse and they also believe it is unfair to the public that citizens cannot see the women’s faces. However it is unfair for these women to be banned from wearing what they choose as just everyone else does.The banning of the burqa should not be allowed because it is discriminatory towards Muslim women and violates their freedom of religion and their freedom to express themselves.

Multiculturalism has always been perceived as one of the integral components of Canadian Culture . Under the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, Canadian citizens are free to exercise their religious and cultural practices . However, niqab ban takes effect in some public aspects of Canada . Supporters of the ban believes that wearing niqab is not a part of the Canadian Culture and should be banned in order to free Muslim Women from oppression . Niqab ban, however, infringes on the religious and cultural freedom instilled in the Canadian Multiculturalism Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom and is unlawful . A careful examination on Canadian culture and laws, the origins and arguments of the ban, and its implications is needed in order to further understand the issue.

Culture permeates every part of life. As Americans, maybe this is harder to see. Yet, everything from the way we talk to what we choose to wear is the result of culture. This makes it vital to understand that many things have a cultural significance. Abu-Lughod expresses her dismay over the “obsession with the plight of Muslim women” being focused on the burqa (209). Many people have adopted the burqa as the symbol of the oppression of Muslim women. Yet, the burqa is simply a form of covering originally specific to the Pashtun people. Each form of covering is part of the Islamic religion. Each holds significance for the community that wears it. The purpose of women wearing a veil of any kind is to “assure their protection in the public sphere from the harassment of

A nun can be covered from head to toe in order to devote herself to god. But when a Muslim woman does the same she is being oppressed. It may be argued that wearing a burqa benefits only a few and brings more harm than good to society. The real question is who does it harm? That should be the basis for banning this piece of clothing, not one based on fear or an arguably feeble argument that the women do not have a choice. To say that a ban on a specific item like this is undemocratic is an understatement. Following the French senate’s unanimous vote in favour of banning the burqa in late 2010, many European and western countries including Belgium and Spain have made the decision to take the

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). It could be inferred that women wear the burqa and veil willingly because of their geographical location. However, when Muslim women are withdrawn from the Middle East, and are placed

The wearing of a hijab or also known as a veil has lately become a problematic issue in numerous locations around the world, in particularly the Western part of the world. Hijab or veil is a headscarf that is regularly worn by Muslim women. Muslim women will wear a veil as a sign of favor to their faith. On the opposite side, others will wear it because they have no other choice from the pressure of their family members and religion. Individuals will even argue that the wearing of a hijab is a spiritual liberation. Other individuals will have a difference in opinion by saying that by wearing a hijab is an unjust to women, they believe that the wearing of a hijab is part of a Muslim system that brings women under command and control.

Burqa bans are unlawfully stripping Muslim women of their right to follow and show their commitment to their religion. Many countries in the United Nations are beginning to put a nationwide ban on wearing burqas in public. This restricts Islamic women by giving them the choice to either defy their religion, or stay inside their house and not get anything done. Not only does this restrict daily activities, but it makes it challenging for islamic women to get a quality education. Overall, countries are putting a national ban on niqabs, forcing muslim women to betray their religious beliefs in order to perform simple activities.

Currently, the French want to ban the wearing of religious symbols in public schools so that there is no social tension, and to keep the main religion in France (Roman Catholicism) ‘pure’ (Gofen 63). But even though the French say they want to keep their culture pure, in reality since the world wars, religions such as Islam and Judaism have in fact become a part of their culture. Once again, the French let in other cultures knowingly, and once the cultural diversity begins, all the religions are apart of a country’s culture. An example of a religious symbol that the French are considering to ban is the Burka. A Burka is an outfit worn by Muslim females that cover them head to toe. Some, who want to ban the burka say that it is disrespectful to women and can be degrading. But, 64 million people in France are Muslim. By wearing a Burka they are just following their religion and are also following tradition (French). One other big controversy regarding religious symbols is the banning of

The hijab used as a symbol of the Muslim culture is just one characteristic of how it can be perceived; the hijab is also a sign of life, safety and personal identity (Tabassum, 2006, p. 37). Tabassum (2006) interviews an individual by the name of Raheelah who identifies the hijab as not just a piece of clothing that covers a Muslim women’s face, but also as a portrayal of themselves as a person (p. 37).