Niqab Symbolism

Another aspect of the veil is the identity value, many women from different countries affirmed they feel that the veil is part of them; it is so important for them that “many women […] feel self-conscious, vulnerable, and even naked when they first walked on a public street without the veil […] as if they were making a display of themselves” – paragraph 22

With the recent interest of the media on the topic of hijab and the oppressive symbol that it is portrayed to be, I have decided to write my paper on the hijab and what it means to various Muslim women. This topic is important and worth studying because most of the information that is relayed about the hijab by the media is not based on the opinion of Muslim women who actually wear the hijab in North America. Currently, feminists around the world have started a campaign for a “#nohijabday.” Although this movement initially began in order to speak out against the Iranian government for forcing Iranian women to don the hijab, it quickly spiraled out of control on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. This event has led to an influx

The anticipated law, whose purpose is to ban the use of the burqa and veil, finally took place in France. The ban started within school, and expanded into a restriction within the entire country. France drew international attention, questions, and opinions on the justification of this new law. Even though France’s main response to their justification of the ban is to preserve the French culture, the law also positively addresses other problems such as: religious freedom, public safety, and women’s rights.

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

First of all, women are forced to wear niqabs wherever they go in public. A niqab is a veil that women wear that covers every part of their body except for

“I wear it to work. I wear it to school,” she told The Signal about her niqab. “Many people have this misconception that, as Muslim women, we’re oppressed or forced to wear it. For me, it’s a choice. My parents never forced me to wear it.”

Neil MacDonald’s article on the issue with Canadian politics is filled with the richest form of sarcasm that pinpoints exactly how juvenile this topic truly is. In my article that I choose, MacDonald takes a look at the issue of the nigab and other Muslim related topics and how the current Canadian politics is strategically creating an invisible barrier between Muslims and Canadians. I will first start off with a brief summary of the article followed by how Edward Said and Jasmine Zine discuss what is currently happening with the niqab.

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.

Ruby Hamad’s article, published on the 27th of October, 2014 was discussing the three men from the group “Faceless”, who walked into parliament house on the 26th of October, 2014 wearing a motorcycle helmet, a Niqab and a Klu Klux clan outfit. Their argument was that allowing women into parliament wearing a niqab or burka was sexist and a privilege towards these women.

More than a few people believe it to be about sexual repression and making sure that the only man that is allowed to look at a woman is her husband. That is not true for many Muslim women. For some, it is to worn to express modesty and their devotion to God. Some women choose not to wear them because it is completely their choice. Whether it is based on prejudice or the disbelief that a non-English speaking country could allow its women this basic freedom, some Americans choose to not believe this. The lives of Muslim women became the focus of inaccurate Subject Appropriation, which is when an “outsider represents members or aspects of another culture” (Young

One of the main disputes in the battle of Islamic women’s rights is the conflict over dress. According to a popular Islamic leader and Egyptian television personality, the sight of women is so alluring that it can be “intolerably distracting to men” and can “even

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.

Identity is based off of self awareness. A sense of identity helps orients oneself in where they belong in the world as well as helps distinguish one’s self from others.We connect appearance to an expression of identity. Dr. Rachel Anderson Droogsma, Assistant Professor of Speech Communication at Minnesota State University, “Redefining Hijab: American Muslim Women’s Standpoints on Veiling”, in the Journal of Applied Communication Research, “Clothing plays a vital role in displaying one’s identity to others (Arthur, 2001); it acts as ‘‘a kind of visual metaphor for identity’’ that works to relieve the identity ambivalences in Western culture ((F. Davis, 1992, p. 25).”(qtd in Anderson 295). Our clothing is one of our many statements to the world

An individual’s identity can differ depending on several different physical and biological factors including sexuality, gender, age and class. Throughout Ruby Tabassum’s article entitled Listening to the Voices of Hijab, identity is related to gender in a number of ways. I have decided to discuss this specific article because the idea of how femininity is portrayed is a significant aspect of Canadian culture nowadays. I am also interested in focusing on how the identities of Muslim women are recognized in society and how individuals interpret the meaning behind wearing the hijab. Throughout this article, I have distinguished several different reasons for wearing