Hijab Essay The idea of the woman has evolved throughout the years. In the early 1900s, women did not have the right to vote. People like Alice Paul rallied in the Capitol, using their words to stand up against the gratuitous ruling that only men could vote. Years of women and men joining together to go against the idea that was unjust finally led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. In today’s time, an issue with Muslim women is the wearing of the hijab. In some countries, women face execution if they are seen without it on. Women outside of the Islamic culture have taken to wearing the hijab as a sign of solidarity. Their action is not actually a sign of solidarity, rather a sign of oppression. Generally, girls of the Muslim faith …show more content…
It is not a fashion item. Women who do not follow and believe in the Muslim religion should not wear something that is a sign of it. There is a chance that a Muslim woman would be offended if they see a non-Muslim woman wearing a symbol of their own faith. Additionally, Muslim women see the wearing of the hijab as a symbol that the wearer supports a side that objectifies women (Nomani). The person wearing the hijab did not intend to stand on that side, yet they have done so without knowing. They might consider it a penurious part of their religion. This is similar to a Christian woman being insulted by someone wearing a cross necklace as a fashion statement rather than a religious statement. Overall, the woman wearing the hijab might be doing more harm than good, without that being the intention of the person wearing …show more content…
In some countries like the United States, the wearing of the hijab brings out the worst in people. This is opposite of the situation in countries like Afghanistan. According to Nomani, violence has gotten so gruesome that a father beat his four year old daughter to the death because her scarf slipped. In countries like the United States, some community members might act out against innocent Muslim people because of the terrorist attacks that have been made on the United States from people of that same religion. To take out their anger, people have been seen ripping the scarf off of women, or even brutally beating them. It would not be surprising for someone to bring out a snickersnee. They might think that they are protecting the country, but really they are hurting people who are a part of it. It could threaten the safety of someone who is not a danger to the
If the author wanted to learn more about Muslim women, she should have sought them out and spent time with them — those who wear hijabs as well as those who don’t. Then, instead of speaking on behalf of Muslim women’s “unheard voice” by talking about her own hijab experiment (“My hijab silenced, but simultaneously, my hijab brought unforgettable words”), she should have asked them to share their own experiences as Muslim women. Then they would have a voice.
Despite all the values that the hijab is representing in different countries of the world, the only value that is demanded is the egalitarianism and justice value, whether a woman is wearing the veil or not, they are “calling for equal access to divorce, child custody, and inheritance; equal opportunities for education and employment; and abolition of
The issue of women in Islam is highly controversial. As a Muslim American living in the United States many times I get judged about my religion. People think that because I am a Muslim woman in America I am being restricted from many things and can’t be like every other woman in America. Islam has many similarities with other religion and it does have its differences. Being raised as a Muslim woman in America has made me the strong and independent woman I am today. I am going to be talking about my own religion that I’m well knowledgeable of. What the media shows and how people talk badly about the religion is truly ruining the religion and its true beauty. Woman in Islam are not being oppressed for anything there’s true beauty behind this
My name is Sloan Marmaduke; I am 20 years old, and I wear a hijab. Arabs in America (2016) describe a hijab, an Arabic word for “cover”, to be a veil or headscarf. I chose to wear a hijab shortly after turning 14 to express my love for the Islam faith. Wearing a hijab can be very difficult at times. When I walk in public, I sometimes find people staring at me and it makes me uncomfortable and I have this feeling that I’m not appreciated or wanted. Sometimes, I wish people would step into my shoes for a day to observe and interact with my daily lifestyle. I find myself to be a privileged woman, and I love my life but sometimes, other people’s assumptions about my life based on what I wear on my head can be unnerving.
Whether or not I wear a piece of cloth on my head does not define my relationship with my religion nor does it reflect my abandonment. What I do reflects who I am, not who my parents are, not what my gender is, and certainly not what my religion is. For me, college is not just about furthering my education. It’s a place where I get to explore who I am and how to express myself. Entering college with my hijab off will allow me to start with a blank canvas and figure out who I want to be. It will allow me to discover who I am without any backlash to people who may share an identity with me. My existence and the way I express myself is a form of resistance in a world that is judgmental of the way I look. I'm glad that I went through this journey because it made me understand that my religion is a part of who I am, whether or not I look the
“The Hijab limits me from doing certain things. When I have the Hijab on…as a Muslim woman, I consider myself basically representing the whole community” (Ruby 29). Aspects like this set this woman apart from her peers because she is now labeled as just one thing, a Muslim, when in fact she is much more than that. Women who wear the Hijab, Muhajibah, living in the western world, I believe, have it harder than they do living back home. Here, they are subject to a lot more attention when not necessary such as weird looks walking down the street and subject to stereotypes ie. being a terrorist. Islamic women are not the only ones being oppressed by their choice of clothing; in fact every woman around the world is target towards oppression. Islamic women are just targeted more than women of other religions. This is because of the strict faith that they endure from the Qu’ran telling them that they need to dress a certain way. However, it has been debated that the Qu’ran actually doesn’t mention anything about a women needing to wear a Hijab to be a good Muslim. (Kawaji)
How you choose to dress yourself shouldn’t be the main focal point of judgements that are passed on to you. Hijabs, and other garments similar to Hijabs such as Turbans, aren’t a way of oppression. They’re also not just a piece of cloth that one has decided to cover him or herself
These days everybody gets criticized by someone. It is either by a friend, a relative, or a stranger. People commonly get judged by the clothes you wear, the car you drive, accessories you have, and even the place you live in. Currently, in the United States, Muslims are being criticized for the things they wear—especially women. Most Muslim women, who live in the United States, wear scarves, also known as hijabs. Hijabs are supposed to cover the head and neck and only show the woman’s face. People conclude that the Muslim women are terrorists and try to avoid them. Today, people associate Muslims with terrorism because the terror attacks in the U.S. are mostly committed by Islam extremists; therefore, people believe all Muslim women are terrorists,
In the past, Islamic women were not granted the right to vote or join in politics, but over the years the legal status of women in Islam has relaxed and changed. Muslim women in the Middle East have the right to vote, and may join in politics. Along with this, they are permitted to have vital government jobs. (Braswell, p.155) A woman 's status , however, is not as high as a man 's is in society. They still must follow many traditional customs. An example of one custom is that women are encouraged to do is dress modestly, by wearing veils in public. (Lippman, p.38) Although Muslim men and women are not looked upon as equals in every sense, there has been a lot of improvement and many changes have been made in the women 's favor.
The author, Naheed Mustafa, starts out with two points of view others have of her, a “Muslim terrorist” or an oppressed woman (Mustafa 1). However, with these two points of view, Mustafa is suggesting that people only view her in these two ways because in their eyes a Muslim woman cannot be more. Then she introduces the hijab, a scarf which covers her neck, head, and throat, but explains that young Muslim women like her are “reinterpreting” the purpose of the hijab: give women absolute control over their bodies. According to Mustafa, the hijab does not only give women absolute control but freedom. Yet, others do not understand this concept or why a young woman who was born in a land that is free and full of opportunities like North America
Therefore, equality activists should use this argument to fight for the rights of Muslim women both in western countries and in the Muslim countries. Putting on a hijab should not be a symbol of liberation or oppression. Muslim women should be allowed to choose what to wear, because they have equal rights like any other person from any religious group. Donning the hijab should be a choice and not obligatory as many Muslim countries have made it appear to Muslim
In every country around the world, women's lives are shaped by the influences of both society and by religion. “The Quran, Islam’s holy book, mandates that women have the right to seek education, choose their own mates, work, possess and inherit wealth or property, divorce, and remarry” (Hurley 76). So despite the Quran’s clear support for women’s rights and equality, why do many people feel that Muslim women are oppressed? The hijab head covering worn by Muslim women has been in the news on and off for some time now and has been a topic of many debates. Here in America, one would feel this requirement on women as oppressive, but most Muslim women feel that this is a way to be looked at not for their beauty, but for their minds. The issues here is that people have a hard time differentiating between culture and religion, two things that are completely different but have a huge effect on each other. People also have a hard time understanding things that are different. Just because it is different than how we live, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong.
Most people have seen a woman walking down the street or in a mall clad in what appears to be scarves wrapped around her head, covering her hair, ears, and neck. In some situations these women even have a veil covering up most of their face. This is becoming a common occurrence in the United States as the Islamic population grows. Some may view this as a way to make these women subservient, making it seem like they don’t have an identity or a voice. This leaves many to wonder why they would wear such a thing in modern America where women are treated as equals and do have a voice. The truth behind the headscarf does
I think that this is an important aspect of Canadian culture for feminine identity to be recognized appropriately and respectively rather than being looked down upon. There are several stereotypes within society which makes it difficult for any female to portray themselves as decent and demonstrate morality; thus the hijab is one way for Muslim women to take advantage of its purpose and be recognized as proper as the hijab somewhat
Although Western feminism started in the 1900s, yet, it didn’t reach the Islamic world until most recently, a couple of hundred years later than the West. Despite the fact that both of the feminism movements come from totally different back grounds, and they are affected by different history and culture, still, both of them aimed for women’s best interests. Muslim women were profoundly feeling aggrieved by the discrimination they have against them. They stereotypical reputation about them in the West, and their presentation in the Western media didn’t help either. They started and supported a new fight to regain themselves the equal status they were granted by Islam centuries ago. Muslim women didn’t like to be looked at as being backward and oppressed by men in a male-dominant world. According to the feminist historian Margot Badran, “Islamic feminism is a feminist discourse and practice articulated within an Islamic paradigm. Islamic feminism, which derives its understanding and mandate from the Qur 'an, seeks rights and justice for women, and for men, in the totality of their existence.” (Badran, 2001)