In recent years, a small piece of cloth has managed to cause quite a stir. The scarf, or hijab,

When I was first introduced to the topic of France’s ban on the veil, I disagreed with the law. I took a position based on my customs as an American citizen which differs completely to those of France. International critics began to argue that France is violating what people call “Freedom of Religion”, which I agreed with at first. As a foreigner from America, I am accustomed to the American governments definition of freedom of religion. Protected by the First Amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof: or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” (Religious Freedom). You can express your religion in public, during church, mass, or religious meetings. So the presence of religious items such as the

Muslim women living in North America and Europe often face scrutiny over their choice to wear the veil, even though many Western people do not fully understand the practice.

“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)

Having lived my whole life by the teachings of the Islamic faith, I understand the appreciations and values associated with the Hijab. However, also living in Canada, a pro-western society, I also see how some might see it as an oppression set upon Muslim women; objectively isolating them from the rest of society. I believe that the Hijab means much more than just a piece of cloth covering a woman’s hair. It represents their identity and their pride. It is considered to be the flag of their way of life, their religion. Unfortunately, people of other cultures see it as a horrific tradition of the past that degrades a woman’s rights and freedoms.

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

Religion is a part of life for millions of people around the world and can often define a person and their way of living. While some countries solely recognise a religion through cohesion of religion and state, other countries are secular, having a definite separation between church and state affairs. It is often the lack of separation between these two ideologies, which causes conflict amongst people, groups and sometimes countries, clearly showing defects in the relationships of various factions of society. April 2011 saw a controversial law come into effect, known as the ‘Burqa Ban’, which prohibits the wearing of the full-face burqa in public places. In the present day and specific to Islam in France, religion and the state are in conflict with one another on the issue of wearing religious symbols in public. In a secular country where a minority religion struggles to define itself, it seems

Muslim women all throughout the world are being discriminated against because of the clothing that they wear. After recent terrorist attacks, the stigma of Muslims being terrorists has become even more apparent. This has led to multiple harassments and hate crimes against Muslim women, primarily in Western countries. The discrimination has become so bad that some are suggesting that women who practice Islam shouldn’t wear hijabs or other veils while in public. It sounds like a great solution, but, in a way, would also violate their rights of religion. There’s also the fact that women in hijabs are viewed as being controlled by men. However, there are many Muslim women who are very independent and are not wearing the veils because a man told them to do so.

The niqab dress wear has recently been controversial topic in Canada. The topic targets beauty and the body, and more precisely the topic of politicization of the body (which is the political status of the body) 1. The issue is due to its wear during citizenship ceremonies in Canada. The niqab however, is part of a much larger debate, than what is it given credit for. First of all, the niqab wear is not a formal sanction placed upon by religion as people may believe and is instead based on culture. Secondly, the wearing of the niqab is seen as a way of gaining control over one’s identity. Finally, wearing the niqab is a way to show freedom of expression to the world.

During the mid-1970’s, the process of veiling in Islamic countries such as Egypt and Iran became highly controversial. The veil became the center of intense political debate throughout the countries, creating political tension among the citizens on opposing sides of the argument. Like many other political issues, there was more than one side to the argument. There were various political groups including Liberal Feminists, Islamic Feminists, and Class Feminists, to name a few, who each had their own opinions on the process of veiling. This paper will go in depth on the arguments regarding the process of veiling and my own personal argument in favor of the Liberal Feminist ideology in regards to this debate.

The wearing of niqab has been a divisive topic of discussion in Australia. We should all know that respecting all cultural traditions is important, which also includes niqab. Women cover their faces for “cultural reasons.” If they have worn it since they were little then they might feel uncomfortable when they take it off. Muslim women have the privilege to choose what they wear and what they don’t.

Some of the woman in Iran are uneducated of the deeper meaning of the veil that they are told to wear. Consequently people are confused about why they wear out everyday, like Marji. Marji does not know if she should embrace the veil because “deep down [she is] very religious but [her] family [is] very modern.” In her Ted Talk, Attiya Latif explains how “[she] has been wearing the hijab or headscarf since sixth grade of [her] own volition”.

Marjane’s mother was a revolutionary woman; she stood up for herself and the right of other Iranians; she had chosen not to wear the veil once and as a result she was “insulted (...) And [told] that woman like [her] should be pushed up against a wall and fucked”(74/4). Satrapi describes this horrifying situation in a series of small panels that fill up the entire page, she does this to depict how dramatic yet quick the event unfolded. The simple act of punishing women for not wearing a simple piece of clothing is in itself oppressive, seeing as the veil restrained women from fully expressing themselves. The veil influenced Marjane to do certain things in life and it made her feel a certain way, which is why the “religious” piece of clothing is extremely significant to Iranian women, whether it be in negative or positive way.

A Look Behind the Veil by Elizabeth and Robert Fernea states “ The thousands of words written about the appearance and disappearance of the veil and of purdah do little help us understand the Middle East or the cultures that grew out of the same Judeo-Christian roots as our own(para 3, pdf)”. Christians look down on Hindu and Islamic Groups by believing in a false sense of equality and treatment of others. This comes from how women in both cultures dress. Christian women are free to wear whatever they choose. Muslims women have the option to wear a scarf to cover their hair or hijab as referred to in Arabic. Christian culture tends to look at this as if it oppressive as losing a sense of fashion, identity, and expression. In reality, women have a choice whether to wear the hijab or not and if they do some places cater to their needs. A salon only for women called Le’Jemalink owned by Huda Quhushi is open to letting Muslim women express themselves in a space to get pampered and relax similar to things that Christian women do such as painting their nails, but making them okay to partake in in Islamic culture(Facebook, Now This,2016, Christianity video). Freedom of expression comes in different forms as others try to adapt the forms of western Christianity to fit in and educate others about other beliefs harmonizing for the greater

Even the headscarf (or Hijab as it is called) worn by Muslim women became a topic of conversation on two fronts – link to terrorism and not adhering to norms. The Muslim religion believes in modesty and that a woman should not show her bare skin to those outside their family which is one reason the Hijab is worn. It is out of respect for the beliefs of their religion. In the United States there is a culture of being free to express yourself whether it is in your religion, speech, what you wear, or what color you dye your hair. Some feel that wearing a Hijab means they are hiding something or that they are a terrorist. Some may feel that Muslim women are meek as the scarf is a symbol of adhering to views that are not considered modern or

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