Muslim Women Face Veil

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.

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

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.

Everyone has rights and freedoms, and we all want those to be respected. For Muslim women, the burqa is a way to feel safe and protected. They feel less likely to be sexually assaulted when they are out in public. Many of these women believe only their husbands should see their body, and they have the right to believe this. A woman should be allowed to choose what she wears and how much of her body is revealed to others. Many women go out into public with very little clothing on, so Muslim women should be allowed to go out covered with a burqa. Muslim women are bringing harm to no one by wearing a burqa. Everyone is comfortable in different things, and we would not want anyone telling us we cannot wear a hoodie if we are cold or a hat. This is the same thing as telling Muslim women that they cannot wear a burqa.

The hijab and niqab are headscarves that are worn by Muslim women. The hijab is a veil covering worn by Muslim women to cover themselves within the public and it is to represent their faith the Islam while being modest (Litchmore, 2016). Another popular article of clothing that is in the Muslim community is the niqab which is like the hijab except the woman would cover their face as well, with the same purpose as the hijab. According to the Survey of Muslims in Canada 2016, over half of the Muslim population choose to wear some sort of headscarf. There are many reasons why Muslim women choose to wear the hijab or niqab, such as it represents their devotion to Islam. But most importantly it is a symbol of modesty for these women and is part of their identity.

What is oppression? By definition, it is an unjust exercise of authority by the government, limiting one’s liberty to do what one desires. The niqab is a cultural practice that predates Islam and not a religious obligation. Ironically though as it may seem, the niqab is not a sign of oppression. The Canadian ministry of immigration mentioned the hijab to be a ‘misrepresentation of the Canadians’, however the then prime minister, Stephen Harper mentions it to be a niqab- most probably to strong arm his case. A niqab and a hijab are two different items of covering oneself. The primary covers the entire body as well as the face only allowing for the eyes to be seen, whereas the latter is a medium to cover the head and face except the eyes. Many Muslim women find the two an appropriate way to mark and create their identity.

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

Often women were abused by their husbands and the burka would hide the damage the husband did to his wife. Since the only way for women to get out of a relationship was through proving they were abused it was nearly impossible for them to prove they were abused. But if a woman felt that she could prove her case she would go in front of a court to prove her circumstances. The man’s word was thought to be more reliable, however, so the woman would not be allowed to get the divorce unless her case was proven. Even in some cases when the woman proved her abuse the court would side with the man. This just goes to show just how much power a man in Muslim society had over his wife. If a woman tried to beat her husband, however, they would get in trouble with the law. They would often be beaten to death if these rules were not satisfied. The man was also able to divorce the woman in these circumstances as well because the men’s wishes were granted in many marriages because of their superiority. When a man would divorce his wife though it was a major issue for the woman because she would be left with no land and

A veil is a piece of sheer material worn by women to conceal their faces, that very piece of material symbolizes sacredness. In traditional Christian religion the veil is worn by the bride in white on her wedding day as she approaches her groom at the alter. He uncovers her face at the end of the ceremony and they kiss. Once that tradition is done the bride and the groom live their lives together without her ever having to wear the veil again. However, In the Muslim religion predominantly in Saudi Arabia the veil is also considered sacred, but used for different purposes. For the women of Saudi Arabia wearing the veil is part of their everyday life. In fact it is forbidden for them not to wear it, their veil is worn routinely. The women of Saudi should know that living behind the veil is a form of abuse toward them. A life in front of the veil is more enjoyable and liberating. Just because they walk in the street without their veil does not make them promiscuous nor should they be punished for it.

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

Here in the United States, some individuals think that by wearing a hijab you are you enforcing the belief that Muslim women are being forced to wear one despite the reason that some of these women wear it’s a sign of freedom. Therefore, it appears that to some women, the veil is unjust; while other women feel it is not unjust but a decision they made on their own in dedication to their religion. Still, for many women especially the ones in Western countries, they have no choice and for that reason alone, they are being made to wear a

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.

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