Muslim Women in Western Culture

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.

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

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.

unequally in marriage, in court, and in society. Difficulty through marriage for Muslim women can come from age, divorce, and having to be subservient to their husbands. Not only is there difficulty in marriage, but also in the unequal treatment in the islamic justice systems, such as when “evidence given by a female witness counts for half that given by a man” (Dargie 22). Although the societies of major Islamic countries differ, it is clear that women are not represented equally to men in any of them, for example having to dress and act certain ways so as not to attract any attention from men. However, there are Islamic women who are willing to change how their religion views females by speaking out and encouraging others to do the same.

Some Muslim women believe that although the principles of modesty are clearly outlined in the Qu’ran, they perceive the wearing of the headscarf as a cultural interpretation of these scriptures. These women sometimes believe that the values espoused by the wearing of the headscarf can be achieved in other ways. Some women believe that while the hijab allowed women in the past to engage in public society without garnering attention, the headscarf in contemporary Western society brings more attention to women and is thus contradictory to its original purpose. Others believe that the hijab and other external practices have become inappropriately central to the practice of Islam, and instead choose to focus on their internal and spiritual relationship with God.While some women might choose not to wear the hijab, most Muslim women agree that it is a woman’s choice whether or not she wears the hijab. Many Muslim and Arab women who have chosen not to wear the hijab are often staunch advocates of a woman’s right to choose to

Though I concede that the American Hijab may have oppressive aspects, I still insist that religious and personal freedom should not concede to societal pressures to conform due to cultural stereotypes. If American Muslim women let America take away their choice to wear the hijab for the sake of societal comfort and personal agenda, this would be submitting to an act of terrorism,the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims. America stands by its impermeable rule, We do not negotiate with terrorists, and I don’t believe that citizens should have to negotiate and compromise their identity. The fundamental beliefs of this nation are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This does not mean that all

Throughout Deveiling Body Stories: Muslim Girls Negotiate Visual, Spatial and Ethical Hijabs by Manal Hamzeh, she examines the lives of four young Muslim girls named Layla, Amy, Douja, and Abby, and how the hijabs affect each of them. The girl’s ages ranged from fourteen to seventeen and she met with them over a period of fourteen months. Hamzeh was able to acquire a lot of interesting information about the girls and their lives at home.

Despite many Muslim American women openly declaring that their choice to don a hijab is a celebration of their personal identity, some American feminists believe that hijabs embody Islamic oppression through forcing overly conservative fashion on women (Haddad 261-262). These feminists fail to understand the nuances of the mid-twentieth century Islamic revival, which occurred as a response to many Muslim-majority countries beginning to westernize through the adoption of western fashion and the consumption of alcohol. During the revival, many Muslim women throughout the world began to revert back to traditional Islamic customs, such as wearing a hijab. This open acceptance of religious tradition allowed these women to reaffirm their faith and have a constant reminder of how their personal identities align with their spiritual beliefs (Gomaa).

Headscarves are an essential part of a Muslim woman’s identity, due to its representational value of her religious credence. Normals within this context, are the people within society who do not subscribe to the Islamic faith. When they interact with Muslim women they perceive what Goffman referred to as a virtual identity, this is a preconceived notion of a person’s attributes generated by external influences. Concerning Muslim women, they may be attributed to being violent, repressive and threatening to society. In turn, attributes like these have compelled countries like France, Belgium and the Netherlands to place a ban on the Burqa (Reference). What normals cannot typically understand is that these women are ordinary human beings, their

“A Christian guy came in at work and asked why I wear the hijab. I said because Mary, the mother of Jesus is my role model.” --Fatima a young Muslim tweeted. Wearing the hijab and the niqab was something that started long before our time. Yet it is currently a heated debate in many countries. The niqab and hijab Muslim women wear on their heads is making headlines around the world (Stacey). The niqab or the hijab is not worn for tradition belief nor is it worn by force; it is worn for religious beliefs and on a women’s own will. For the past few years countries like Canada, United States and France are trying to stop Muslim women from wearing the niqab. However Muslim

As a result of past governments led by fundamentalist Muslims, Western feminists have taken the issue of the headscarf into their own hands. The feminist movement regarding Islamic head coverings began in response to their belief that Muslim women are being oppressed. Although many people have been convinced that all women are continually being forced to cover their bodies and faces, this belief is far from the truth. Throughout the worldwide Muslim population, a majority of Muslim women who wear any kind of head coverings do so out of their own will. There have been select governments that have enforced headscarves, but today women have the choice left to themselves. Even though many Muslim women have spoken out to Western feminists to ensure

Around the world the hijab, niqab, burqa, and other veils Muslim women wear are being criticized and made into news stories and or debates about whether Muslim women should be allowed to veil. Muslim Women are taking a stand against Western critiques of veiling by breaking down the critiques positioned by the West and Western feminists; in addition Muslim women are expressing autonomy and their self-determination for their right to choose to veil which leads to critiquing power of the state. (Ferrero)This essay will first outline the critiques of veiling and their historical context, then move to discuss how specific Muslim women see their lives and express their self-determination and finally the essay will conclude will an overall view of how Muslim women are critiquing the power of the state in order to control decisions regarding their

It did not occur to me that the women would want to wear them and felt as if they were protected and had a sense of closeness to their religion from them (Croucher, 2008). My ignorance of how Muslim women felt about wearing the head garments contributed to the idea that Muslim men oppress Muslim women. In class, we discussed how being educated about Islam allowed us to think outside the stereotype that Muslim men oppressed their women. Although many of the Muslim women want to wear head garments, there are still some that do not and France’s ban protects these women from being harmed or persecuted by those who disagree (Body-Gendrot, 2007). One of the articles mentioned that some of the women began wearing head garments because when traveling through certain areas of the city, they would be attacked if they were not wearing one (Wyatt, 2003). Women should not be subjected to crime just because they do not cover up a part of their body. Therefore, I was fine with France’s ban because it protected those that could not protect themselves. However, there are more women who want to wear head garments compared to those who do not, and because the majority of the women want to wear them, they are protesting the

Though I concede that the American Hijab may have oppressive aspects, I still insist that religious and personal freedom should not concede to societal pressures to conform due to cultural stereotypes. If American Muslim women let America take away their choice to wear the hijab for the sake of societal comfort and personal agenda, this would be submitting to an act of terrorism,the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims. America stands by its impermeable rule, We do not negotiate with terrorists, and I don’t believe that citizens should have to negotiate and compromise their identity. The fundamental beliefs of this nation is the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This does not mean that all “pursuits

Coming the 19th century, a new type of clothing made its way to the Muslim society, this being the veil. A veil is a piece of more or less transparent material, used to conceal a woman's face and head (“Veil”). After the acceptance of the veil into society, the initial use was to protect women and their modesty and virtue. However, as time went on, the veil became more of a tool for Muslims to express their cultural identity. There are multiple different types of veils, or hijabs, including the Khimar, Chador, Niqāb, and the Burqa (“What is the Hijab and Why do Women Wear it?”). Even though they are different, they all serve the same purpose of protecting women and their modesty and virtue.