The Act Of Resistance Of The Unseen

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

One of the most common human characteristics is the impulse to make sense of things by asking: why are things the way they are? Whether it’s from judgement or just plain curiosity, it’s in human nature to ask why one is wearing this or doing that. The essay "My Body is My Own Business" is written by Naheed Mustafa, a Canadian Muslim woman, who discusses the stereotypes and judgements that Muslim women in the western world are subject to because of the hijab. Mustafa talks about how it is unnecessary for women to follow the beauty standards that have been predetermined for them and also how true equality could only be achieved without women displaying themselves to the public.

One of the most controversial topics concerning Muslim women’s rights is the idea of the veil. It is believed by some Muslims that the veil is an Islamic obligation that all Muslim women must adhere to. But nowadays, the veil can have different meanings that are not necessarily religious. In her article “Reinventing the Veil,” Leila Ahmed addresses some of the different meanings that the veil can have. Marjane Satrapi explores one of those meanings in her animated autobiography Persepolis (2008). In Persepolis, Marjane tells the story of her rebellion against the Iranian Islamist regime that takes over Iran, oppresses women, and forces them to wear the veil. What was interesting to me was seeing Marjane wear the veil without being oppressed, although she does not believe in it, and is being forced to wear it. In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi escapes being a subject to the Iranian Islamist ideology by establishing her individual identity through transforming the veil from a means of oppression into a means of feminist rebellion.

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

“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.”

Many women agree that wearing a veil is as “insult” towards their rights. “We didn’t really like to wear the veil, especially because we didn’t understand why we had to,” says one of the girls at school (Satrapi 681). They complained that it was too hot and some go ahead and take them off and play with them. Some used their veil to jump rope or throw them away. “Everywhere in the streets there were demonstrations for and against the veil” (Satrapi 683). Satrapi is unsure about how she feels when wearing the veil. She states how she was “born with religion” and believes that she would be “the last prophet” ever since she was little. She has a holy book, which has the rules of the first prophet of her country, Zarathustra. She claimed life must be based on “Behave well, Speak well, Act well.” Her grandmother is the only person who knows about her holy book, which she has. The rules say that all should have cars, that maids should eat with others, and that the elderly should not have to suffer. As Satrapi’s grandma questions how she will make it so the elderly will not suffer, Satrapi states, “It will simply be forbidden (Satrapi

Zana, who was initially not very religious and wore ordinary clothes, wanted to wear the abaya to look more Muslim and refused to stop wearing it when her mom demanded her to take it off. Zana rebuffed her mother's compromise of wearing a hijab because it wouldn't allow her to wear the full abaya like she wanted. She didnt care what others thought; she only cared about her own opinion and what she thought was right. She wouldn’t give up on what she initially set out to do, embrace her Muslim culture and look more Muslim “What has begun as a Zana notion, something she might have dropped by the next day, has turned into something much bigger. Nothing brings out her stubbornness like my mother’s opposition.” (Ellis & Walters 126). It shows that Zana can sometimes drop things; however, she will also hold onto something and never give up on what she believes. Even though her and her brother were ridiculed do to her wearing it by others at her school, she kept wearing it and ignored them because she thought she was doing the right thing. “It’s Halloween. I have an excuse. What’s yours-a bad hair day? It’s better than having a bad brain year! She snapped. She was quick” (Walters & Ellis 190). This shows how she will defend herself in any situation and back up her reasoning, showing her determination. Zana sets a marvelous example of a trait that Jay should adapt into his future self,

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.

In many Muslim countries, women lack equality and basic rights as there is still social pressure for the unveiled to conform. According to people, if they don’t wear “niqab” they are not being good Muslims. Many women wish to go unveiled but cannot as in some places its illegal, and in other places they face murder, beating and other domestic violence. It is believed that if you are wearing niqab one can’t

In the text Nafisi talks about how Sanaz the main character had to changed her gestures to be unnoticed, so people who are known as the Blood of God don’t catch her small act of rebellion such as wearing a bright orange shirt underneath her black robe.”It is her best interest not to be seen, not be heard or noticed”(Nafisi 82). This paints a picture that shows how women in Iran had their freedom taken away from them, even though they’re ancestors and they, themselves were born with it. Nafisi also made a point about how people are brainwashed into believing that being tell what they could wear and could not wear was what freedom looked like.”...quotations from Khomeini and a group called the Party of God: MEN WHO WEAR TIES ARE U.S LACKEYS. VEILING IS A WOMAN’S PROTECTION”(Nafisi 82). This clearly demonstrates how women are brainwashed into

Sometimes it’s something so small and simple that can make all the difference. Take for example when a women can alter a drab black dress into a drop dead, “girl where did you get that outfit moment”. Sarah Mower’s, article ‘ A Passion For Detail’, written in Harper Bazaar magazine circa 1994 explores her personal journey from grunge and an answer to a calling for a skinny black belt(Mower) which initiated her to once again ‘feel like a girl again (Mower).

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

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

Imane Boudlal, a worker at the Storytellers Café, decided to wear a headscarf due to a religious celebration of her culture called Ramadan. Her superiors told her to remove the headscarf, or to work backstage where customers couldn’t see her. These requests showed the power distance between her culture and the American culture because they wanted to display that the American culture predominated in that place. Therefore, asking her to hide her cultural beliefs from the rest demonstrates that her culture is inferior and that it shouldn’t be displayed in public.

In her autobiographical comic Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, within the first five pages of the book, tells the reader that she was born with religion. She immediately explains (in regards to the Islamic practice of veiling) that “I really didn’t know what to think about the veil. Deep down I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde” (Persepolis, 2003, pg. 6). For western feminists, this ambivalence towards the veil has been a common topic of discourse. In secularized western countries, the veil is often viewed as a symbol of patriarchal oppression. In France (where Satrapi currently lives), for example, there have been numerous laws banning different forms of the veil (such as the burka and the niqab) with many critics, such as former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, arguing that they are “oppressive” and “not welcome” in France (“The Islamic veil across Europe,” 2014, pg. 1). This is the western view of the veil, but what do Muslim women think of the veil and the fundamentalist values that westerners often associate with it?