Is The hijab
Imagine a woman with a hijab(headscarf) or a veil walk past you on the street. What is the first thing that comes to your mind about this woman? If you're like most Americans, you pity her because she's being oppressed. However, you would not be right in thinking that.
The primary reason why Muslim women wear the hijab is because their religion admonishes them to. According to Islamicfaq.org, which is solely based on the Holy Qur’an and the Islamic principles, women are told to “cover their heads and to pull their coverings over their bosoms.” However, there are different styles and degrees of veiling according to the situation. The veil protects women’s modesty, respect, and dignity. Therefore, one of the main reasons Muslim women wear the hijab is for protection. Is seeking protection oppressive?
I surveyed 58 people, asking them different questions about the hijab. One controversial question I asked was, “Do you believe that wearing the hijab (headscarf) takes away a woman’s freedom?” 53% of the people said yes, they believe that wearing the hijab does take away a woman’s freedom. 47% of the people said no. Why do more than half of the people I surveyed believe that? A woman wearing the hijab can still do a lot. She can go to school, college, work, get married whenever she wants to, etc. A woman isn’t considered inferior to a man in Islam. In fact, they enjoy rights and privileges that men do not in some areas. Without noticing that Islam was the first religion in the world to give women property rights and divorce rights, some people make up their own misconceptions about how a Muslim woman’s freedom is taken away by her religion. Is giving women rights oppressive?
There are many people who perceive the hijab in a negative way. The negative perceptions can be misunderstandings or stereotypes, about the hijab. In my survey, I asked, “Is there anything specific that comes to mind when you see a woman wearing the hijab?” According to the results, most answers were negative. I got responses like, “someone enslaved and controlled by others”, “lack of education”, “Symbolism of the religious oppression of women”, “Religious pressure” etc. I also got some positive responses like, “If a woman wants to wear the hijab as an expression of her religious faith, I support that”, “nothing just human”, and “she is a Muslim”. The negative responses show the lack of knowledge that people have, and the conclusions they jump to based on their opinions. Is it possible that these types of rumors are the ones causing people to look down on those who wear the hijab? Is it possible that these are the types of opinions that make Muslim women seem like they are being oppressed?
by: Sadia
oppression?
Bashir