Mouri Khan
There’s a difference in opinion regarding the topic of modesty in dress as part of Islam. Majority do agree
that hijab is something a woman of faith should pursue when she is comfortable. Hijab does not define a
Muslim woman though. A woman who does not practise covering can be as equal of a Muslim as a woman
who does cover. There is a saying ‘hijab on my head means nothing if I don’t have hijab in my heart.’ One
is not before the other, they are together, and modesty is a beautiful concept that gives priority to greater
things in our lives and in ourselves.
Hijab has the power to force someone to look at you as an individual person and not an object. It serves
as a reminder to always respect others, to follow the rules, to refrain from causing harm to others, and
to believe in your choices. Hijab is practised amongst men and women of belief. It is not only a physical
concept, it’s also a spiritual reminder.
“Hijab isn’t only about sexuality, it’s so much more than that.”
Women are more than their bodies and the hijab doesn’t exist as a method to make a woman’s physical
beauty disappear. It’s all about regulation and direction of intentions. We are all able to control our impulses. The hijab isn’t only for women to hide their sexuality and men to be reminded of their intentions.
Covering up is for both men and women. Islam views women so highly, a woman’s position and power in
society, her family, and her belief is far more than what her sexuality alone will ever be. Women are said
to complete half a man’s religion when they are bonded by the power of love, and heaven lies at a woman’s
feet. Women in Islam are put at the parallel of heaven. There is no context of sexualization in Islam’s view
of the power of women, their power is far beyond the reach of sexuality.
The powerful women in Islam were business women who had men working under them as well, educators, mothers, wives, and daughters. Women are empowered in Islam all the time. For roughly 1400 years,
womens rights in Islam have been visible, and yet as a civilized and advanced world, we are still struggling
with such basic concepts as womens rights. Female oppression is not an Islamic problem, it’s a cultural and
political issue.
40