Chakraborti and Zempi assert that the hijab, or covering, is a representation of Islam. It is used to distinguish between Muslim and non-Muslim women, but its other meanings have been erased, leaving only one, which is that it has come to represent oppression and prejudice against women. Muslim women are at danger in the public sphere due to Islamophobia that exists in non-Islamic nations. The story goes on to discuss how Muslim women are stigmatized because they cover their faces. Doving, Cora A. “The Hijab Debate in The Norwegian Press: Secular or Religious Arguments?” Journal of Religion in Europe 5.2 (2012): 223-243. Print.
This journal article analyzes the religious debate about the hijab and its significance to the public sphere and religion. The research was particularly touching Norway. It also digs into referring to religious concepts in arguments regarding wearing hijab. Doving deals with the question as to whether the religious debate on the hijab affects the public sphere and what are the public views on the issue.
Ghumman, Sonia, and Ann M. Ryan. “Not Welcome Here: Discrimination Towards Women Who Wear The Muslim Headscarf.” Human Relations 66.5 (2013): 671-698. Print.
This paper outlines how the Islamic teachings are misinterpreted, which has led to gender discrimination against women, who do not keep to the Islamic dress code. In this article, the women are supposed to wear the veil, and their voices are not heard, because they will always be behind the men in everything including prayer. Ghumman and Ryan claim that the hijab safeguards the decency and the modesty of the Muslim women. However, it is clear that most of the Islamic teachings and traditions are misinterpreted, especially on the rights of women.
Jackson, Kenneth E., and Elizabeth Monk-Turner. “The Meaning of Hijab: Voices of Muslim Women in Egypt and Yemen.” Journal of International Women’s Studies 16.2 (2015): 30-48. Print.
This scholarly journal explores the understanding of the Hijab amongst Muslim women in Yemen and Egypt. According to a study by Jackson and Monk-Turner, Egyptian women insist that they wear the hijab for the religious purposes only, while the Yemen women claim that they do it for the cultural purposes and modesty. On the other hand, some Egyptian women insist that the hijab is a symbol of oppression to them, because it has been made mandatory. Therefore, this journal has mixed views on wearing the hijab, and it is useful for this paper.
Pazhoohi, Farid, and Robert P. Burriss. “Hijab and ‘Hitchhiking’: A field study.” Evolutionary Psychological Science 2.1 (2016): 32-37. Print.
Pazhoohi and Burriss discuss the dress code for Muslim women in Western countries. According to this study, the women’s dress code in western countries will determine whether if it is needed they get help or not. They further add that men are attracted to those women depending on how they appear with their dress code. They also note that in Iran, the Muslim dress code is very strict when being compared to the dress codes that apply to them while in the West. This article is important for the topic, because it shows how Muslim countries like Iran are very strict with how their women dress compared to how the western countries view the dress code.
Rahman, Osmud, Benjamin Fung, and Alexia Yeo. “Exploring the Meanings of Hijab through Online Comments in Canada.” Journal of Intercultural Communication Research 45.3 (2016): 214-232. Print.
This journal explores the hullabaloos surrounding the wearing of the hijab on the online media. It is evident that several people are concerned about the ethnic attire and social cohesion concerning Muslim women donning the hijab. The researchers in this journal examine the meaning of the hijab and the public opinion about it through social media comments and reactions. This article is very helpful on the topic of whether the hijab is oppression or a symbol of liberation.
Siraj, Asifa. “Meanings of Modesty and the Hijab amongst Muslim Women in Glasgow, Scotland.” Gender, Place, & Culture 18.6 (2011): 716-731. Print.
This article outlines the debate whether wearing a hijab is an obligation or a choice. A study done on 30 women revealed that while some of them regard the hijab as a symbol of modesty and respect to the Islamic religion, other women consider it as an unnecessary mandatory piece of cloth that should be done away with. Nonetheless, despite the contrasting reviews of the participants, they both hold similar views on modesty for Muslim women. This article is helpful in the research on the hijab.
The Hijab: Oppression or Liberation
Background
Wearing a hijab has become a controversial issue in several parts of the world, especially in the Western world. Hijab is a headscarf that is commonly worn by Muslim women. Muslim women wear a hijab as a symbol of devotion to their faith. On the other hand, others wear it because they are left with no other choice from the pressure from their religion and family members. Some people passionately argue that wearing a hijab is a spiritual liberation. On the other hand, there are those, who disagree, by claiming that wearing a hijab is oppression to women, because it is linked to a system that seeks to subjugate and control Muslims women.
Most Americans believe that hijab is a symbol of oppression that has been forced on Muslim women despite some of these women viewing it as a sign of liberation. Therefore, it is apparent that to some Muslim women, the hijab is oppression; while to others, it is not oppressive because it is a choice they made as a devotion to their religion. However, for many Muslim women, especially those in Western countries, there is no choice, and for that reason, they are forced to wear the hijab, which has now become a symbol of oppression, gender persecution, and an objectification for them, and this raises a lot of controversy instead of being a symbol of liberation.
Liberation
Wearing the hijab is a symbol of expressing devotion to religion by Muslim women. Many people ask why women should subject themselves to wearing a hijab. According to Rahman, Fung, and Yeo, the answer has always been for religious purposes and to show modesty, which is clearly outlined in the Quran (220). Several Muslim women, who wear the hijab, claim that they choose to wear the hijab because they believe that Allah commands them to put it on to fulfill His commandment for modesty. Therefore, for them, it is a personal choice as a Muslim woman to show their devotion to God and their religion.
In addition, for some Muslim women, wearing a hijab is a way of expressing their Muslim and cultural identity. According to Siraj, some Muslim women claim that the hijab has never been obligatory or oppression to them, because it provides a witness to their culture and faith (720). However, this has resulted to violent altercations and assaults on Muslim women in non-Islam countries. Nonetheless, they still don the hijab to defy the western and Islam feminists, who challenge hijab-wearing by terming it as oppressive and sexist. These Muslim women believe that the hijab is a symbol of their cultural and religious identity, and therefore, it is their liberation.
Today, most Muslim women value diversity and freedom when it comes to the styles of clothing. However, they are obliged to wear a hijab, because they are given no other choice. Most women, who wear the hijab, claim that they made a decision to don it. However, if it is a choice, why is that they do not support the rights of those women, who are persecuted in countries like Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan for rejecting the hijab? Most women and Muslim leaders butt their heads over this question, and this is why the issue remains controversial. Currently, the hijab is not viewed as a symbol of freedom in the western culture, but a tradition that is enforced by the Islamic law and culture, and pressure from the society and families (Jackson and Monk-Turner 34). As a result, wearing the hijab has become a symbol of oppression, whereby it is being used as a weapon to subjugate women.
Oppression
The hijab is not only a symbol of liberation, but also a symbol of oppression. Even though some women wear the hijab voluntary, some do wear it because of the pressure from religion, the society, and their families. According to Ghumman and Ryan, some women have been rejected by their families for declining to wear the hijab (680). Therefore, Muslim women are forced to submit to the pressure without question by wearing the hijab for fear of being disowned by their families. Currently, Islam is a fast-growing religion with a breathtaking range of devotees in a world, where style and fashion are changing too. Therefore, the circumstances, under which the hijab is worn, strongly affect how Muslim women are perceived and treated in the society.
Clearly, both proponents and opponents of the hijab have valid arguments about their positions. While some Muslim women wear the hijab because they want to, there are those, who feel that they are forced to cover their bodies with the hijab for religious purposes. In strict Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, the women have no choice other than to wear the hijab. In such countries, women are not given the freedom to don what they feel like in public, and if they do not comply, they are tortured, with some even being killed (Chakraborti and Zempi 268). As a result, the practice of wearing the hijab has been viewed as oppressive not because the hijab itself is naturally dictatorial, but for the reason that these women are being forced to don a particular type of cloth. Indubitably, the right to wear a hijab should be to all women, and no Muslim woman should be discriminated at any point because she has chosen to cover her body. However, at the same time, no woman should be forced to wear a hijab or brutalized because she has refused to wear it too.
Common Ground
While several Muslim girls have been brutalized in western countries for wearing hijabs, Muslim women in Muslim countries have been tormented for rejecting the veil, and this makes it a symbol of oppression (Pazhoohi and Burriss 37). 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 women.
It is sad to see Muslim women, who are forced to wear hijabs, being silenced by Muslim feminists when they try to voice out their views on the issue. It is also frustrating when their voices are just shut down without anyone listening to their oppression. Therefore, the Muslim feminists and the women, who are comfortable donning the veil, should not ignore or erase the problems being faced by those women, who are not comfortable wearing it. Instead, they should focus on liberation and equality for all Muslim women by fighting against the systematic oppression the women are subjected to by the society and religion. In addition, reasons that are more convincing have to be given on why women should wear the hijab, and perhaps, this will stop the controversies. If total freedom is accorded to Muslim women to choose what to wear and not being forced to don a veil, then the hijab debates will end (Doving 241).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the hijab has remained a questioned symbol with different meanings to several groups of people. The primary question has been if the hijab is a symbol of liberation or oppression for Muslim women. Most western countries are struggling to view the hijab in a positive light, because there is limited information about the reasons why women put on a hijab. While every Muslim woman has her reasons for donning a hijab, with the primary reason being for their culture and religion, the hijab has remained a controversial issue. Some find it as a form of liberation, while others find it oppressive, and this continues to provoke raging debates across the globe. Hence, while some Muslim women choose to wear the hijab, most of them disagree that it is not a choice, but an oppressive Muslim culture that should not be mandatory for all Muslim women. Therefore, Muslim women should be given the freedom to choose whether to wear the hijab or not to uphold the values of freedom and choice to all.
Works Cited
Chakraborti, Neil, and Irene Zempi. “The Veil under Attack: Gendered Dimensions of Islamophobic Victimization.” International Review of Victimology 18.3 (2012): 269-284. Print.
Doving, Cora A. “The Hijab Debate in the Norwegian Press: Secular or Religious Arguments?" Journal of Religion in Europe 5.2 (2012): 223-243. Print.
Ghumman, Sonia, and Ann M. Ryan. “Not Welcome Here: Discrimination Towards Women Who Wear The Muslim Headscarf.” Human Relations 66.5 (2013): 671-698. Print.
Jackson, Kenneth E., and Elizabeth Monk-Turner. “The Meaning of Hijab: Voices of Muslim Women in Egypt and Yemen.” Journal of International Women’s Studies 16.2 (2015): 30-48. Print.
Pazhoohi, Farid, and Robert P. Burriss. “Hijab and ‘Hitchhiking’: A field study.” Evolutionary Psychological Science 2.1 (2016): 32-37. Print.
Rahman, Osmud, Benjamin Fung, and Alexia Yeo. “Exploring the Meanings of Hijab through Online Comments in Canada.” Journal of Intercultural Communication Research 45.3 (2016): 214-232. Print.
Siraj, Asifa. “Meanings of Modesty and the Hijab amongst Muslim Women in Glasgow, Scotland.” Gender, Place & Culture 18.6 (2011): 716-731. Print.
