Muslim modesty: Head coverings a symbol of faith or oppression?
By Nicole Warburton
Deseret NewsPublished: 2009-08-22 00:54:18
It is probably one of the most visible and controversial symbols of Islam.
Westerners often view the hijab, or head covering, worn by Muslim women as oppressive. Even among members of the Islamic faith, it is subject of debate.
How should it be worn?
Does it need to be worn?
Is it a choice or requirement?
In recent months, the hijab and other forms of Islamic coverings have come under scrutiny in the media and by politicians. In June, French president Nicolas Sarkozy suggested women who completely cover their faces by wearing burqas are silent prisoners and that the practice is a "debasement of women."
Those comments have translated into debate over why Muslim women cover at all.
For Maysa Kergaye, coordinator of the Utah Islamic Speakers Bureau, the reason to veil is simple: It's a requirement of the Islamic religion. Beyond that, it is something that serves as a reminder of her beliefs and a "shield" to help protect her from doing the wrong things and being in the wrong place.
Kergaye said she does not feel diminished as result of wearing her hijab.
"Islam actually came and liberated women," she said. "It said they are equal and should not be viewed as a piece of meat. They're humans. They are individuals who do not have to sell their body. They should use their brains."
The tradition of women veiling their heads has been around for centuries, even among early Christians, according to Frank Griffel, professor of Islamic Studies at Yale University. The rules for its use among members of the Islamic faith can be found in Sura 24 of the Quran, where both men and women are told to guard their modesty.
In regard to women, it reads: "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms." The rest of the scripture clarifies that women only need to cover in front of males who are not family.
Because the verses are not explicit, there are a few Muslims who believe modesty does not require covering, however, religious text clarifies it beyond any doubt, according to Kergaye. Some cultures are more liberal, while others have more conservative methods of dress and types of headscarves.
But in the United States, where Muslims are a clear minority, there are challenges to wearing something as visible as the hijab, according to Sarah Ahmad, a junior at Weber State University and former president of the WSU Muslim Student Association.
She has heard stories of women getting turned down for jobs as result of their head covering. And Ahmad believes people view Muslims who cover their heads differently than if they don't cover.
She currently does not wear a head covering but wants to in the future. She is worried she would experience prejudice.
"I feel that it is something that would add a whole new complexity to what I do," said Ahmad, who grew up in Brigham City. "I question myself if I am ready to do that."
But she doesn't view the covering as oppressive. In fact, her sister Maryam, who is 17, said her parents have encouraged her to wait until she is 18 years old to cover because they don't want people to think she is being forced to do it.
"I know Muslim women in the West, we think it's insulting for people to assume we are forced to wear it," Maryam said. "We don't want people to assume we have no free will. It is our decision."
In her view, wearing a hijab is a way to actually help women focus more on themselves versus outward physical appearance.
People are also more likely to judge a Muslim woman on character versus looks if she dresses modestly, said Maryam.
"Society wants women to have shiny hair, to be thin and have nice skin," she said. "You see teen girls bingeing and throwing up food, suffering from self-esteem issues and I always wonder how that is not a form of oppression."
Jen'nan Read, associate professor of sociology and global health at Duke University, said she believes one of the reasons people have misconceptions about Muslims in the U.S. is because there are so few members of the faith here to fight the myths.
Oftentimes, the only information people have is from the news, where stories frequently run about women who are oppressed as result of cultural practices, not the Islamic faith, Read said.
"The religion has been linked with terrorism and with gender roles," she said. "We all compartmentalize and I think for the average person it is easy to immediately jump to the wrong conclusion."
From her perspective, the key to removing prejudices is for more contact between Muslims and non-Muslims. And in fact, women such as the Ahmad sisters and Kergaye encourage questions.
"Many people have the wrong idea of Islam," said Kergaye. "I'd rather answer a question than have someone go on having the wrong understanding."