...Muhammad instructs women to completely cover themselves and men to avert their gaze in the name of modesty. These scholars argue that the hijab or a head covering is necessary, whereas the nigab is not a must. The Quran mentions a number of policies which governs how women should dress. Some of the most quoted versus include the ones that advocate wives, daughters, and believing women, ought to cast their outer garments over their persons, and that it is most convenient and they should be known and not molested. Other verses say to the believing men that they ought to lower their gaze and guard their modesty, a thing which will enhance their purity. Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. They also say that women should lower their gaze and guard their modesty by displaying their beauty and ornaments and others that appear ordinarily afterwards. Minority scholars assert that the full covering of the face and hands completely is a sign of extreme piety. Despite the different ways in which women choose to interpret the Quran, the hijab remains a religious obligation that calls upon women to adhere to it and be recognized as Muslims in the public. It is worth noting that the Quran also teaches that women can unveil themselves in front of their husbands, slaves, brothers, fathers, and other Muslim women. This paper will address the reasons why women wear burqa. Secondly, the paper will examine the reasons in favor of it being banned or...
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...Muslim Women and the Veil For this critical review analysis paper, I have chosen to do set four of the project. I will begin to analyze and break down the fundamental themes in each of the articles from the sources provided by the professor. My examination of the texts, Islamic and Body Politics by Asma Barlas and Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil by Katherine Bullock, will be purely academic. Both these articles share similar views of the concept of veiling and portrayal of the female body by opposing the monolithic and secular views given to the veil by the majority of the world. The view given to the veil is simple and is explicitly cited in Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil, it is that "the popular Western notion that the veil is a symbol of Muslim women's oppression is a constructed image that does not represent the experience of all those who wear it." My stance on the subject of veiling will be in support of: those who wear the Veil (or as I will interchangeably mention it in this paper, "Hjiab" - Arabic term for head scarf) do it so by their own will and not to represent the view of oppression that has been deemed on it, also, to reiterate that the Qur'an or any other Islamic text do not support the views of oppression of women. Through my investigation of the two given articles, I will support my view with the help of three different articles that share the same type of commentary on the issue of Veiling. My inclusion of the article Eastern Veiling, Western Freedom...
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...Aflevering 1 Summary of the text “The many faces behind the veil” The text “The many faces behind the wheel” are written by Arifa Akbar and Jerome Taylor. The text concerns about a Muslim woman who wears a veil/hijab. They wear it to break free of society. Rahmanara Chowdhury age 29, is one of these women who wear the veil. Rahmanara lives with a family with seven daugthers. All of Rahmanara’s sisters wear the hijab, but none of them were forced to wear it. Rahmarana didn't wear the hijab until her teenage years. But when she did, her father accepts it, in a very special way. “He just stood there watching me, but he never said anything, he just accepted it there and then.”1 Rahmanara feels comfortable while wearing the hijab, she feels like nobody can stop her. Rahmanara and her sisters respect each other’s choice about wearing the hijab. Rahmanara’s opinion about people, who doesn’t wear the hijab is liberal. She does this for her God and not for people. An outline: In the following text I have to give an outline of the various attitudes to wearing the veil in three texts. The first text “I want to unveil my views on an important issue” brings out that Jack Straw interviews a Muslim lady who wears a Niqab. She covers all of her face in clothes, except the eyes. Jack isn’t comfortable with interviewing these women, because he can’t talk to her “face to face”. But Jack does respects muslims choices on wearing Niqabs and other headwearings. Since they don’t break any...
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...The Hijab Republic “The meaning of subculture is always in dispute, and style is the area in which the opposing definitions clash with most dramatic force” (Hebdige, 1979: 3). Throughout this essay I would draw and analyse the Hijab republic subculture. Further referencing on the theories of; Semiology by Gillian Rose (2001), The Meaning of Style by Dick Hebdige (1979), and Dress and Globalization by Margaret Maynard (2004). The purpose of this essay is to further dissect the Hijab republic as a subculture, the reasons behind it and semiotically decode their dress as intentional communication. In order to do this, I will firstly, conduct a semiotic analysis to an image, thereafter apply Hepdige’s theories on subculture lastly, I will further discuss and apply Maynard’s theory on the relationship between style and communication. Mieke Bal and Norman Bryson (1991:174) cited in (Rose 2001) explains that human culture is made up of signs, each of which stands for something other than itself. This statement makes you want to understand and make sense of those signs. Observing Yuna in figure01 who wears the hijab along western trends as a form of self-expression and her Islamic identity. Yuna’s iconic and idexcical sign is the head-scarf (hijab) as it is a performative agent through which the sense of common sociality is being achieved by practicing a dress code that is a visible identity maker, and that sends a message to outsiders...
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...By Marko ********* 07-11-2012 Islamic Dress Codes Summary of Text 2 Text 2 is written by Arifa Akbar and Jerome Taylor and is a text about the problems that occur when you're "wearing your religion on your sleeves". The headline itself already tells us what the text is all about. It's clearly noticeable that this text is about Islam and Muslim women who wear their headscarves, veils, hijab etc. In the first part of the text we get a short but very clear and accurate summary of the problems and issues of having to wear a veil or any other Islamic dress that is supposed to cover your face, hair etc. Not to mention the questions being raised by the abolitionists. Rahmanara Chowdhury who is a 29 year old woman tells us her story and experiences with the hijab. Rahmanara's sisters and herself were already from a young age taught about hijab. Unlike her sisters she began to understand the spiritual reason behind the veil much more as she grew up. She was the first one in the family who had made the decision to wear a veil, and yet she was accepted by everyone. She thought she would have problems while interacting with people or doing group work in university, but it quite the opposite happened; she discovered that it was much easier to interact with people while wearing the veil. She would get a couple of stares every now and then, but it never bothered her. Text 1 is a short story about the former British minister and his experience with Islamic dresses. At first he...
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...worth being seen in public unless they are dressed to gills, with overdone makeup and flashy Clothing. Even I had fallen prey to the idea that my beauty is wrapped up in how I look. Watching girls with sensational hair colors in glamorous clothes wearing high heels, I felt urge to do these things. I was becoming my own worst critic. I used to fret over my clothes and worry over my hijab. I started to feel I look far from my best in hijab. I should also wear fancy clothes, do makeup, style my hair and look stunning. This kind of behavior was so crept into me that I wanted to quit my hijab. But it was a tough decision because this is not the way Allah intended us to live. I had to choose but I was so confused, I wanted to look beautiful but at the same time did not want to lose my modesty. I kept on thinking, hour after hour, but couldn’t arrive at a decision. I thought there is nothing wrong with a woman doing things to keep her looking beautiful and attractive. Frankly, Allah is not interested in the color of lipstick I wear or how I style my hair. So if I choose to quit hijab I would appear more beautiful and attractive. I will not feel like a stranger in public. It will be easy to make friends and socialize. And people won’t judge me as conservative. But this way I will be going against the teachings of Islam because according to the revelation given to us by Allah, Muslim women were to act with humility and modesty, in both their conduct and their...
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...under direct government gaze. In particular, countries such a France and Turkey have issued a ban on wearing the burqa in public. The ban relates to the general wearing of the burqa and not for certain situations such as identity checks. This debate has spread to Australian soil where dozens of Australians, such as Cory Bernardi, have enunciated their approval and have called for such a ban in Australia. While some countries have similar meaning of the veil, the majority of non-Islamic individuals across Europe and Australia have interpreted the veil in their own way and thus attached to it different meanings causing different perceptions as to why or why not it should be worn. Using the article by Bernardi (2010) as a starting point, I will critique the feeble objections writers of the topic have against the burqa and justify why their reasons for a burqa ban are invalid and cannot benefit society, and if anything, set society backwards. By interpreting the results of my focus groups, this thesis will explain how the majority of women who wear the burqa do so by choice and society must accept their choice. Also, I will explain that just because some women are forced to wear the burqa, banning it is not the solution the Australian Government should take. Before moving on, a brief point will be made about the burqa to avoid any...
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...An example of human behavior that is considered deviant in one society but is not considered deviant in another would be the way women dress. In the United States it is okay for women to dress in whatever they want whether skirt, shorts, heels, dress, and we can show as much or as little skin as we want without getting into trouble or it being considered a deviant behavior. We can also wear colorful clothing. However, women from Saudi Arabia are not allowed to dress anyway. Women of Saudi Arabia must cover the parts of the body that are awrah (not meant to be exposed). Basically the only parts of the body that are not considered awrah are the hands and eyes. The women’s clothing must also not reveal anything about her body; the cloth must be opaque, thick and loose. The cloth must be of a dull color, unadorned, and cannot resemble men clothing or non-Muslim attire. The factors that have contributed to Saudi Arabia’s perspective of deviant behavior are basically their religion or the Qur’an. Mostly everything that is done in Saudi Arabia is dictated by their religion. They follow it to the letter. For example a Saudi Arabian woman cannot be seen in the company of a non-relative male or she is considered a woman of loose morals; however, American women will party, speak, and even have as roommate a non-relative male. When a crime is committed by someone who has a powerful status in this society, their deviant behavior is handled very publicly and with kids’ gloves...
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...Have you ever like a culture out your country? The world very wide and contains a lot of countries. Each country has a special culture and a special race. People who live in their countries tend to their culture than other. In my country, Saudi Arabia, there are a lot of cultures different from another culture. In this essay I will discuss about wedding, prevent woman driving car, celebration, wearing hijab, eating habits, greetings, polygamy, fasting, and education in Saudi Arabia. First, in Saudi Arabia, wedding’s ceremony is very different than others. When man want engage woman. He tells his parents about woman who is want. Then, they go to the house of woman and they meet her parents. Her father asks man questions about him if he prays everyday and if he has job or not. After that, father goes to his daughter and tells her about man. Father asks his daughter if she accept or refuse this man. If she accepts him, man can enter to see her with her father or brother. In addition, the family of woman makes a dinner for this event and man buy gold necklace or gold ring for woman. In the day of wedding, the father of man invites his family and friends because he makes a huge party. Man wears white thob and gotra. While, woman goes to salon to do something like hairstyle, make up, manicure and pedicure. I want point out to in the wedding women separate from men. There are a lot of Arabian coffee, sweets, cakes and fruit. In the end of day, bridegroom enters to his bride to take...
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...There are many views on the Muslims burka. Looking at the two articles “Let’s fashion a Made-in-Canada Approach to the Burka” by Sheema Khan and “How to Integrate Europe’s Muslims” by Jonathan Laurence, they both take different approaches on discussing the burka. One opinion states that the burka could be banned without creating a big effect. The other states that people should have the right to wear as they please, when not harming anyone. In the first piece of text “Let’s fashion a Made-in-Canada Approach to the Burka,” Khan talks about the burka in Canada. Currently, France is contemplating a burka ban. However, pragmatists believe it will be too difficult to ban such a thing due to laws of religion. Some think trying to do this will cause more women to wear the headdress in defense towards the government. “Fewer than 2000 woman wear the niqab/burka in France”(Sheema Khan) which is such a small number compared to the rest of the population, so banning it wouldn’t effect many women. Also, women wearing the burka can sometimes be seen as a weapon, in a time when we use security cameras play an important role on protecting todays society. Some believe that the burkas created a barrier and disguise, making it easier for people to commit crimes. “The law, introduced in 2010, makes it illegal for anyone to cover their face in a public place.” The New York Times calls Nicola Sarkozy’s approach “hate mongering”. Saying that they are using women who wear the burka as a cheap electoral...
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...Hijab, niqab and burqa The hijab, niqab and burqa are head and full body dresses that are traditional to Islam. While these accessories and clothes have some similarities, there are some differences to be highlighted. The hijab is a veil that mainly covers the head, but also covers the chest. This veil is worn mostly by women who have reached the age of puberty. The veil is usually worn in public or in the presence of males that are not a part of the immediate family. The hijab represents a sense of modesty and it is said in Islam that the hijab also separates the world from God, thus, a divine accessory. While the above is a metaphorical separation, the hijab also has a physical separation, which is said to separate women from men in the public realm. Other than the hijab representing modesty, it also represents morality and privacy. To go even further a little, some women who wear the hijab see this accessory as a part of their identity, connected to their culture and religious beliefs. The wearing of the hijab for many women is a sign of respect and devotion to God as well as their religious belief system. The burqa, also called chadri, is a dress that covers the entire body and it is predominantly worn by women. In some Islamic beliefs, the burqa is suitable for women when in public, because it is a garment that covers their entire body. Differently than the hijab, where hands and the face can be exposed, the burqa includes the veiling of the...
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...Religion also influences clothing. The traditional dress of Palestine varies in the urban Palestinian community to villagers and the indigenous Bedouin people. The women normally wear coats and shirts with broad trousers and use a thin veil to hide their faces. Modesty reflects from the traditional Palestinian dress because the Christian Palestinian women wear descent western dresses and the Palestinian Muslim women are usually seen in Hijab and Abaya.. The Bedouin women of Palestine loved to wear the dresses with red and blue colored embroidery along the hems and seams and around the neck. The embroidery tradition in Palestine is popular since the Ottoman era and the motifs were derived from basic geometric forms such as squares and rosettes....
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...culture it is a lifelong symbol of their religious beliefs. Which is why it has brought up so much controversy over the Islam’s being able to continue wearing the coverings or if they should have to remove them? Their Koran (bible) states in a few verses one verse 33:59, addressed to the prophet Muhammad and his family: “O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their outer garment over their persons (whom abroad): That is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) a not molested.” Verse 24:31 states, “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.” But writes sociologist Ashraf Zahedi, of University of California, Berkeley Beatrice Bain Research Group, “These citations emphasize on modesty and covering neck and bosom. There is no reference to covering the female hair or to the head veil.” Women believe in Allah so much they stick with the belief of the veiling as part of their normal everyday lifestyle. They want people out in society to see them for their mind and personalities not for their beauty. “The veil has become a clichéd symbol for the west perceives as Muslim oppression, tyranny and zealotry all of which have little to do with the real reason why Muslim women veil” says Jennifer Heath, editor of the 2008 book “The Veil...
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...other meanings( Heider 2012, 94). I strongly believe the burqa should be a personal choice for all women, regardless of where they live and not an obligation. Therefore instead of advocating for a decision that will issue a ban on it, it should be a decision many women should be able to make on their own without having to feel like their personal preferences are being infringed upon. Despite various ways in which the burqa may be interpreted, it is a garment that remains to be predominantly seen as a religious obligation that women are expected to abide by and be recognized as Muslims in the public sphere. This paper will focus on reasons as to why women wear the burqa, address claims that have been prevalent among those who favor the ban of the burqa, and lastly, various arguments that revolve around the justification of why the burqa should be worn. The burqa is a loose garment that essentially covers the entire body from head to toe with a mesh across the eyes that usually distorts the vision to some extent for those who wear it. According to Muslim scholars, the Quran states that “both female and male ought to maintain modest dress” and this entails covering any vital parts of the body that may be deemed as provocative especially for women. Indeed, it is only plausible to believe or think that the burqa takes away a woman’s ability to individually express herself because they are held to higher standards to dress modestly, which is mainly reflected through the full...
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...Introduction: For more than 15 years numerous countries within Europe have been faced with the question of the wearing of religious garments in schools, most notably France. Until recently Ireland had remained untouched by these questions of Identity which arise from emigration and the consequent religious and cultural diversity which ensues. In recent years this situation in Ireland has reversed, as Ireland’s population grows to include a range of different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Terms of Reference: The principal has asked that I make proposals in relation to a policy on the wearing of religious garments in the class room. I am required to consider the feasibility and implications of such a policy for the school. Background: As a health care professional I have worked for many years with professionals of various ethnic groups, and got to know their families through social occasions. More recently my home town was selected for the relocation of refugees from Serbian Kosovo conflict. Most of the refugees have made Baltinglass their permanent home; subsequently their children attend local schools. All of them are of the Muslim persuasion. I have observed some of the teenage girls practice the tradition of covering their hair. It has not posed any problems, generally accepted by all. Deeply appreciated I would imagine by teachers looking at some hair styles and colours they are faced with in Modern day Ireland. Methodology: ...
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