The Veil Controversy
MISCONCEPTION
HIJAB IS NOT THERE TO OPPRESS WOMEN, BUT TO GIVE THEM A SENSE OF DIGNITY AND RESPECT IN THE SOCIETY. THE CONCEPT IS AS OLD AS BIBLE, THE REALITY WEST NOW SEEMS TO DENY, WRITES DR. FAIZ FAZILI
A day before an European country enforced the fine on women covering their faces in public , Muslim women like KD (name changed) were not willing to give up the veil, as they believed non-observance of the hijab is an act of disobedience to Allah and to His Messenger (pbuh). Giving due respects to the law of land she says in a secular society people should respect inter beliefs and be free to decide what they want to wear.A law may not discriminate on the basis of religion but because of lack of understanding and philosophy behind this ordainment Muslim women have been the subject of debate in the western media for many years now. Whether that discussion has been fact based or distorted by false perceptions is a topic by itself that needs scrutiny of its own. Here it is important to remove some misconceptions on the basis of teachings in Quran, Bible, Sunnah; Hadiths, and expressions of some of the sisters who are observing “hijaab”in the West.
The perception of many so called , `liberals' is that Islam is violent, misogynist, and anti-personal –especially on the issues of the Islamic dress code adopted by many Muslim women throughout the world. The word HIJAB means to veil, cover, screen, protect, seclude and obscure. But most importantly, it means a ‘barrier’. It can be a barrier that protects and screens off a woman’s body and beauty from men and the public.In today’s glamour world women are being encouraged to reveal more and more of their bodies and be proud of their femininity by walking half naked on ramps with cheering on the every “moves and shakes” of their bodv curves and explicit revelations which these girls exhibit to impress their potential sponsors or customers to sell their products. The western ideology of, 'if you have it, you should flash it!' is quite opposite to the Islamic principle, where the purpose is not to bring attention to one’s self, but to be modest. The ‘West’ argues that women should wear what they please; Hijab is s an Act of Worship -First, obedience to what God has commanded is a form of worship or service and an orthopraxic religion like Islam provides commands relating to all areas of life, including dress. Secondly Muslim women wear the hijab for modesty, for respect and to fulfill their way of life in submission to their religious beliefs. In the article, "My Body Is My Own Business", Ms. N M,, a young Canadian born and raised, university-educated Muslim woman writes, "In the Western world, the hijab has come to symbolize either forced silence or radicalism. Actually, it’s neither. It is simply a woman's assertion that judgment of her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction." A woman who adheres to the tenets of Islam is required to follow the dress code called Hijab, (other synonyms are Veil, Purdah, Burqah or just Head Covering etc) . It is an act of faith and establishes a Muslim's life with honor, respect and dignity. More importantly though, the Hijab is not merely the external dress code, it also has an internal facet. The Hijab also involves the behaviour, manners, speech, and appearance of a woman in public. The external appearance is just one part of the total being. The Hijab is not a restriction, a piece of cloth but it is seen as a way in which society will function in an orderly , disciplined manner. Islam has not prescribed any particular dress style, giving us ample room to accommodate our needs, circumstances and tastes. It is essential for women to observe Hijab in assuring that their attire confirms to dictates of the Quran (ref Nisa; Ahzab) and Shariah guidelines. The design of our dress must also avoid three deadly sins: show off, arrogance, and self indulgence. Although Islamic scholars differ about the modality of correct modest dress style( a debatable issue ); but for the majority of Muslim women around the world the most visible sign of a Muslim woman’s faith is the headscarf or” hijab ‘. The women who chose to wear Hijab view it as a right, not a burden as unrealistic stereotypes and images dictated by the hostile media.While many Muslim women choose to wear the Veil in accordance with their Imam’s (Fiqah)interpretation of the Quran and Hadith, non-Muslims often see the veils (particularly the ones that cover most of the body and/or face) as a sign of religious oppression. Contrary to popular belief, the covering of the Muslim woman is not oppression but a liberation from the shackles of male scrutiny and the standards of attractiveness.
“For if a woman is not veiled, let her hair be cut off; but if it is a shame to a woman to have her hair cut off, let her be veiled. “(Corinthians 11:6 BBE) St. Tertullian (the first man to formulate the Trinity), in his treatise, On the Veiling of Virgins, even obliged its use at home: ‘Young women, you wear your veils out on the streets, so you should wear them in the church; you wear them when you are among strangers, then wear them among your brothers.’ This is what the “Bible in Basic English; says. Islam didn’t invent the veil, it merely endorsed it.Then why do these Western modernists find it so hard to understand why Muslim women choose to wear the veil and misread the Veil as symbol of oppression of Muslim women, making them invisible, anonymous and voiceless.?
In Islam, a woman is free to be who she is inside, the covering only sanctifies her. When a woman wears hijab on a regular basis, the awareness that her dress makes her a walking symbol of her religion reminds her not to do things that would bring her or her religion into disrepute. All of these are ways that the act of undertaking an outward observance can promote inner development. Another benefit of adorning the veil is that it is a protection for women and forces society to hold her in high esteem. Muslims believe that when women display their beauty to everybody, they degrade themselves by becoming objects of sexual exploitation and become vulnerable to abuse. The Hijab makes them out as women belonging to the class of modest chaste women, so that transgressors may recognize them as such and dare not tease them out of mischief.
What is the purpose of the Hijab? The purpose of the Hijab in Islam is not to oppress or restrict Muslim women from participating in the activities of the society or to keep men and women utterly segregated or to make it hard for women to function normally in life. Rather, the Hijab actually grants the woman an aura of respect, and bestows upon her a separate and unique identity with dignity and honour. While the misconceived accusation of oppression is not defined by a piece of cloth, but rather by a sickening Islamophobic ideology which is eclipsing the sight of divine guidelines.
It is clear that Allah Almighty has obliged Muslim women to observe Hijab in order to preserve them from bedizenment (to dress or ornament with showy finery) which would definitely make them prone to harassment and render them an easy prey for depraved men with lusty motives. Hijab in Islam, came to protect woman from Satan, it's not oppressing and is used as a way of protecting women from sins while preserving their modesty and dignity.
(Dr. Faiz Fazili is a Kashmiri doctor based in KSA)
