Monday 4 March 2013

Wearing a Hijab

The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. These scarves come in myriad styles and colours. The type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear.

The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through.








The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf.





Difference feminists would believe it is a positive thing as it allows women to impose to becoming sexual objects of desire. They would say it gives women a chance to express themselves as actual people rather than objects.

Radical Feminists would oppose the Islamic hijaab as it is necessity in Islam to wear a hijaab, it is not an option. They would not like the fact a woman can only show her hair to her husband, dad or brother. They would argue it is oppressive and doesn’t give women the freedom to show their individuality.

Hina’s View
I myself am a person that uses the hijaab in order to protect her modesty. I believe it is a vital part of Muslim woman’s clothing in today’s society as men are socialized into looking at women in a certain way, therefore when a Muslim woman covers herself it allows her not to be judged on appearance, it allows people to look at her character and charisma rather than her physical appearance. I believe 'freedom' is gained from walking down the street without being objectified or judged based on physical appearance. I strongly believe the hijaab is defiantly not a form of oppression, particularly in today’s society it has become more of an option rather than a necessity, which could be why a lot of people would argue Islam is becoming secularized. A lot of people often ask why males don’t have to wear the hijaab, I would often reply with "if you look at a banana and a cherry the banana has a thicker skin than the cherry, if you replace the banana's skin with the cherries it wouldn’t survive for very long... Likewise you cannot expect a woman to dress the same as a man and still 'survive' without being objectified. "

Zara’s View
I am also a Muslim woman, although I do not wear the hijaab myself, I believe it is a very respectable item of clothing. I do believe a woman can still be seen as respected and dignified without the hijaab in today’s society. I think some women may have the intention of wearing the hijaab, but could be withholding it for later on in life as they lack confidence or are afraid of being judged. I am a moderate Muslim this is a type of Muslim that does not take the Quran wording literally and believe I can express modesty in my own way. On the other hand the fundamentalists would believe the hijaab is a necessity. I think I could express my faith in other ways such as praying, fasting and giving charity.

Hina and Zara

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