My Though Unveiled: The Hijab, Niqab, and Burqa

My Thoughts Unveiled: The Hijab, Niqab, and Burqa

As a Muslim woman, the hijab, niqab, and burqa are topics frequented in my conversations with peers and family. Non-Muslims constantly ask me how I feel about veiling. Bottom line: I support the decision of anyone who chooses to wear one, no matter what type. Depending on the type however, I have differing opinions. The following explains the differences in Islamic head/body dress:

 

I do have problems with the burqa and the niqab. I do not view these full-face veils favorably for a number of reasons. I think they make women dissappear. As Islamic columnist Mona el Tahawy states, “the human face is central to communication”, and covering one’s face really does make conversation more difficult. Sure the argument can be “but now you’ll judge me for my brain and not my looks”, but like, get over yourself. Now instead of judging you for your brain, I’m distracted – I’m just wondering why you look like a ghost and how you can breathe under there and are you even wearing anything else under there and do you have like 12 burqas that all look alike the way I have 12 leggings that all look alike and how will I know if you’re laughing or smiling or your upset CUZ I CAN’T SEE YOUR FREAKING FACE? Get it? It also reminds me of women’s oppression in Afghanistan, as the Taliban forced women to wear burqas. These full-face coverings dangerously equate piety with covering. They repress female individuality and as Imam Taj Hargey stated:

“The Islam I believe in wants equality for women and asking them to wear a mask in public is not equality.”

So no, I don’t like the niqab or burqa. I would like to add however, that only a minority of Muslim women fully cover their faces. Therefore it’s existence does not really affect me here in the States. I’ve only seen a woman in a burqa three times in my life. Once at a mosque and two times in a market. I only add this because I think it’s important to note that although people debate about burqas and niqabs all the time, they’re not really worn that much, and so shouldn’t be such a huge freaking deal. Make sense? Hope so.

Now moving on to the hijab. It is important to note there is no general 100% consensus on the obligation of the hijab (in my research – if anyone has any information contesting this please send it my way), although most Sunni scholars would agree that is is mandatory. The Qur’an states:

“Say to the believing man that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments …” (Qur’an 24:30-31)

I support the hijab or hair-veil, IF IT IS A CHOICE. However, I believe (Mayday mayday please don’t get super offended) its very existence is a form of sexism and oppression from men, because I don’t think covering your hair is necessary or practical.

I’m sort of a pragmatist. When it comes to the veil and its application, I try to think of it in terms of its practicality. To me, I see no reason why a woman should cover her head. It doesn’t make sense to me. It won’t stop her from being raped or harassed, all it really does is tell the world that you’re a Muslim. To me, modesty is a state of mind, and does not have anything to do with covering your hair.

Seeing veiled women during hot Los Angeles summers for instance, actually pisses me off. I want to run to them with water and a fan and beg them to take it off. It’s hot as f*ck – WHY ARE YOU WEARING THAT?

I really loathe regulation of dress in Islamic cultures. Because what that does is, give an excuse to men to behave like wild animals. It sends a message that if you don’t cover yourself, you’re gonna get raped, and that pisses me the f*ck off. And this belief is validated through a conversation I had with my mother:

When I asked her, “why should women veil?”, her response was:

“Because men are dogs”.

I responded, “But don’t you think we should stop giving them an excuse to be dogs and instead make them accountable?”

She replied, “You cannot change human nature”.

As an inquisitive feminist, I question anything that attempts to regulate or mandate how a woman should dress. So the fact that there is a specific dress-code for women that is different than what men should wear in Islamic countries is perplexing to me. It angers me that it is somehow alluded that wearing a veil will make you more pious, or distinguish you so that you may gain respect. What’s the difference between a veiled woman and an unveiled woman that should garner or not garner respect?

However, my personal qualms and confusion about the veil does not mean I do not support women who choose to wear one. I need to state, again, that this piece is about MY PERSONAL qualms with veiling, and is BY NO MEANS meant to represent the views of my fellow Muslims who interpret Islam in their way.

There are other times I see veiled women and feel very supportive of them. When I see a veiled woman in a place with no other veiled women, I want to hug her. I am so proud of her choice to wear WTF she wants – in a society that is so against our faith. I applaud her decision (if it is 100% her decision). So in terms of politics, I support the veil and truly admire those who choose to wear it. As a political statement, when I see a Muslim woman unapologetically wearing a head scarf, I think she is a boss. She is telling the world she loves her faith and will not conform to the rules of Western society just to be accepted.

Whether they be Muslim women or Catholic nuns, I believe the decision to veil is a wholly PERSONAL one and should not be regulated by law OR religion.

As a proud Muslim woman, I defend the rights of any woman who chooses to wear a head covering, whether it be for religious or political reasons. The most beautiful women I have seen are those who cover their heads. And when I cover my head – I must admit I feel secure, I feel proud, I feel strong. I don’t think there’s really anything more badass than seeing a woman in a hijab.

I vehemently oppose laws that tell women how to dress. My grandmother wore a veil everyday of her adult life, and imagining a government forcing her to take it off breaks my heart. If the woman wants to wear a damn veil or burqa or niqab, I say let her.

As an American, I firmly believe in democracy and liberation. This includes democracy of dress-code. Wearing a veil as an expression of religion then, is a wholly democratic act and should be protected. And when a government tells a woman how she should dress, it infringes on personal freedom in modern democracy.

But I will leave you with the quote from Caitlin Moran’s “How to Be a Woman” that inspired me to write this piece in the first place, which pretty much sums up my thoughts on this entire issue, whether it’s a hijab, niqab, or burqa:

It was the ‘Are the boys doing it?’ basis on which I finally decided I was against women wearing burkas. Yes, the idea is that it protects your modesty, and ensures that people regard you as a human being, rather than just a sexual object. Fair enough. But who are you being protected from? Men. And who — so long as you play by the rules, and wear the correct clothes — is protecting you from the men? Men. And who is it that is regarding you as just a sexual object, instead of another human being, in the first place? Men.