Reflections on Hijab ban in Muslim Turkey and a Hijab ‘revolution’ in the Liberal West
Hijab
ban protects women's rights and Turkey's secular constitution
By
Farzana Hassan, Nov 03, 2008
Secular
Muslims are welcoming the decision of the Constitutional Court of Turkey to
disallow the lifting of the ban on hijabs as a significant triumph for
secularism over repressive Islamist practices. The court recently ruled that
amendments to the constitution by the ruling AKP to permit hijabs in
universities, would amount to rendering "non-functional the basic features
of the republic."
At the
core of this decision is the realization that the hijab continues to be a tool
of oppression for Muslim women, severely restricting their right to express
their faith in their own unique and personal way.
Faith
and its expression must be a matter of personal choice rather than a
"categorical imperative" handed down through a system of belief that
might be deemed by some as repressive and outmoded in its various
manifestations.
While
the decision of the Constitutional Court of Turkey might restrict the rights of
women claiming to have adopted the hijab of their own free will, one must
question the authenticity of such claims through a process of unearthing some
of the religious undercurrents of such decisions. In the same suspicion over
the validity of such claims, European lawmakers have chosen to restrict the use
of religious headgear in public institutions.
One
would need assurances for example, that women who reject the hijab would not be
subjected to coercion in the matter, simply because the orthodoxy considers it
a religious requirement. The lifting of the ban in Turkey would have empowered
the fundamentalist Islamic forces, resulting in the almost certain
marginalization and oppression of women, reducing their role in society to one
of subservience and subjugation. This would be tantamount to providing leverage
to the religious right in their ceaseless attempts to enforce compliance for
the practice where it is not voluntary.
Traditional
Muslims often bristle at such criticism by downplaying the social pressures
faced by women who reject the hijab. This, however, is a gross
misrepresentation of reality. Even women, who supposedly choose it, do so
because they are rarely if ever exposed to an alternative analysis on the
issue, which does not consider the hijab a religious requirement.
Women's
"choice" in the matter can be considered authentic only if they are
exposed to alternative narratives on modesty, which do not prescribe the
covering of the hair or face.
Turkey
as a modern state and last bastion of secular Islam must continue to uphold its
tradition of the separation of religion and state. The headgear or hijab is a
political tool and a threat to Turkey's long secular tradition. Currently,
there is tremendous pressure on secular women to cover up according to orthodox
requirements, even in large cities. The present government has also attempted
to eliminate the secular dress code in government offices. It has taken a
slower, steadier path, careful not to jolt the establishment too quickly while
at the same time floating an occasional trial balloon for social reforms to
advance the Islamist agenda.
Islamism,
quite distinct from Islam, is a fascist ideology that needs to be countered
with equal force at each step of its numerous incursions into civil society. It
strikes at the foundational principles of liberal and secular democracies such
as Canada as well, seeking eventually to undermine cherished values of freedom,
pluralism and egalitarianism.
At the
same time the Islamists are brandishing the pluralism card to advance their
religious agenda; they are making plans eventually to suppress any competing
worldview.
And it
is important to mention here that left-wing dalliance with multiculturalism as
a social construct allowing the spread of Islamism is misguided to say the
least. These people are barely aware of the Islamists' long-term agenda to
establish a radical form of Islam which will ultimately allow no
inter-religious or intra-religious dissent.
Proponents
of multiculturalism must recognize that the two philosophies are mutually
contradictory at practically every step of the game, and cannot possibly forge
a genuine relationship based on universal humanistic principles.
Farzana
Hassan is president of Muslim Canadian Congress. The Gazette (Montreal)
Source:http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/features/viewpoints/story.html?id=cf0fd94c-7a3c-4b1f-b742-def044c4937d
* * *
* *
Perfecting
Our Hijab: Some reflections on the "Hijab Revolution" in the
West
03
November 2008
Written
by Islamic Insights
Is
this really Hijab?
How
many of us think we know the meaning of Hijab so well that we could practice
proper Hijab, but only if we wanted to? While the Hijab serves as to preserve
one's dignity, honour, and respect alongside the safety of one's beauty and
chastity, these are all secondary reasons for observing Hijab. The fundamental
purpose is that of obeying Allah's orders and striving to become obedient
Muslims, so that we may be blessed with the promised rewards. Whatever the
situation, sisters in Islam are trying hard when it comes to practicing the
Hijab, but are we trying our best?
How
many of you have seen a Hijabi smoking in public and thought, "Great, now
people will label all Hijabis as smokers"? Now, let us not delve into the
Islamic laws behind whether or not smoking is permissible in Islam or that
females have just as many rights to engage in such acts as males. It doesn't
have as much to do with smoking as with the fact that the Hijab is visibly the
"flag of Islam", and as such, our sisters carry a great
responsibility. Just to emphasize the weight of this responsibility which the
Muslim women carry, we may relate a female's Hijab as having a similar level of
importance as a male standard-bearer's role during war. Furthermore, this
Islamic responsibility is a combination of two factors: not just the physical
Hijab, but also the social Hijab.
The Qur’an
reminds us: "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 (ordinarily) appear thereof." (24:31)
We all
know that the meaning of Hijab is to be modest. But for some reason, every
Hijabi we see seems to have her own interpretation of modesty. Hijab is a
fundamental element of the Islamic faith, universal amongst all Muslims
irrespective of the differing schools of thought. Despite this, the women in
Islam are incapable or choose not to maintain a universal – or at least a
similar – context when it comes to the physical Hijab. Sure, Hijab is not a
"uniform", and Hijabis need not be marching around in exactly the
same garb so that people think the sisters are forming some kind of Hijabi
military base at the local community centre, but a little uniformity and
attention to the "modesty" aspect of Hijab would be nice.
While
it is natural for the so-called "Hijab Revolution" to have taken
place recently, especially with the number of Muslims increasing in the West,
there seems to be no "standard" with the Hijabis. This often leads to
the Hijab aspect of Islam coming off as a "cultural" aspect rather
than a religious one. Worse yet, due to the excessive differences among Hijab
practices both physical and social, unfortunately our entire religion may come
across as having no "standard" with an excessive amount of
flexibility that lets individuals suit Islam to their own convenience.
An
analysis of the Hijabi population will depict the variety of the Hijab methods
practiced with the utmost differentiation when it comes to tightness, colours,
sizes, and styles of Hijab. On one hand we have the fully-covered yet
fully-colored Abaya Hijabis, and on the other hand, we have the Hijabis with
clothes so tight (or see-through, for that matter) that if they wore a t-shirt,
they would probably be revealing less. We also see those Hijabis who are
covered well yet leave their bangs hanging out, or the very decently-dressed
sisters with faces which are so immensely covered in make-up that their Hijab
defeats the purpose of the above mentioned verse of the Qur'an, which is
instructing women to not display their beauty in public except for that which
is natural.
With
the recent trends of Hijabi Runways, we see models on the catwalk dressed in
the latest fashion clothing with a tiny little covering over their hair. Where
is the value of Hijab in a catwalk, if the purpose is to establish one's
character and self-respect on everything but their physical appearance? While
it is necessary for the sisters to dress appropriately to their lifestyle
contexts and careers, sometimes the mind can't help but wonder if the idea of
"blending-in" but within the limits of proper Hijab is negated by the
idea of "We wear Hijab, but still have a passion for fashion." Having
a good sense of fashion doesn't attribute any negative aspects to a person's
character, but if this fashion sense equates to beautifying one's self and displaying
oneself such that our sisters appear to be physically appealing even while in
Hijab, than something is very wrong with that type of Hijab.
The
idea is not to point fingers towards the Hijabis and annoyingly peck at those
areas where they falter, but rather to highlight to our Muslim sisters that the
way we practice Hijab heavily affects the way non-Muslims interpret Islam as a
whole. Not only this, but if there is fault in the way Hijab is being
practiced, then the reward from God will be also be likewise. Proper Hijab does
not just comprise of a tiny headscarf but can only be achieved when also
combined with the maintenance of Islamic methods of social interaction.
One
could argue that Muslim males should be just as cautious as women, and
agreeably, they must! But it is a woman's physical Hijab factor which, when
intertwined with the social Hijab factor, forms a special combination which
makes her responsibility towards portraying Islam much more delicate and
unique.
The
social Hijab is basically the way a female presents her, behaves, and interacts
with others in public. Looking back at the example of our sisters smoking in
public, it is vital for Hijabis to maintain good manners while in the presence
of others, because the truth is, Hijabis are judged by society based on their
actions too. As women are being constantly judged by society, they deserve
every right to demand self-respect.
A few
ways by which sisters can obtain respect from society is by being particularly
careful of the way they interact in mixed gatherings with the opposite gender.
More than often I see sisters in brilliant Hijab; however, the way some sisters
joke and spend time with non-mahrams can only hint that a bit of flirtation
(which leads to forbidden actions) is flying in the air. However, we also do
have the overly-friendly sisters who do not intentionally act the way they do
around non-mahrams, yet they need to realize that intentions aside, there may
be room for improvement in their Hijab practice while in the company of men.
Going
right down to the bone of what "good behaviour" is, all we need to do
is that the next time we are in public, we must stop and remember that Allah is
watching us. If we remember this reality that our Lord is monitoring us at all
times, there will be a guaranteed immediate improvement in our social Hijab.
Out the window will go all the gossiping, coarse language, and disrespect
towards elders and others, not to mention the flirting and excessive joking.
Admirable
are those sisters who manage to establish such respect and dignity for
themselves amongst non-Muslims, that without having to explain the
"rules" of our religion, people who interact with the Hijabi are able
to grasp her character through non-verbal vibes and act accordingly while in
her presence. For example, when someone uses a bad word around a Hijabi and
there is an awkward silence, people stop what they are doing and look at the
Hijabi with embarrassment and mumble an apology. Or when there is ill-talk
about another person behind their back, and when people realize that a Hijabi
is present, the topic is quickly brushed off. This is the type of dignity and
respect that Islam believes women must command and deserve from society.
While
the world seeks to establish identity through attractive clothing and glitzy
appearances, without giving much importance to behaviour, morals, social
conduct, and self-respect, it is absolutely imperative for us Muslim women to
maintain both the physical and social Hijab in such a way that reflects its
true purpose and as a result of which we can proudly stand before our Lady
Fatima Zahra and Lady Zainab (peace be upon them) on the Day of Judgment
without regrets.
Comments:
...
written
by agreed , November 03, 2008
I
agree with all the points of this article, but I think the importance of men's
behaviour is a little underemphasized here - I suspect this was written by a
male. I think men deceive themselves if they think they are not nearly the same
level of representative of Islam as a woman in hijab - seeing a Muslim male
smoking is if not equally repugnant and taken as representative of Islam, then
nearly so. Muslim men sometimes think they are invisible, that they can go to
clubs and bars, they can ignore their prayers, they can dress immodestly, and
none of it matters or reflects on their religion, but it truly does. If you
consider that a large percentage of converts to Islam are women who learn about
Islam through men, many of them are actually getting very bad examples of Islam
from the first Muslims they meet, and that can cause problems.
That
being said, I am one that thinks fashion and hijab don't really quite mix. Not
saying a woman has to look frumpy or dress inappropriately for the job she's
doing, etc., the intention of the fashion industry, as far as I can tell, is to
draw attention to women's bodies as a form of art or advertising/sales.
Further, it is a very materialistic industry that promotes discarding perfectly
good items for the latest trend, as well as overpaying for name brands, etc. I
think women are constantly pressured to adapt their hijab to the latest trends,
to make it more attention-getting, tighter, brighter, glitzier, etc. The effect
is to make a hijab-wearing woman less modest and really make her hijab-less
just wearing a scarf.
...
written
by what is modest dress , November 03, 2008
I
think that is a good question to ask, for men and women, before heading out the
door. Maybe you have seen that TV show on the Discovery channel with the family
with 17 kids and one on the way. Anyone looking at how that family dresses
would call it modest, even though the women don't cover their hair. So although
we should make sure the extent matches Islamic rulings and for women does cover
the hair, we also need to ask, is this a modest style so that others seeing it
would look at it and think that is an appropriate descriptor to apply? If it is
tight, fancy, really bright, etc., then chances are it wouldn't be described
that way and we need to think about if it is appropriate.
...
written
by HiddenSoldier , November 03, 2008
it is
absolutely imperative for us Muslim women to maintain both the physical and
social Hijab in such a way that reflects its true purpose and as a result of
which we can proudly stand before our Lady Fatima Zahra and Lady Zainab (peace
be upon them) on the Day of Judgment without regrets.
The
author seems to be a female.
Whilst
in the eyes of Allah (swt) both men and women are equal whilst smoking/engaging
in other generally disliked acts, I think the idea is that Hijabi Muslims in
particular, are much more identifiable as Muslims in comparison to the majority
of Muslim men.
....
written
by Anonymous , November 03, 2008
Whether
the author is male or female, shouldn't be a factor.
...
written
by no kidding , November 03, 2008
People
sure are getting argumentative here lately! Can't we all just get along and try
to learn/benefit from the articles and be positive?
Beautiful!
written
by ... , November 03, 2008
If we
remember this reality that our Lord is monitoring us at all times, there will
be a guaranteed immediate improvement in our social Hijab.
Bingo!
Add to
the list Shaking hands with non-mahram
written
by HadhratKhadija1 , November 03, 2008
Can we
all also agree to not shake hands with non-mahram. It gets very confusing for
non-Muslims when they see one Muslim willingly shaking hands and another
refusing to do so. We could do each of us a big favor if we just went by one
standard of politely and elegantly rejecting a handshake by a non-mahram.
...
written
by shaking hands , November 03, 2008
Yes,
it is hard - like if a teacher has parents show up for conferences of course
the parents try to shake hands, or people go for job interviews and want to
shake hands, or you receive an award and the person giving the award in front
of everyone extends his/her hand. You don't want to offend them, but when
meetings are so short and long explanations aren't possible, it can be hard to
set a good first and only impression if they misunderstand and get offended or
hurt feelings. If there were a universal response it would make it just a
little bit easier, even in places where Muslims aren't common, because they
might see it in the media or something like that.
Source:
http://islamicinsights.com/religion/religion/perfecting-our-hijab.html
URL: