Amanda Stott Dr. Ehret Islam 12/2/2021 Islam is perceived in different ways depending on a variety of demographics. This makes it difficult to ever pick a version of Islam that is considered true. In order to fully understand the religion it must be studied from several different perspectives, with every region and culture in mind. In modern times, many Western civilizations see Islam as an oppressive religion, especially when it comes to women’s rights. Though this may be true in some countries, it is ignorant to assume that all Islamic countries oppress women. Not to mention, what western civilizations see as oppressive may be a long lasting tradition for different cultures, in which women are in favor of. In this essay I will explore the rights of women when Islam was formed, the supposed incompatibility between feminism and Islam, and the true perspectives regarding hijabs from modern Muslim women. There are a few major issues that scholars find when attempting to educate themselves on Islam and culture during the time of Muhamad. The largest issue being that almost every credible source about this era was actually written hundreds of years later. On top of that, many Muslims believe that later sources cancel out earlier sources when it comes to instructions from god, making it difficult to understand which sources Muslims view as credible. There are sources that highlight events during the time before Islam was formed. During the Jahiliyya, or the period of ignorance, it was written that Arab cultures practiced female infanticide, and that women had very little rights. Therefore showing, contrary to popular belief, that Islam actually granted women rights rather than oppressing them. The formation of Islam granted women the right to divorce, vote, inherit funds, education, and property. There are also rigid gender roles within Islam that highlight that the husband must always care for and protect his wife. It is stated in the Qur’an that men must be guardians to women. Additionally, men are expected to share their earnings with their wife and family, but women are not obligated to share their money and may spend or save it however they wish. Many turn to stories of Muhammad himself as a way to better understand the treatment of women under Islam. Women from this time reported that Muhammad was very kind and gentle towards them, and that he listened to the opinions of women as much as men. It was even stated that Muhammad would force the men to stay seated in the mosque, allowing women to leave first as it was most convenient for them. Muhammad had several wives throughout his lifetime, all of them having only positive things to say. Muhammad’s first wife was Khadija, a wealthy, older woman. She was extremely independent, and she made her wealth off of the family business of being a merchant. She may have been a widow, though it is not proven. If that were true, it would have been swiped under the rug, as women were supposed to be a virgin upon marriage during this time. If Muhammad married her regardless of this, it would show his compassion towards her and would show that he very much saw her as a person, not property. Khadija actually proposed to Muhammad, which was very uncommon at the time. Being his first love, Muhammad took no other wives while he was married to Khadija, contrary to tradition. They had several sons and daughters together, yet both sons died at a very young age, and Fatimah is considered the only true biological daughter between them. Speaking about Khadija, Muhammad stated “She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand”. Khadija is still known today as the first ever convert to Islam. After Khadija’s death, Muhammad married Aisha, the daughter of his closest companion, Abu Bakr. His relationship with Aisha is slightly controversial, as they supposedly consummated their marriage when Aisha was nine years old. However, there is evidence that shows that the age of consummation may have been a lie in order to assure the public that Muhammad’s second wife was a virgin upon marriage. This is especially believable in hindsight, as Aisha was the public’s favorite wife of Muhammad. Since she was much younger than Muhammad, she lived a long while after his death. After his death she continued to spread his message by telling stories and traditions to the new generation of Muslims. Aisha was a determined, intelligent, young woman, and she is still seen as a role model by millions of Muslim women today. Many believe that Muhammad’s gentle demeanor towards women was a guide for other Muslim men. There is a sense of incompatibility between Western feminists and the concept of hijabs and Islam in general. Western feminists often take a stand regarding hijabs, but fail to see the issue from an insider perspective. There have been many positive statements made about the wearing of hijabs, but Western feminists tend to brush it off as false conceptions created by men. When it comes to religion, Islam is seen as one of the most patriarchal. The negative views on Hijabs have become so powerful in France, that left leaning people have now combined with conservatives in the way that they are both prejudiced against Islam. Many people believe that even when a woman chooses to wear a hajib, it is not truly her choice due to intense social pressures from friends, family, and sometimes the government. Misinformation continues to be spread about hijabs, such as an article released in 2015 by The daily mail, which heavily associated hijabs with the terrorist group ISIS. In 2014, France banned the wearing of Burkas in public places. The ban was followed with the claim that action was taken in order to free and benefit Muslims. Prejudice against hijabs not only effects women, but paints a picture that the men accompanying said women are monstrous oppressors, which is not always true. In Iran, all forms of Hijabs were prohibited in public in 1936. This ban was so extreme that soldiers walked the streets ripping them off women’s heads and tearing them to pieces. This ban was lifted in 1983 after a new ruler came to power. Western critique of hijabs is ironic due to the fact that the bible states women should be fully veiled. This statement is obviously not followed in present time, but is still written in the text. The debate over Hijabs also translates into the sports industry. From 2007 until 2012, FIFA banned women from wearing headscarves while playing. Though it was overturned, government officials in France still refused to lift the ban. Though Hijabs are widely debated, it’s not fair to have an opinion without fully understanding the meaning and history behind it. A large reason for the rise of Islamophobia is western citizens failing to understand the difference between cultural practices and religious practices. For example, child marriage was an ancient practice long before Islam, yet it is associated with Islam and used as a way to discriminate against Muslims. Similarly, Hijabs existed long before the formation of Islam in ancient Assyria around the 13th century BC. Additionally, the common practice of wearing hijabs in Islam began because women wanted to emulate Muhammad’s wives, who did indeed wear hijabs. There is no statement from Muhammad or God that claims women must cover their hair. It is stated in the Qur’an that both women and men should dress modestly, which can be very open to interpretation. Covering one’s hair is not due to inferiority, in fact the Qur’an states that all are equal in the eyes of God, regardless of gender, class, or race. The intersection between religion and politics often skews the true message of Islam. There are a few countries that force women to cover, yet these governments twist the words of Islam to be used for their own agenda. This is a practice in which many different countries and religions are guilty of. Aside from the few countries that radicalized Islam, such as Saudi Arabia, the choice to cover one’s hair is just that: a choice. In modern times a women’s hijab communicates a lot about her to the people around her. It can tell you a women’s social class, race, and nationality. Many women wear hijabs because it makes them feel closer to God. Women also state that they feel valued for their intellect rather than their looks when they are veiled, as well as having more freedom in public and finding easier to relate to men. Women also pick and choose when covering is the best option for them. For example, one woman stated that she wears tight clothing to the gym, but wears a cloak overtop while on her way there. Another women states that she usually removes her hijab while traveling, in order to avoid harassment at airports. Muslim women haven’t found it difficult to modernize their clothing while still keeping their promise to God. “Subversive veiling” has become a common practice. This involves wearing a loose headscarf with a modern outfit, such as skinny jeans and a trendy sweater. Abayas, a loose cloak which used to only come in black, are becoming much more creative. Abayas now come decorated with jewels, beads, rhinestones, crystals, embroidery, silk, and lace. Christian Dior even creates designer abayas, costing tens of thousands of dollars. Though western feminism and the concept of hijabs are supposedly incompatible, what is more of a feminist action than allowing a women to choose what she wears? Western citizens often misperceive Islam as a whole, believing that women are terribly oppressed. In reality, the formation of Islam granted many rights to women that they previously didn’t have. The lack of understanding between cultural practices and religious practices causes westerners to put all Muslims in the same category, when they are in fact very different from culture to culture. Further education regarding Islam would allow Western citizens to better understand Muslim practices and end discrimination towards them. Aaron Hughes. ”Constructing Muslim Women” in Muslim Identities. Columbia University Press: 2009, 254-271 Harkness, Geoff. 29 Nov. 2018, “Hijab Micropractices: The Strategic and Situational Use of Clothing by Qatari Women.” Wiley Online Library, Sociological Forum, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/socf.12481. Hasan, M. 1 Jan. 1970, “[PDF] the Feminist ‘Quarantine’ on Hijab: A Study of Its Two Mutually Exclusive Sets of Meanings: Semantic Scholar.” Undefined, https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Feminist%E2%80%9CQuarantine%E2%80%9D-on-Hijab%3A-A-Study-of-ItsHasan/88db59eb1d75061bc6bc02dc201c82f0937034e9. Soliman, Nadia. November 10th, 2021 “Reflections on Islam in a global context.” 18 Nov. 2020 “New Zealand Police Introduce Hijab to Uniform.” BBC News, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54983393.
