I feel a bit liberated wearing the hijab lately

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I think OP is part of a concerted effort to get western women to adopt hijab. Similar posts have been flooding TikTok and Instagram. They tend to feature western women supposedly trying hijab and liking it. I don’t buy that this is just an accident. There’s been enough quasi-identical posts on social media that it’s raising suspicions.

I think you got it.

I've seen this too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wearing the hijab is a symbol of male oppression over women. How do you not know this?

I agree. I pity women forced by men to cover their hair. Jews too.

But in this country, plenty of women choose to and aren't forced. No one is forcing OP. No one is forcing my friend who was raised a conservative Jew and chose to be Orthodox. The women I know who wear hijabs and sheitls here CHOOSE to. I have students who choose to wear hijabs, when not all the women in their families do.

Yes, I feel bad for people who are forced and can get in actual legal trouble or will be disowned. But if it's a choice for modesty or tradition why does it matter to anyone else?

[Anonymous]

Think about this -- in the western world, men without shirts at the beach = generally okay and women without shirts at the beach generally is not.

Arbitrary?

[Anonymous]

I don't mind male attention, at 58 I'll take it so long as it with eyes only.

[Anonymous]

Here's a Quranic verse about it:

Qur’an 33:59. O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested.

Personally, to prevent molestation, I'd rather go with teaching our sons to respect women. Failing that, for the rapists out there, castration (JK, but when the alternative is every single woman covering, castration looks more appealing).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of other women turn into slobs who don’t care about their appearance and don’t cover up. Now that’s truly liberating.

The concern still is about avoiding mens' prying eyes. Why does this have to be womens' problem, and something that women alone must solve by covering or letting themselves go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

.... It is me telling the world that my femininity is not available for public consumption. I am taking control of it, and I don’t want to be part of a system that reduces and demeans women. I really believe that a non-Muslim woman could do this if she chose to. I know longer worry about face wrinkles on my forehead because the scarf covers them or my hair as much. ...

I fully support your right to chose how you present yourself in public. Presenting yourself in a way that makes you feel comfortable and in control is very empowering!

I disagree, though, that wearing hijab removes you from being part of a system that reduces and demeans women. Unless you remove yourself from society completely, you, and everyone you know, live in a world where there is systemic oppression of women. As far as physical presentation goes, I learned a long time ago that no matter what a woman/girl wears, no matter how covered, we cannot 'protect' ourselves from the male gaze - or even the female gaze because women can be just as bad as men. I experienced this while wearing hijab/covering in Pakistan, Central Asia, Indonesia, etc. My DD has experienced even as a pre-teen no matter how modestly she dresses.

I'm nearly 60 and don't worry about my wrinkles, sunspots, saggy neck or bad hair - not because I've covered them with clothing or makeup but because I know who I am and my value. My 'femininity' is not my exterior. Feminity is my interior. No matter how I present physically, with/without hijab, with/without makeup, nice clothing/sweats, etc, people will make judgments about me. But, they don't know me unless I allow them to. That doesn't change with what I wear. That you no longer worry about wrinkles/hair because your hijab covers them is an indication that you have yet to find your internal power and are relying on the hijab for that. Again, I'm glad you found empowerment and hope you continue on your journey exploring it. Thanks for sharing.

I disagree unless looking like a slop in public means empowerment to you. She's choosing not to put time into those things at least part-time.

Your statement is a reflection of the 'system' that OP describes as "reducing and demeaning women".

There is nothing sloppy about gray hair, saggy necks, age spots and no makeup. Your judgement is a reflection of misogynistic standards that a woman's worth is tied to her youth and beauty. Wearing a hijab may insulate OP a bit from that standard, and it's a valid choice. The shame is that people like you perpetuate and reinforce this system.

[Anonymous]

Yes, prevent the male gaze which is why they can't go to Islamic school in my area without wearing one from age 7. So no more wind in your hair and running free. If you don't wear it you can't go to that school and your family is ostracized. So give me a break about free will and all that blah-blah-blah.

Sexualizing little children and bundling them up to prevent the male gaze?

Yeah, let's import those "values" to the West and see how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Yawn. This is so not stealth weath or waspy, so I am not interested.

[Anonymous]

You go, girl.

I started wearing daisy dukes and pasties outside of work because I ain’t afraid of the patriarchy. Me and you is like twins! We both know our worth. I tell them truckers, I says “listen boys, you caint tell me sht! I’m gonna wear whatever and you gone like it!”

It’s about defeating that male power structure!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anti hijabers, why don't you go out every day in a bikini?

I do. I literally wear such tight leggings that everyone calls me “moose knuckles” at work. And you know what? I love it.

[Anonymous]

I like not having any religious baggage. Like so many people are weighed done by unnecessary guilt or shame or dogma. Life’s too short. That’s great you’ve found peace with what is essentially a symbol of oppression. I literally don’t even consider the topic because it’s just not something I would ever think about. It’s like how I just don’t consider the state of North Dakota much. It’s there, but I really could give two fks about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've known enough women from traditional religions that feel this way that it's unsurprising. Liberal culture should be accepting of women making choices that work for them like this. You and I probably don't see eye to eye on a lot of social issues, I'm in a same sex marriage to someone trans, but I'm happy if this works for you.

Just don’t ask your OP friend whether she thinks your “same sex marriage to someone trans” is okay…and your Kumbyah-fest will turn out juuuuuust fine.

Same sex marriage to someone trans = straight man and women couple with extra steps, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a Quranic verse about it:

Qur’an 33:59. O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested.

Personally, to prevent molestation, I'd rather go with teaching our sons to respect women. Failing that, for the rapists out there, castration (JK, but when the alternative is every single woman covering, castration looks more appealing).

This protection was for an era when this was common. Times have changed. In USA, a woman can learn martial arts and carry a gun, call 911, drive away in a car. Times have changed, so should interpretations and rules. If we go by old rules, boys and young men should do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anti hijabers, why don't you go out every day in a bikini?

I do. I literally wear such tight leggings that everyone calls me “moose knuckles” at work. And you know what? I love it.

That's inappropriate for a work place.