I feel a bit liberated wearing the hijab lately

[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.

Are men allowed the same attire?

[Anonymous]

This is what the shariah law proponents preach. Why live in a free society when you can live in an oppressive one?

[Anonymous]

You body your choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is what the shariah law proponents preach. Why live in a free society when you can live in an oppressive one?

Shariah law proponents cover their faces and wear loose gowns, not put a scarf on head, paint face with make up and wear fitted clothes and jewelry.

OP is insecure and trying to justify her choice.

[Anonymous]

We support her choice and her right to not make this choice until now and to make a different choice if she isn't happy with it. People evolve and change, no shame in it. No need to feel insecure or justify it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Because of what it represents. Your logic would have wearing swastikas not be a big deal either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Because of what it represents. Your logic would have wearing swastikas not be a big deal either.

12:04 here. This is a false equivalency. Just because hijab is compulsory in a few countries does not mean it is equivalent to western feeling on swastikas. Many cultures, including white, Christian European, have traditions of covering. In the US, it's just less common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what the shariah law proponents preach. Why live in a free society when you can live in an oppressive one?

Shariah law proponents cover their faces and wear loose gowns, not put a scarf on head, paint face with make up and wear fitted clothes and jewelry.

OP is insecure and trying to justify her choice.

Sounds like OP is covering her entire face, because she says she's hiding her wrinkles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what the shariah law proponents preach. Why live in a free society when you can live in an oppressive one?

Shariah law proponents cover their faces and wear loose gowns, not put a scarf on head, paint face with make up and wear fitted clothes and jewelry.

OP is insecure and trying to justify her choice.

Sounds like OP is covering her entire face, because she says she's hiding her wrinkles.

You don't know much about hijab it seems. Lots of them can cover parts of the forehead similar to bangs. If she was covering her face there's a different name for that. Doubt she's doing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what the shariah law proponents preach. Why live in a free society when you can live in an oppressive one?

Shariah law proponents cover their faces and wear loose gowns, not put a scarf on head, paint face with make up and wear fitted clothes and jewelry.

OP is insecure and trying to justify her choice.

Sounds like OP is covering her entire face, because she says she's hiding her wrinkles.

You don't know much about hijab it seems. Lots of them can cover parts of the forehead similar to bangs. If she was covering her face there's a different name for that. Doubt she's doing that.

What's wrong with her forehead, apart from a few wrinkles?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard this sentiment a lot. Lots of people think it can be a feminist stance. 30 years ago I entertained the idea. I don't anymore because I don't think male respect or female empowerment is the reason behind it. I think the reason behind it is to police women's looks, mobility and agency, and to make male lust the responsibility of women. You can put it on but you can't take it off. It's not a choice in Iran where women are taking them off as an act of rebellion. You are not subject to morality police, so you can cosplay it to represent whatever you want it to, and you'll find plenty of women who agree with you.

This is so true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I moved to a new state recently and decided to start wearing a hijab (covering my hair). When you think of the hijab, you probably don’t think “political”. Or “independent”. Or “empowered”. Feminist? In a society where our value seems to be based on looks I think covering your hair and dressing modest can be an alterative to avoid this. Woman/sex combination is everywhere.. especially instagram.. it's like soft porn. Everywhere it seems there are ads for enhancing your ass... and lots of people have become obsessed with taking photos of themselves.. Wearing hijab is not the only way to express my feelings and frustrations; but knowing that our interpretation of liberal culture embraces, if not encourages, uncovering, covering up is a way to reject that. I do not believe that the hair in itself is that important; this is not about protection from men’s lusts. 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 still color my hair and get haircuts but I don't worry about styling it everyday. I speak as a woman who just happens to come from the Islamic faith. I also noticed I worry less about my clothing.

I find it so interesting that you write that your “femininity is not available for public consumption.” Frankly it sounds like you view yourself and your femininity, and by extension your sexuality, as something that can be consumed by others, as opposed to an immutable part of you that cannot and should not be hidden.

You are objectifying yourself instead of waiting for others to do so. I have heard some variation of this argument, including this “consumption” language from multiple Muslim sources including people I know, so I do not think OP’s thinking is unique. But I do find it sort of silly that this is what passes for “empowered” to some people.

This is my ultimate issue with this absurd argument that the hijab and modesty are somehow “empowering:” obscuring your appearance is placing an assigned value on your appearance where there should be none. My body, as a woman, should have a neutral existence in the world much as a man’s body does (within reason). Whether I am pretty or ugly or dressed sexy or having a bad hair day or whatever cannot negate that I am a female, that I have a female body, and that the world around me can perceive that. If I am truly “empowered,” I will express myself through my appearance as I see fit without consideration for other people’s preferences.

The hijab is ultimately a religious observance with various religious justifications and anyone who wants to should wear one. It is not and never will be a symbol of empowerment no matter how much of a mental pretzel women like OP try to twist. The history of feminism in the Arab world has largely been ignored but women threw off their headscarves en masse in the early 1900s because they understood what they truly represented.

TL; DR: if you were truly empowered you wouldn’t give a sh** about forehead wrinkles, instagram ads, etc. You are a woman, not a product, not an object, not something that can be used and tossed based on your age or sexuality or appearance.

[Anonymous]

^ oh, give me a break. I see what you are saying, from your perspcetive, but the fact is we live in a society where there is objectification, some internalized and some external.

It would be awesome if we were all so strong as for us to still not care, but it's not reality.

I gather the OP just likes to eliminate that variable and not think about it, period, and this helps her.

To each their own

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ oh, give me a break. I see what you are saying, from your perspcetive, but the fact is we live in a society where there is objectification, some internalized and some external.

It would be awesome if we were all so strong as for us to still not care, but it's not reality.

I gather the OP just likes to eliminate that variable and not think about it, period, and this helps her.

To each their own

That’s fine, and that’s her right, but it doesn’t make her “liberated” or “empowered.” My 70 year old mother putzing around in frumpy pants and comfy shoes is more empowered, because she just no longer gives a crap. It’s not that hard to find empowered women if you look around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ oh, give me a break. I see what you are saying, from your perspcetive, but the fact is we live in a society where there is objectification, some internalized and some external.

It would be awesome if we were all so strong as for us to still not care, but it's not reality.

I gather the OP just likes to eliminate that variable and not think about it, period, and this helps her.

To each their own

That’s fine, and that’s her right, but it doesn’t make her “liberated” or “empowered.” My 70 year old mother putzing around in frumpy pants and comfy shoes is more empowered, because she just no longer gives a crap. It’s not that hard to find empowered women if you look around.

YOu can't see why if you don't have to think about something, it could be empowering?
How much of this is Islamaphobia?