I feel a bit liberated wearing the hijab lately

[Anonymous]

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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?

You get that men also cover their heads in many places where women wear hijabs, and men are also required to dress modestly?
but I hear you, you dont know what islamaphobia is

But she IS thinking about it. She is thinking about it enough to write a long diatribe on DCUM about how empowered she is and how her forehead wrinkles don’t show now.

Maybe you are right and I am “Islamophobic,” (what does that even mean?) but I feel the same about any religious push towards “modesty,” it’s always only for women. It’s just that nuns have never told me that they are empowered feminists.

Where are men required to cover their heads? I don’t think that is a requirement … anywhere.

Directives to be “modest” are always aimed primarily at women in any religion where it is a value, from Mormons to Muslims. I’m actually from a Muslim country where hijabs are growing less common and I speak Arabic but maybe you know better than me, especially whether I am Islamophobic. 👍

Also from a Muslim country, so I guess we are tied. Although I have a hard time believing that an American woman living in the US doesn't know what Islamaphobia is, or questions if it exists. Google for instructions on how men should dress. Here are the first two hits i got:

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/faith/2018/10/18/modesty-islam/1647658002/
https://study.com/academy/lesson/islamic-clothing-overview-practices.html#:~:text=What%20do%20Islamic%20men%20wear,as%20well%20when%20in%20public.

12:05 here. The articles you posted were informative and consistent with what I've been taught. I think they are a great launching point for further discussions on why 'modesty' for men looks different than 'modesty' for women. As clearly noted in the 2nd link, women are expected cover more of their bodies than men. Men are only expected to cover from the navel to the knee while women are to cover everything except hands and face.

This expectation isn't unique to Islam. It's a cultural thing but because culture can't be removed from religion, that distinction is often lost. It's a pervasive belief in the US as well - look at the reactions to women wearing sleeveless garments in political settings. In 2017, women from both political parties protested a rule barring congresswomen from showing their arms on the House floor and the adjoining Speaker’s Lobby. Look at last year's dress code from the Missouri state house. Don't get me started on high school dress codes for girls.

All this to say while it's great that OP feels more empowered, wearing hijab does not remove her from the system of commodification of women. It doesn't hold men accountable for their biases and it doesn't make the statement OP thinks it does.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:how on earth does a hijab make you "feel liberated". Please explain. in detali

You don't have to style or worry about your hair in public. Don't need the latest clothing. Op said it helps her feel less conscious about wrinkles so she's probably not getting Botox. Women spend hours and lots of time on beauty. We have a community here devoted to it. Some African Americans wear wigs. It frees up time maintaining hair.

I wear. hijab but I certainly worry about wearing the latest clothing and looking good as do most hijabis. A lot of hijab is oppressive and forced on women- there are plenty of empowered women who dont wear hijab but there are also plenty of empowered women who DO wear it.

The above reference to nuns- well actually it is like that- being a nun IS empowering b/c it is making a statement about your priorities. As a muslim my purpose is to Glorify GOD and worship Him and serve creation to the best of my ability. Muslims shouldn't have much daylight between how they live and cloistered people- the minimum expected of us is praying 5 times a day- the most important prayer is the dawn prayer and that is a minimum, truly goodmuslims get up in the small hours justlike nuns and minks and pray tahajjud and also voluntarily fast regularly outside of ramadan. It is supposed to be a balance between the deprivations of asceticism which are unsustainable and also to make the joys of religious life available to all not just the privileged few b/c monks and nuns to those who truly believe are privileged to put away the business and cares of material striving, parenthood and familial burdens and focus only on the relationship that supersedes all and that is what the hijab does. If you look at how muslim men traditionally dressed, it wasn't that different- modesty is the defining characteristic of a true believer and any muslim who doesn't revel in their modesty is lacking in a fundamental understanding of shariah. the OP of this post doesn't actually understand the purpose of religious dress. Hijab should be a reminder to women who bear a heavy burden in life that despite what the world demands of them- they have a refuge in God who knows that they stand equal with their male counterparts- that their worship and inner needs are just as much of a priority-it serves as. constant nonverbal reminder to men that these women serve a higher purpose and power than them and I think men do need constant reminders that they arent the center of the universe. It is also possible to do this without a hijab or dressing certain way of course- the adoption of 'religious' garb to include all Muslim women is a religious statement that doesn't apply to other women who are quite capable of standing up for themselves without it. also caring for one's appearance is not a frivolous thing, God is beautiful and loves beauty, the desire for it is an innate human characteristic. to strive to overcome ones humanity is both futile and rebellion against the divine order. Beauty can be a separate thing than sexiness.

Sorry, I drafted this and posted it in response to another poster. It belongs here.

Why does every post defending hijab have to slag off Christianity? Especially when the claims are so uninformed, although maybe that’s what you’re being taught. Being a nun or a monk is NOT the only way to lead a full Christian life, what a silly thing to say.

Anyway, veiling was NOT all that common on Mohammed’s day. It was common among wealthy women like Mohammed’s wives. Poor women, who worked on the fields etc, couldn’t manage a veil.