what do you think when you see a woman in a hijab?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that she's oppressed and not respected in her household. I don't want to think this, but I do.

Be careful about judging too quickly. There may be some households like this, but since marrying into a family that has a Muslim woman as a member I've gotten to know her and her mom, sisters, aunts etc. My family member who is Muslim does not wear the hijab though she is religious. Her mom began wearing it when she was in her 30's and went through a difficult time, and felt God got her through. She feels it reminds her of her faith, that's all. Some of her sisters wear it, some not -- all a choice not dictated by husbands. These are all highly educated, strong, opinionated women.

Plenty of strong, independent, intelligent women unwittingly propagate sexist traditions. Like taking the husband's name upon marriage.

[Anonymous]

I think to myself, "I'm glad that I don't have to wear one." However, on bad hair days or in the winter a hijab would probably come in handy.

[Anonymous]

I would like to point out that all of the big 3 monotheistic religions have a passage in their holy text saying women should cover their hair.

I try to make eye contact and be pleasant. I think they probably get more distrust from strangers than a woman without a hijab.

I feel a tinge of pity for a woman in the full gear with only a thinner fabric over her eyes so she can see. What's the head to toe covering called? I hope the women don't feel shame for looking like women. I have never spent time speaking to one of these women, so I fully accept that my assumptions could be untrue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to point out that all of the big 3 monotheistic religions have a passage in their holy text saying women should cover their hair.

I try to make eye contact and be pleasant. I think they probably get more distrust from strangers than a woman without a hijab.

I feel a tinge of pity for a woman in the full gear with only a thinner fabric over her eyes so she can see. What's the head to toe covering called? I hope the women don't feel shame for looking like women. I have never spent time speaking to one of these women, so I fully accept that my assumptions could be untrue.

In the New Testament, it's Paul not Jesus who says that women should cover their hair. And it's while they're in church only, as a sign of respect to God, not out of fear of other men. Just saying.

The head-to-toe covering is a burka or abaya, depending on where she lives. Niqab is the face covering. The Quran does NOT instruct women to cover their faces or to dress in a shroud. The Quran only says to dress modestly and to cover the breast-hair region, and plenty of Muslim women have concluded that dressing modestly satisfies the requirements. When you see a full body veil, it's cultural, or it's imposed by the husband, or the woman is making a political statement. To answer OP's question, it would be impossible to say which one of these unless you know her.

[Anonymous]

I always wonder what her hair looks like! And I hate that I don't get to see it even though I'm a woman. And I'm not unusually obsessed with hair or something. I just don't like that, by covering themselves from men, these women also put up a barrier between themselves and other women. I mostly feel that way about my colleagues and other women I know well who wear hijab--not strangers on the street.

[Anonymous]

That she is most likely way too hot under all of that cloth.

[Anonymous]

I don't want my daughter to end up like that !!!!

[Anonymous]

My first thought is, "Does she have a bomb underneath?" and then I instinctively cross the street and move away from her. I thinknthis even though I have traveled extensively through the Middle East for work and for pleasure (Bahrain, Jordan, UAE, Egypt). Ethnically, many people would consider me Middle Eastern.

[Anonymous]

honestly, nothing. I've taught a lot of muslim students and gotten to know their mothers....who wear the hajib. The last parent I had always brought me awesome food after holidays...so sometimes I think about that.

[Anonymous]

I don't think anything, honestly. Indian cultural clothing, though, I find myself envying. It's such a nice combination of colourful and modest without being stifling.

[Anonymous]

Her husband is controlling

[Anonymous]

That she's Muslim.

[Anonymous]

That unless our politicians wake up, we'll all be wearing it in 50 years.

[Anonymous]

I had to google it. I have seen some. I thought the person was a nun. I guess I have been mistaken

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remind myself (a white Jewish woman) to make eye contact and smile so she knows I'm friendly and not viewing her as a terrorist or something. I feel like Muslim women are viewed with a lot of suspicion and hostility, so I want to be clear it's not coming from me.

Like she cares.