Fatemeh Fakhraie’s essay “Scarfing it Down,” explains how Muslim women suffer because of what they wear. Fakhraie blogs about Muslim women in her website she explains; “Seeing ourselves portrayed in the media in ways that are one-dimensional and misleading." Several people judge Muslim's by their appearance because they assume they're a bad person. The author of this essay wants the reader to know that Muslim women wearing a hijab are not a threat to the world.
Fakhraie launches her essay by explaining how Muslim women struggle every day because of what they wear. In her essay, she talks about a teenage girl that was killed by her father because she refused to wear her hijab. Also, many women that wear a hijab are being banned from sporting events in the United States. A hijab is a “traditional Muslim garment” (Fakhraie 461) that several Muslim women wear every
…show more content…
day. She uses the strategy of pathos at the beginning of this essay when explaining; “Teen Aqsa Parvez was killed by her father last December because of her alleged refusal to wear hijab" (Fakhraie 461). Many Muslim parents take the hijab seriously because it is something they believe. The hijab is an important part of Muslim women and should be able to wear them where ever they want. Fakhraie uses the bandwagon informal fallacies because she states in her essay; "Canada were hopping on the headscarf-bandwagon set in motion by countries like France and Turkey where women in hijab are not allowed in public institutions like schools and government buildings. Many countries all around the world are banning people from wearing a hijab in places. Many people do not realize what a hijab means and are saying it is not a necessary thing to wear. Fakhraie explained in her essay that people need to talk to Muslim women about banning the hijab. Fakhraie explains in her essay, "high school track competitor Juashaunna Kelly was disqualified from a meet after officials deemed her custom-made uniform unfit for competition-even though she'd worn it to previous three seasons"(Fakhraie 461).
Many people have an issue when women wear hijab because they can't see all of their head. Fakhraie uses the strategy of ethos in her essay because women should be the ones saying if they should be allowed or not. The author explains how; " banning the hijab" (Fakhraie 461) is spreading all over the world.
The author of this essay thinks it is ridiculous that women cannot wear their hijab in certain places around the world. Many people think the hijab is not necessary. However, it is part of what Muslim women believe. She explains in her essay, "So next time you hear about a hijab ban think about your best pair of jeans or your faded t-shirt with the logo of your favorite band" (Fakhraie 461). A hijab is just like every other piece of clothing that covers up the body. It can be part of their religion, or they can wear a hijab just because they like how it
looks. In conclusion, Fakhraie wrote this essay because she wants Muslim women to speak about how they feel. Society judged Women who wear it and makes them feel like they do not belong in society. Fakhraie explains; " Its kind of like not allowing women to wear long-sleeved shirts; or, if you want to add a religious dimension to it, it's like banning Christmas sweaters" (Fakhraie 461) wearing the hijab to Muslim women is a normal thing to wear for them to wear every day. She explains in her essay how ridiculous society has become by banning a person from wearing what they want. The banning of the hijab will continue because many people do not agree with women wearing it. People should not judge a woman because she wears a hijab. There are many reasons why the hijab is not allowed in different places around the world. Although, a hijab should not be banned from Muslim women wearing them.
Professor Leila Ahmed, active Islamic feminist, in her article “Reinventing the veil” published in the Financial Times assumes that there is a connection between “advancement” and veiling, which means that unveiled women are advanced and vice versa. In addition, she supports that it led to increasing rate of violence. She questions why women wear veil, that is considered as “symbol of patriarchy and women’s oppression”. However, research changed her position towards wearing veil. Firstly, she states that wearing veil was essential for women, because it could be beneficial and influence to how people treat women, in terms of job, marriage and free movement in public. Secondly, her assumption was explained while interviewing women, who stated
One of Sultana Yusufali’s strongest arguments in “My body is my own business” is her scrutinization of the exploitation of female sexuality. Initially Yusufali writes about the injudicious individuals that assume she is oppressed by her hijab. Thereafter, she describes them as “brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress”. Moreover, Yusufali’s word choice is intriguing as she utilizes the word “brave” when laymen hear this word they habitually associate the aforementioned with heroic, valiant and courageous. Consequently, Yusufali ensues to comprise her opinions on the hijab and how it carries a number of negative connotations in western society. Furthermore, Yusufali proceeds to strike on the importance
The article “My Body Is My Own Business” by Naheed Mustafa is about an Islamic women’s principle that putting on her usual headscarf, or Hijab, actually empowers her as a female, contrary to the popular principle that the hijab represents male oppressiveness. She ex...
Women have always been thought of as something that needed to be controlled in Muslim culture. Their bodies are a source of shame that must be covered during prayer and also in the public (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 3). Veiling, done by a hijab or chador, is when women either wear a headscarf to cover themselves or they wear a veil that covers their entire body, excluding her hands and eyes (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 1; Mir-Hosseini 2003: 41; Berger 1998: 93; Smith-Hefner 2007: 390-391; Brenner 1996: 674; El Guindi 1999: 6). Veiling is used as a tool for oppression. By having women veil themselves, it enforces the control by the male run and male dominated society (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 7). Also, the punishment for women appearing without a veil transitioned as the concept of veiling was addressed, transitioning from seventy-four lashes, to being arrested and held between ten days and two months for being “immodest” women and offending public morality, or fined 50,000 to 500,000 rials (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 8). The oppression of veiling is perpetuated through the thought that it is a woman’s religious duty to wear one, condemning foreigners and women in society if they refuse. Although it is a tool for oppression, there was resistance the oppression. In ...
...ficulties surrounding the veiling practice and the resulting advantages and disadvantages. Veiling is not entirely a bad practice that’s about the spread of submissive, undermined woman. The rebellious acts by Iranian women are found by women who wear the veil, being a part of the country’s riots, and challenging what they think their history is all about. In spite of the effect of the veil, and how it’s looked at to be oppressive, Iranian women find that today they have found strength and identity by wearing their veil proudly. Additionally women who participate in the revolution, such as Marji and her mother, stuck to who they were regardless of the amount of punishment they could have gotten into with their government. Even though Iranian women are trying to overcome discrimination and dealing with being stripped of their rights, Iranian women still stand tall.
There are many different views towards Muslim choice of clothing especially wearing the veil. “I wear it believing it is necessary, but someone else can be wearing it believing that she is doing something extra” said Hamna Ahmed. One of the many reasons a Muslim can be wearing the veil are their own personal decisions too. Hamna has been wearing it for seven years now, despite her mother and three of her four sisters staying uncovered. Socially this causes an issue with the meaning of the veil and conflict with other groups. With many different consumptions of religion, what it means, what is considered to be practicing and what is not can lead to negative misunderstandings. Ultimately the decisions are up to the individuals although; there is likely to be misinterpretation between the meaningfulness of religion to family and society. On an even bigger scale of things this could also impact society and it...
A common myth set by westerners is that Iranian's don't care about women's rights because they are forced to wear veils and are considered lower than men in Iran. However, Marjane disagrees: “In no time, the way people dressed became an ideological sign. There were two kinds of women. The fundamentalist women and the modern women. You showed your opposition to the regime by letting a few strands of hair show” (75). Marjane shows that citizens of Iran are care about the rights of the women. The way you dressed was a great and easy way to show opposition to unequal women’s rights. The women that wore the veil over their head believed that all hair should be covered while the ladies with some hair showing oppose the rule and the regime that set it. And unlike what most believe, the women that are coving their entire body are not forced to do so, they make the choice. On top of that, the veil was forced to be put on women because of the religion that most citizens followed in Iran. The largest setback of this dangerous false myth is Westerners believe that Iran is not civilized and modern because they do not believe in giving women the choice of wearing the veil. Showing that women have preferences and only wear the veil for religious purposes destroys myths that there are no women's rights in
In today’s modern era, appearance is becoming more and more criticized by men and women alike as everyone wants to be perfect, however; the burqa eliminates this stereotype by having women focus less on appearance. One women quoted in the article from the Telegraph, stated that, “When I’m wearing a hijab it’s much easier not to care when I’m getting leered at because what exactly is he looking at? My face?” (Sanghani). This shows that when it comes to appearance, the media does not always have it right; Iranian women can be attractive while wearing a burqa. Next is the fact that with the burqa, women can still be social in life, shown by the Islamic Information and Services Network, where it is stated that, “There is nothing in the
Hijab (the veil) is an Arabic word meaning barrier or partition. Some women from the Muslim culture wear the veil as a way to show a literal symbol of their faith and a stronger connection
299). The study consisted of having in-depth personal interviews to share their experiences of being a Muslim American woman (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 300). Veiling to these women was a way of freedom while also having a Muslim identity (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). It was also a source of behavior control, to not be sexually objectified, a way of commanding respect from others and even a source of checking their own behavior (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). One of the women interviewed said, veiling to her was a way to feel connected to other Muslim woman who veil (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 302). Veiling can be a way to feel connected to your religion and God as well as being connected to those who practice the same faith, it can be considered an act of membership. Many of the women interviewed noted they have been removed from planes, been treated unfairly, and have had strangers shout at them all for just being Muslim and being more visibly recognized from veiling (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 303). This is an example of how media can affect the general population. When the media only shows radicals and compares all Muslims to being terrorist or dangerous they are actually putting Muslim people at risk of being assaulted in public. Muslim woman in particular are more at risk for being assaulted as they are more identifiable. So while veiling can be a source of empowerment and freedom for women it is a double-edged sword because it also puts them at further risk of being
In “I Just Want to Be Me”, by Pamela K. Taylor, she wanted to get across that a hijab is just a scrap of cloth, although usually stands for and symbolize much more than what is really is. She starts off by pointing out that although she is this accomplished woman, with a career and family, she is looked at as oppressed because she wears a hijab (218). After 9/11 some Americans viewed women who wear hijabs as uneducated, and the hijab has become associated with violence, and extremist Islam (219). The hijab has become a symbol and usually when they need a woman to speak for Muslims it is usually one wearing a hijab (221). From the Muslim community the hijab gets a good and bad reaction on one hand, some Muslims see women who wear hijabs as very
The discussion of modesty in the way Muslim women dress is globally controversial and reiterated in the novel “A Thousand Splendid Suns” written by Khaled Hosseini in 2007. The three main types of modest Muslim dress are the Burqa, Hijab, and Niqab. These articles of clothing can emotionally and physically affect women in positive and negative ways. Some women feel that the burqa protects them from the world and increases their body positivity, while others argue the Burqa is dangerous for health and thralls women behind a piece of cloth. These Muslim dress objects have been known to be a symbol of oppression for women globally, but others argue that this usage of the burqa is taken out of context to justify foreign actions in the Middle East. The burqa effects women negatively and positively, in both
The choices of females are often decided for them. This paper will focus on the young Muslim female and discuss the freedom and oppression attributed to veiling. The hijab is a religious and cultural head covering that post pubescent females choose to adopt to represent their heritage and devotion to Islam through chastity. The hijab has become controversial in Western countries as issues of patriarchy, gender equality, female choice, cultural resistance and racism have become embodied in the veil. The Muslim body has become a symbol, with various cultures forcing differing value and meaning onto the personal choice of being veiled or unveiled. Young Muslim girls are expected to assume an asexual lifestyle that protects and hides them from
As an Arab American, a Muslim and a woman writer, Mohja Kahf challenges the stereotypes and misrepresentation of Arab and Muslim women. Her style is always marked by humor, sarcasm, anger and confrontation. “The Marvelous Women,” “The Woman Dear to Herself,” “Hijab Scene #7” and “Hijab Scene #5” are examples of Kahf’s anger of stereotypes about Muslim women and her attempts to fight in order to eradicate them, in addition to her encouragement to women who help her and fight for their rights.
The controversy of hijab is sort of a double edged sword. In fact in certain countries around the world hijab is either banned or required. If a Muslim woman chooses to wear hijab or not they could be mocked or possibly even killed. This conflict makes for an interesting debate for many Muslims and feminists around the world.