Our society is plagued with numerous double standards; too many to list. The one that sticks out to me the most is the way Muslim women are perceived and treated. Muslim women who choose to wear headscarves and clothes that cover them up are always perceived as being oppressed and imprisoned. Some people pity them and feel bad for them while others suspect them being linked to some fanatical religious group.
Here’s the question. Do the same thoughts come to your mind when you see a nun? Nuns dress up the same way as Muslim women do; only a little more conservatively. How come no one ever looks at them as being oppressed? When you see a nun,
you think ‘Oh… look at the pious women, devoted to her religion…’ but if it’s a Muslim girl then its like ‘Oh…poor girl…’ or ‘Oh… I should prolly stay away from her’. Why? What is the difference between the two? They both dress up modestly as outlined by their religions; so why give preference to one over the other. By no means am I trying to imply that nuns should be thought of as being subjugated as well. Ever seen a depiction of the Virgin Mary without her head covered? Probably never. But no one has ever thought about Virgin Mary like that. Hell… even Little Red Riding Hood wore a headscarf!
The reality that most people are ignorant about is that the covering of the head and a modest dress code has been a part of western tradition long before it was a part of the Muslim world. The only difference is that the West has secularized and has given up its moral values. The way the average woman dresses up here today would be considered inappropriate in the same society a hundred years ago.
Muslim women dress up modestly as outlined by Islamic teachings. They do it because they want to, not because some one forces them to and because they know that there is good in it for them. No one has the right to pass judgment on them and no one needs to pity them. They probably feel more liberated and confident than the average girl. People who need to form an opinion about Muslim women should go talk to them and see how they feel; rather than going with what they see on CNN or FOX. I have attached two short videos where Muslim women explain as to why they dress up the way they do.
August 12, 2008 at 7:25 am
You’re so right Wally.
I don’t think I’ve ever considered the perceptions from society of girls wearing head scarves to nuns who wear their religious attire.
And those videos are so right too. Our society needs to be educated better.
August 16, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Glad to see you look at it that way.
January 1, 2010 at 11:01 am
What WP template are you using?
January 5, 2010 at 11:57 pm
its called ‘Connections’ by Patricia Müller
August 23, 2010 at 3:42 pm
What about countries and society that forces pepole who do not were veils
August 23, 2010 at 3:47 pm
What about countries that provide no option for women not to wear veil. Even vistors and digintaries MUST cover their hair when they go that country. Where is the choice and freedom for them
August 23, 2010 at 11:13 pm
It wouldn’t hurt the dignitaries to cover their heads out of respect for the country’s culture.
I don’t agree with the idea of forcing headscarves onto people; this is something that is only enacted in two countries… Iran and Saudi Arabia. However, European countries too have compromised freedoms by prohibiting Muslim women from wearing veils at all. I guess there are extremes on both sides.
February 3, 2019 at 12:19 pm
La solicitud de la eTA es un trámite en línea.