The Wearing of the Hijab
e've seen it all. From body piercing to
tattoos to the other trends and up-to-the-minute raiments. All are temporary.
But there is a ustom that will neither be replaced nor will it age and that is
the wearing of the veil. Some question and wonder why these women wear these
assorted colored veils in weather steaming hot or very cold.
Zara Khan wearing a fanciful bright red
one. Sarwat Jaffry wearing the color of whipped butter. And Fatima Ahmed
wearing her typical jet black. What do all these women have in common? Yes,
they are all students at Hunter and they are all Muslim women who wear the Hijab, which in present time means the
modest covering of Muslim women.
The Hijab
reveals the modesty and chastity of women in the religion of Islam. This
monotheistic religion requires all Muslim women of every race, color, class,
married or unmarried to have it on over there heads when they reach puberty.
Why do Muslim women have to cover their
heads? This is the most frequently asked questions by Muslim and non-Muslim
alike. For many women, wearing the Hijab
is the truest test of being a Muslim.
"It is a liberator, it makes me feel
confident when I walk down the street, knowing that my physical aspect is not
on display and attention is drawn to my intellect and more important
features," says Zara Khan, 19, a first-year student at Hunter. "It is
not a restrainer, it sets me free."
As recorded in the Holy Qur'an, God says,
"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw
their outer garments around them (when they are among men). That is better in
order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyed ..." (Qur'an
33:59).
A Muslim woman who covers her head makes a
statement about her identity. People will know that she is a Muslim woman.
Trying to manage at the time of this
interview to get through her last semester in order to graduate this June,
Fatima Ahmed, 21-year-old history major wearing her ebony colored veil with her
long well coordinated long over-garment, was excited about talking to this
reporter about the Hijab.
Ahmed is the president of the Muslim
Student Association (MSA) at Hunter. She has been in her position for the last
two semesters. Her position puts her in a place to serve as a role model for
the women members. She is also among the many who dress in such manner, she
says, "Simply, because Allah [legalizes] the Hijab and "of course the Hijab
serves it's purpose, it maintains my modesty."
A Muslim woman who covers her head is
making a statement about her identity. Anyone who sees her will know that she
is a Muslim of a good moral character.
Look at the modern day woman. It's not hard
to see the craziness that today's society and the media have imposed on her.
She has to live up to unrealistic standards, such as those striving to look
like an attractive career woman who resembles a model all the time. Shouldn't
these women be considered oppressed?
Muslim women are often depicted as oppressed
because of ignorance Do these women who cover their heads consider themselves
oppressed?
Khan says that the Hijab doesn't oppress women. "I refuse to be gawked at by men
who are not my husband. I refuse to be the object of their affection, infatuation,
and be attractive" she says as she went on asserting that oppression is
the opposite of being respected and "respect is exactly what I demand when
I wear the Hijab."
Islam has no fixed standard as to the style
of dress or type of clothing that Muslims must wear. However, some requirements
must be met. The first of these requirements is that parts of the body which
must be covered. As a Muslim one has to follow the two sources for guidance and
rulings, the Qur'an, the revealed word of God and the Hadith or the traditions
of the Prophet Muhammed.
The second requirement is looseness. The
clothing must be thick enough so as not too describe the shape of the woman's
body. One desirable way to hide the shape of the body is to wear a cloak over
the other clothes. However, if the clothing is loose enough, an outer garment
is not necessary.
Thickness is the third requirement. The
clothing must be thick enough so as not to show the color of the skin covered
or the shape of the body. The Qur'an says "man should guard their modesty;
that will make for greater purity for them."
"Islam is very logical and reasons
always go beyond because it's like that there are validated proofs for these
things," says Sarah Qadri, 19, who is a Muslim women who doesn't clothe
herself with the veil. "The women in the MSA are humans that make mistakes
but who go out and search for the real Islam and try to put that in their
everyday life, spread it to others and anyone else."
She says that she will cover when she seeks
the true knowledge and becomes ready for this big step.
Many of these hijabies attract attention. "At first it was hard dealing with
people who stared. First I use to stare back at them, until my eyes got watery.
Then, I thought they (people) see me as different and maybe that's why they are
staring at me, but I reached a point where I don't notice anymore," says
Sarwat Jafri, 21, an education major at Hunter.
Along with the stares are frequently asked
questions and Jafri says that she loves it when people ask questions. "It
shows they are willing to question rather than make assumptions," she
says.
When questioned about the veil as being
oppressing, Jafri says it is actually liberating. "I don't judge or am
judged by beauty or superficialities, it has changed my whole outlook on
life," she says.
"Hijab
is often an issue of discourse, which is fine, but it is only a part, a mere
portion of a greater whole," says Khan. "Islam is greater than the
sum of its parts. Hijab is one part
of the big picture of dictating the lives of individuals, the interaction in
society and international relations, respecting women is part of the basis of
the Islamic society, and Hijab is a
vehicle by which that respect is obtained.
Hijab and Islam should be understood beyond the stereotypical notions
that have come to be attached to them,"
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