Wrapped in Modesty
Muslim Women Dispel Stereotypes about Islamic Dress
By Christina Hildreth, Daily Staff Reporter
March 31, 2005
Every morning before walking out the door, Business
junior Aisha Jukaku looks in the mirror, skillfully
pinning her scarf to make sure her hair, ears and neck
are carefully tucked away. Like millions of Muslim
women across the world, Jukaku's colorful scarf is
part of her daily wardrobe.
Jukaku's scarves, along with her long-sleeved shirts
and long pants, are part of her hijab, - the Islamic
dress code for women - which she wears in observance
of the Islamic law of modesty. Her faith requires that
she cover every part of her body except her feet, face
and hands. There is also a separate law of modesty for
men, although this law is not as noticeable because it
only requires them to be covered from the navel to the
knee, she said.
Nadine Naber, a professor of women's studies and
anthropology, said there has been a lot of discussion
about hijab in western society, and images of women in
hijab have been used to demonstrate the so-called
backwardness of Muslim culture.
" . We are constantly bombarded with images of the
veil in the U.S. media as a sign of Muslim women's
oppression, covered from head to toe in long black
garbs as if they were faceless and nameless." she
said.
Jukaku, who is the vice president of Muslim Students'
Association, voiced similar concerns, worrying that
non-Muslims may "see a Muslim woman with a hijab on
the street (and) think that some man in their life -
be it their husband or their father - is controlling
them and that they don't have a mind of their own."
In reality, many Muslim women in the United States
make the very important decision for themselves. For
LSA junior Lubna Grewal, the decision to wear hijab
came in high school, after she decided to give Islam a
more prominent role in her life. Grewal's sister, who
is 8 years older than she, does not wear hijab, and
thus Grewal was the first woman in her family to
observe the modesty laws. Despite this, she said, her
family has always fully supported her.
"It was completely my decision," she said. "My family
didn't know, but they supported me. I've never
regretted it."
For both Grewal and Jukaku, the decision to wear hijab
is deeply rooted in their faith.
"I think that it's my religious duty to wear it," said
Grewal, adding that the vast majority of
interpretations of the Quran, the Islamic holy book,
dictate that women wear hijab.
Jukaku agreed. "I want to follow what God has told me
to do," she said, adding that wearing hijab also has
practical benefits, as her modesty allows her to be
appreciated for her intelligence rather than her
physical appearance.
Grewal said she feels wearing hijab is actually an
empowerment.
"A lot of times women are judged first on how they
look and then how they think," she said, adding that
hijab "makes me a person before it makes me an
object."
Like any religious practice, Grewal said wearing hijab
is easy at times and hard at others. "Around Sept. 11
it was extremely difficult (to wear hijab) because
there was so much negative association with Muslims
and especially with women who wear hijab," she said,
adding that it is easier for people to discriminate
against Muslim women than anyone else, because "the
second they see me they know I'm Muslim."
Scholars have voiced this opinion too, saying that
anti-Muslim sentiments are a reality in the United
States. The veil has become "a visible marker for
Muslim identity," said Naber. She went on to describe
various ways hijab has been falsely linked to
stereotypes of Muslim women. "People assume that women
who wear the veil are foreign," she said. "Women in my
research have said that people are surprised they
speak English without an accent."
Another, perhaps more dangerous stereotype placed upon
"women in the veil," is that by wearing the veil and
being Muslim, they are associated with terrorism.
Since Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq, Naber said women
wearing hijab were "impacted by hate crimes and
harassment on the street more than any other group of
people," adding that young Muslim girls reported being
called "Sister of Saddam," or "Daughter of Osama" in
their classrooms.
This discrimination exists against women in the adult
world as well. Grewal said she knew of a friend who
was not hired for a teaching job in metro-Detroit
because of her hijab. "Someone on the board (of
education) didn't want a Muslim teaching their
children," she said.
Jukaku said she had similar concerns when interviewing
for business internships this past winter. "I was
actually scared that I would be discriminated
(against)," she said. "I have had numerous interviews,
but I actually have an internship over the summer in
conservative corporate America. I was actually very
pleased by that," she said, adding that it was
encouraging to see some employers could look past her
clothing and value her abilities. "At least the places
I interviewed at, wearing hijab is not issue," she
said.
While wearing hijab may present some obstacles for
Grewal and Jukaku, they still choose to make it a part
of their live, and reject the falsehood that it is a
decision made for them. "Its kind of disheartening
that there is an image of Muslim women not being able
to think for themselves," Grewal said. "Why can't I be
the one making the decision, why does it have to be
someone else?"
http://www.michigandaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/03/31/424be0fe99023
Assalamu Alaikum,
Shafaq
"The worth of this world compared to the next world is as if one of you
dipped his finger into the ocean and saw how much moisture sticks to it when he
pulls it out." -Prophet Muhammad (Peach Be Upon Him)