Topic: Wearing the Headscarf Is a Matter of Feminism, Aesthetics and Solidarity for Me
+Anonymous A — 9 years ago #48,379
https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/01/06/do-non-muslims-help-or-hurt-women-by-wearing-hijabs/wearing-the-headscarf-is-a-matter-of-feminism-aesthetics-and-solidarity-for-me
I have chosen to wear a headscarf and long, loose clothing for the last 10 years. I even wore a face veil for a number of years in my early 20s because I enjoyed the privacy that it afforded and, admittedly, shattering the many misinformed stereotypes about women in veils.
I often publicly field questions and write on female covering in Islam and its relationship to patriarchy and male privilege. I understand the issues at hand and the passions on various sides.
Now, as a college Muslim chaplain, I have the joy of working with many Muslim women who are deeply dedicated to their faith. Some regularly wear headscarves and long loose clothing, some wear scarves just to pray, some wear shorts and T-shirts. In this work I have observed that hair covering is not a reliable sign of the piety or sincerity of a female Muslim. As a guiding principle in life, I try not to focus on outer appearances, but on inner substance.
Certainly there are contexts in which the forced donning or forced removal of the scarf demeans women’s bodies and agency. Just as Islamist forces emphasize veiling as an outer symbol of the Islamicization of society, colonial and neocolonial forces have emphasized de-veiling as part of their hegemonic presence. The paradox is that, whether a woman wears a headscarf or not, fault finders can point fingers and pass judgement on her intentions and preferences.
For me, the headscarf is a way to perform an act of daily devotion and to identify proudly as Muslim. At the same time, the feminist in me sees long, loose clothing as one way for women to guard our bodies against unwelcome gazes and other forms of male chauvinism. It is perhaps hard to convey, but for me, covering also reflects a disposition of inner humility. I personally like the aesthetics of this style of dress and find it very dignified.
In considering the merits of the hijab solidarity efforts, it is commendable that despite generalized Islamophobia, some allies in the U.S. and beyond are willing to stand against this most recent wave of xenophobic intolerance and make a statement about their dedication to religious freedom.
For their solidarity with readily identifiable Muslim women, for their compassion, and for their willingness to take even personal risks, I am thankful to the activists in this hijab solidarity movement. In an age of digital media, they are providing a platform for women to communicate their commitment to pluralism.
I have chosen to wear a headscarf and long, loose clothing for the last 10 years. I even wore a face veil for a number of years in my early 20s because I enjoyed the privacy that it afforded and, admittedly, shattering the many misinformed stereotypes about women in veils.
I often publicly field questions and write on female covering in Islam and its relationship to patriarchy and male privilege. I understand the issues at hand and the passions on various sides.
Now, as a college Muslim chaplain, I have the joy of working with many Muslim women who are deeply dedicated to their faith. Some regularly wear headscarves and long loose clothing, some wear scarves just to pray, some wear shorts and T-shirts. In this work I have observed that hair covering is not a reliable sign of the piety or sincerity of a female Muslim. As a guiding principle in life, I try not to focus on outer appearances, but on inner substance.
Certainly there are contexts in which the forced donning or forced removal of the scarf demeans women’s bodies and agency. Just as Islamist forces emphasize veiling as an outer symbol of the Islamicization of society, colonial and neocolonial forces have emphasized de-veiling as part of their hegemonic presence. The paradox is that, whether a woman wears a headscarf or not, fault finders can point fingers and pass judgement on her intentions and preferences.
For me, the headscarf is a way to perform an act of daily devotion and to identify proudly as Muslim. At the same time, the feminist in me sees long, loose clothing as one way for women to guard our bodies against unwelcome gazes and other forms of male chauvinism. It is perhaps hard to convey, but for me, covering also reflects a disposition of inner humility. I personally like the aesthetics of this style of dress and find it very dignified.
In considering the merits of the hijab solidarity efforts, it is commendable that despite generalized Islamophobia, some allies in the U.S. and beyond are willing to stand against this most recent wave of xenophobic intolerance and make a statement about their dedication to religious freedom.
For their solidarity with readily identifiable Muslim women, for their compassion, and for their willingness to take even personal risks, I am thankful to the activists in this hijab solidarity movement. In an age of digital media, they are providing a platform for women to communicate their commitment to pluralism.
·Anonymous A (OP) — 9 years ago, 3 minutes later[T] [B] #524,739
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/meet-the-women-who-see-the-hijab-as-a-feminist-accessory/news-story/f8d9d068fe78db999e4395ad004c1baa
> “For me, exercising ‘choice’ to cover is what makes the wearing of the hijab very much a feminist act, especially in the face of fierce opposition from so many different angles,” she tells RendezView.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/24/my-hijab-has-nothing-to-do-with-oppression_n_7653888.html
> Not all Muslim women cover their bodies. Not all Muslim women who do are forced to do so. Like freelance writer Hanna Yusuf, who chooses to wear a hijab in a daily act of feminism. In a new video for The Guardian, Yusuf challenges stereotypes by setting out to reclaim the choice to wear a hijab as "a feminist statement."
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/07/my-hijab-feminist-statement/
https://www.unwatch.org/walk-shame-swedens-first-feminist-government-don-hijabs-iran/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/03/15/hijab-becomes-symbol-resistance-feminism-age-trump/98475212/
> “For me, exercising ‘choice’ to cover is what makes the wearing of the hijab very much a feminist act, especially in the face of fierce opposition from so many different angles,” she tells RendezView.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/24/my-hijab-has-nothing-to-do-with-oppression_n_7653888.html
> Not all Muslim women cover their bodies. Not all Muslim women who do are forced to do so. Like freelance writer Hanna Yusuf, who chooses to wear a hijab in a daily act of feminism. In a new video for The Guardian, Yusuf challenges stereotypes by setting out to reclaim the choice to wear a hijab as "a feminist statement."
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/07/my-hijab-feminist-statement/
https://www.unwatch.org/walk-shame-swedens-first-feminist-government-don-hijabs-iran/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/03/15/hijab-becomes-symbol-resistance-feminism-age-trump/98475212/
·Anonymous A (OP) — 9 years ago, 6 minutes later, 9 minutes after the original post[T] [B] #524,740
https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2017/06/i-am-a-hijabi-feminist/> Hijab And Feminism: How I Came To See The Hijab As Empowerment
http://thefeministmegaphone.com/2016/12/24/why-the-hijab-is-the-most-powerful-symbol-for-female-empowerment/
> Why The Hijab Is The Most Powerful Symbol For Female Empowerment
> Wearing a hijab can be empowering in many ways, in fact it’s probably the strongest feminist symbol currently in society.
> Almost every person desires to look good and waste many precious hours on appearance, these hours could’ve been spent helping people in need, improving your true self.
> When you wear a hijab, you are automatically cutting out that desire that requires you to be perfect to others penetrating judgemental stares. With a hijab, you are not only covering your head, with the hijab you hide the empty shell you show to society and reveal your true self, your personality, just like removing the layers of an onion.
> You are also dressing modestly, dressing modestly and confident with the clothing you wear on your head is not just a piece of cloth anymore, you are now being the ambassador of your faith.
> Since by wearing hijab you are automatically cutting back on that desire to look good, you are now focusing on other aspects of your life, such as your personality, education and your goals.
> So it’s empowering in the sense that it is allowing you to move beyond on being obsessed with your looks or what people think of you, and focus on many other long-term aspects of your life. Things that actually matter more than just looks.
> I am not saying you should look ugly, you should always dress well, but with hijab, there comes the responsibility to be less ornamented or show off to other people.
> Like mentioned above, almost every person desires to look good, and when you start cutting back on desires, and you accomplish that. You become more motivated to cut back on other desires. It’s like a chain reaction. This is also very empowering because you learn to control yourself and to control your impulses and think rationally, and not let your heart control you.
> Just think about it, there must have been moments, where you controlled yourself from desires that you knew were harmful and with the ability to control yourself you can achieve anything you desire. So controlling yourself, isn’t that empowering? The ability to not cave in to peer pressure or hate, you just let it drip you off like nothing and continue your day unfazed by others opinions.
> So with looks out of the way, what’s there to love left? It is her personality, her intelligence, her inner core, not the outer, her true self not a facade made to please others and standards. Isn’t that empowering? To not value a woman by her face, but by her true self.
·Anonymous A (OP) — 9 years ago, 1 minute later, 10 minutes after the original post[T] [B] #524,741
http://collidoscopeberlin.com/2016/12/04/feminism-hijab-go-together/> Why Feminism and Hijab Go Together
The Queen of England wears the hijab a lot.
+FuckAlms !vX8K53rFBI — 9 years ago, 8 hours later, 8 hours after the original post[T] [B] #524,770
@previous (A)
That's not a hijab though. Old women frequently tie cloth or plastic around their hair when going out to protect it from the weather.
That's not a hijab though. Old women frequently tie cloth or plastic around their hair when going out to protect it from the weather.
+Anonymous C — 9 years ago, 1 minute later, 8 hours after the original post[T] [B] #524,772
In the end it comes down to are they wearing it to out of free will or are they forced to?
+Syntax — 9 years ago, 46 minutes later, 9 hours after the original post[T] [B] #524,775
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