DebateGate
General Category => 3DHS => Topic started by: Henny on August 22, 2007, 08:19:43 AM
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Muslim women: My headscarf is not a threat
Story Highlights
-- Study: Majority of American Muslims worried hijabs could lead to discrimination
-- American Muslim says wearing headscarf is "God's wish"
-- Egyptian: "I do believe in modesty and you shouldn't be showing off yourself"
By Brian Rokus
CNN
Editor's note: This is part of a series of reports CNN.com is featuring from an upcoming, six-hour television event, "God's Warriors," hosted by CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour.
(CNN) -- Last year at Christmastime, Rehan Seyam, a Muslim living in New Jersey, went to pick up some things at a local Wal-Mart. Seeing her distinctive traditional Muslim head covering called a "hijab," a man in the store, addressing her directly, sang "The 12 Days of Christmas" using insulting lyrics about terrorism and Osama bin Laden.
She was stunned.
"Do I look like a terrorist to you?" Seyam said she asked the man.
According to Seyam, the man replied, "What else does a terrorist look like?"
Such stories are not altogether uncommon for Muslim Americans. According to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, 53 percent of Muslims living in America said it has become more difficult to be a Muslim in the United States since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Fifty-one percent said they are "very worried" or "somewhat worried" that women wearing the hijab are treated poorly, according to the poll.
A simple headscarf generally used by women to hide the hair from view, the hijab has become so controversial among some that several countries have banned or considered banning Muslim women from wearing them in public places. In light of this contentiousness, why do Muslim women choose to wear the hijab? Watch the making of CNN's TV special "God's Warriors" ?
Gayad al-Khalik lives in Egypt and says the hijab is a focus on inner beauty.
"I want to shift the attention from my outer self to my inner self when I deal with someone, I don't want them to look at me in a way that wouldn't suit me," she told CNN in an upcoming documentary called "God's Warriors."
Al-Khalik is fluent in English and German; studied in Europe; plays Western music on her guitar; and spent time working for a women's rights organization.
She wears the hijab -- and says it's not just for religious reasons.
"My own conclusion was it is debatable whether it is a religious obligation or not, but I chose to keep it on because I do believe in modesty and you shouldn't be showing off yourself," al-Khalik said.
The Quran calls for women to be modest in their dress but interpretation of the edict varies widely, according to religious experts who spoke with CNN. An author who has written widely on Islam told CNN the Quran does not require women to wear the hijab.
"There's nothing in the Quran about all women having to be veiled or secluded in a certain part of the house. That came in later [after Prophet Mohammed's time]," said religious historian and author Karen Armstrong.
For Seyam, the hijab is a religious duty. "It's God's wish," she said.
"It's a requirement by God. He wants us to cover. He wants us to be modest," Seyam said.
But as important as the hijab is to her, Seyam's decision to cover her face wasn't one she made easily.
"It was very dramatic for me. And I remember, even now thinking about it, it really does make my heart beat a little bit faster," she said, "I was making a decision I knew was permanent. You put on hijab, you don't take it off."
Through her childhood growing up in Long Island, New York, Seyam prayed with her devout Muslim parents, but says she was just "going through the motions." It wasn't until college that she decided to wear a hijab consistently.
Influenced by her more devout friends, Seyam decided being a good Muslim meant covering her head.
"My sole purpose is to be here for the sake of Allah, and I'm doing something that he specifically says that you should be doing."
Seyam said there were practical factors in her decision as well. "I'm sick of guys catcalling. It was just driving me crazy. I felt like a piece of meat."
But Seyam says she traded in catcalling for a different kind of negative attention. People "look at me as if I am threatening and I do not feel like I am threatening looking. I don't feel I should instill fear in anybody's heart, but I do feel like I get dirty looks," she said.
Still, Seyam says her faith sustains her and that wearing the hijab is an important part of that faith.
"I'm not here to live my life and do whatever I want. I'm here to worship God," Seyam said. "I don't think that everybody has that, and I think that I'm lucky for it."
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"I do believe in modesty and you shouldn't be showing off yourself"
this is the part that will make it hard for themselves
it involuntarily imply all non muslim women are whores
I`m exagerating ,but religion(in general) has a habit of giving that impression.
alot of religions are not popular in the united states
ask any southern jew or budhist
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This is a bad time of year to be discussing hijab. Every time I go downtown in the summertime I feel like I was admitted free of charge into an impromptu beauty contest of short skirts, long hair, skimpy tops and bare midriffs. I have no problem at all with Muslim women covering up as long as other women just go on dressing, teasing and tantalizing as they always have and please God always will. I'll have a big problem if they all turn Muslim and all of them cover up. Because you can bet your life on it, I'll never get to see any of that INNER beauty they're always yakking about.
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This is a bad time of year to be discussing hijab. Every time I go downtown in the summertime I feel like I was admitted free of charge into an impromptu beauty contest of short skirts, long hair, skimpy tops and bare midriffs. I have no problem at all with Muslim women covering up as long as other women just go on dressing, teasing and tantalizing as they always have and please God always will. I'll have a big problem if they all turn Muslim and all of them cover up. Because you can bet your life on it, I'll never get to see any of that INNER beauty they're always yakking about.
Last time I was in Toronto, females going topless seemed to be the rage.
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They seem to be covering up on days when I go downtown. I'm trying not to take it personally.
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Inner beauty
uhm yeah
as a guy who went on quite afew blind dates
that word is a serious landmine to me
damn alot of people have bad idea what inner beauty means
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I think, in a blind-date context, it's kinda like "great personality."
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people don`t know the meaning of the word great
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In blind-dating, I think it means "good enough for you."
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yeah
I know
they are sooo wrong
and I`m not even picky ,that`s the insulting part
nice ladies though,but shame nothing will come of it.
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In this area, lots of women cover their hair, or part of it. They dress "plain" and wear longish skirts, black leather tennis shoes, no make-up. There's an Apostle of God church that takes a verse in Timothy very seriously (thou shalt not paint thy face kind of verse). Mainly it's Amish and Mennonite.
The man who jeered at that woman for wearing a headscarf....hadn't he ever seen a nun?? Chapel hats for little girls were a must among my Catholic friends. Scarves were worn by women in church, always.
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It`s not jeering women from wearing those clothes ,it`s references to not allow women to wear or not wear things
like that line I qoute earlier in this thread.
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<<and I`m not even picky ,that`s the insulting part
<<nice ladies though,but shame nothing will come of it.>>
The way it works is that sooner or later two people who really like each other are bound to meet. But it doesn't happen if you're not out there meeting people.
<<In this area, lots of women cover their hair, or part of it. They dress "plain" and wear longish skirts, black leather tennis shoes, no make-up.>>
And the way THAT works is that if a man is placed in an environment where all the women dress plain and wear no makeup, at first they all look equally unattractive to him but after a few days he starts to discriminate, based on physical features, movements, or whatever. Soon he knows which ones are driving him crazy and which ones are just background. There's a very old joke based on this principle, involving GIs marooned on a remote island in the South Pacific and a herd of wild donkeys, but it's kind of gross, so I'm going to leave it alone.
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so I'm going to leave it alone.
Thank you. And I mean that sincerely.
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It is the point to wear a badge that proclaims to the world that "I am a Muslim".
This would not be a problem, if thre were not mad bombers makeing the news frequently and proclaiming "I am a Muslim".
I know that only a few Muslims are mad bombers but the ones that are are makeing most of the noise.
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Muslim women: My headscarf is not a threat
random thoughts:
i am undecided on many of the following and just interested in other's thoughts
what about burkas?
would anyone be offended to walk into a walmart 5 years from now and 1/2 the women in there are wearing burkas?
i know that wont happen, but if it did, well would it bother you?
i suppose it would be their legal right? freedom of expression? freedom of religion?
in some ways catholic nuns used to wear burka like outfits
so what would be the difference?
but honestly when i saw a woman in a head to toe burka at O'Hare in Chicago my immediate reaction was negative
i suppose it may have to do with what the burka partly represents in my mind, repression of women?
any thoughts?
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I just figured it out
Ive been scared of sounding racist with some of my answers
but just realized it`s the truth and will deal with it when confronted
thanks christian for your inquiry
now for my answer
I too with shame have flashes of negative thoughts of seeing somebody with a burqa.
but thinking about it my response is too bad
the true question is if anybody else bomb something would someone not think negative of that group ?
that lady in the article never mentioned she would not think negative to us if the reverse happened.
as long as we don`t pursue these irrational flash thoughts we should be ok
i think she`s asking too much in life
yes it`s unfair
but at least we`re acknowledging it and not doing stupid stuff
sounds like progress to me
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Why should seeing a woman wearing a burkha be more frightening than seeing a woman wearing the habit of a traditional nun?
St Paul said women should always cover their heads in public.
I purpose that religious nonsense is religious nonsense, regardless of the religion.
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I too with shame have flashes of negative thoughts of seeing somebody with a burqa.
I must be weird. When I see someone wearing a burqa in the summer, I think "wonder if it's hot as hell in there?" If I see one in the winter, I think "wonder if it's warm in there?"
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actually that outfit can be quite practical
here in S.F. it can get quite cold and that outfit would make alot of sense
vegas in the low himid heat would work very well because the loose fabrics does a very well job of dissipating heat
but in humid areas like in new orleans
forget about it
indonesia is a highly muslim country but it`s a battle to get people to wear the burqa
it`s just too humid
pretty much only the old folks wear it.
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Muslim women: My headscarf is not a threat
random thoughts:
i am undecided on many of the following and just interested in other's thoughts
what about burkas?
would anyone be offended to walk into a walmart 5 years from now and 1/2 the women in there are wearing burkas?
i know that wont happen, but if it did, well would it bother you?
i suppose it would be their legal right? freedom of expression? freedom of religion?
in some ways catholic nuns used to wear burka like outfits
so what would be the difference?
but honestly when i saw a woman in a head to toe burka at O'Hare in Chicago my immediate reaction was negative
i suppose it may have to do with what the burka partly represents in my mind, repression of women?
any thoughts?
Christian, first I want to ask for a clarification on your terminology.
A burqa is, for example, what we saw women in Afghanistan wearing under Taliban rule. All black, thick, heavy, covered head to toe, including face (and even eyes). Sometimes the Niqab is also referred to as burqa.
(See a picture of burqa here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burqa)
Niqab is a form of face covering (only - not referring to any other garments on the body), usually exposing only the eyes.
(See a picture of niqab here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niqab)
Hijab is the head scarf, worn by many Muslim women in the company of non-related men.
(See a picture of Hijab here: http://www.thehijabshop.com/)
Abaya is the outer garment worn as a sort of overcoat to cover whatever the women is wearing underneath. Women will usually wear this while outside of the home (at the market, in transit, etc.) but will remove this overcoat upon reaching the home of friend or family.
(See a picture of Abaya here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abaya)
If you seriously meant burqa, in terms of what we saw Afghani women wearing, I can't blame you for thinking repression. I do too. A large majority of Muslims see it as repression as well, usually political in nature.
If you meant niqab, more and more Muslim women are starting to cover their faces around the world. Still, even mainstream Muslims consider it going WAY too far; at the very least far beyond what they have learned through the Qu'ran and Hadith.
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Christian, first I want to ask for a clarification on your terminology.
if you are asking me, when i say burka this is how i envision a burka
(http://www.whrnet.org/pictures/burka-large.jpg)
and this is basically what somebody was wearing inside O'Hare Airport in Chicago.