Some Thoughts on the Burka
The Burka and Muslim women
The burka or niqab is in the news. What is the niqab? It is a universal dress applicable to all women and men? the burka is a head cover and is a distinctive part of the attire of a Muslim woman. It is not applicable to men and nowhere in the Koran is there any mention of the Hijab, Niqab, or burkha. Yet Muslim women wear it as a mark that they are Muslims. The face cover is worn only by the women and not by the men. The roots of this ethos lie in the ethos of the religion as interpreted by men. Women were never consulted. The hijab is in the news right from Iran to China and France. To start with the Hijab is banned in the restive Sinkiang province which is facing an insurrection by Uighur Muslims in China and France and a few other countries have outlawed the face cover as it impinges on the concept of equality between men and women.In Iran an agitation by muslim women has gripped the nation and en masse women are cutting their hair and burning their veils as a mark of protest. The clergy that runs Iran has taken note of it. Sadly, to put down this legitimate protest two protesters have been executed. A young Iranian was hanged on Thursday morning after Tehran Islamic Revolution Court found him guilty of “waging war against God.”
The question we have to answer is why it is necessary for Muslim women to flaunt their identity by wearing a hijab. Why the hijab should only be applicable to women in a society that believes in gender equality.
Sadly, I have known many cases where the woman does not wish to wear the hijab yet family members and parents force them to wear it. So definitely there is an element of compulsion in wearing this dress.
America and Freedom
America has just about 1% Muslims out of a population of almost 325 million. Now this 1% cannot destabilize a nation, that's for sure. So even if some women are wearing a hijab, though a mark of subjugation, it is not a threat to the American way of life. The hijab, alas is a standout in a society where many women are scantily dressed. It attracts attention and the burkha or Niqab more so. To many Americans, it appears as a black shroud.
Sometimes Muslims are targeted for wearing the hijab and have appealed to the American president and point to the first amendment in their support. Yes, they are right but in popular perception, Islam in America is associated with terrorism and that is the bane of the problem.
This is not only in America but in many nations from Russia to China and Europe this religion is unfortunately associated with violence. China even went so far as to ban ritual fasting during Ramadan.
The Rubaiyat of Khayyam does not talk of hijab
The World
The world has reacted to this in its own way. France and some countries the burkha and many in Europe including Germany and Poland have banned or are on way to banning the full-face veil. Angela Merkel the former chancellor of Germany in an address to her party convention had said that the hijab and face cover have no place in German society. Turkey discourages it and Kamel Mustafa (1881-1936)often referred to as the `Ataturk or the great Turk had outlawed it. Turkey is a Muslim nation. A look at the Turkish way of life as seen through their TV serials reveal women in modern dresses and one cannot distinguish them in attire from European women. These TV serials are now dubbed in Urdu and Hindi and extremely popular in the sub-continent. I have observed that in India the effect of these serials is profound ans young Indian girls are wearing the short skirts above the knee as worn by Turkish actresses.
This does not mean that the Burkha or ~Hijab be banned but there is a need to educate the hard line Muslim nations like Afghanistan by the world led by the USA. It would be a good idea if it was not made mandatory as a symbol of Islam, which it is not.
Uncomfortable question
When all is said and done, one can say that a fundamental right is denied in case a woman is not allowed to wear what she wants. Yet, the fact that needs an answer is as to why only Muslim women must wear it and not the men? Is there a compulsion to wear it? Do the scriptures say so? Who will answer these questions? The Muslims have to answer to them.
Muslim societies must learn from the example of the United Arab Emeritus where the Hijab of any form of cover-dress is not compulsory and women are free to wear what they want. Such societies prosper and those that enforce this practice are the economic laggards. Could there be a connection between the two?
Comments
MG Singh emge (author) from Singapore on December 12, 2016:
Thank you Readmikenow for an incisive comment
Readmikenow on December 12, 2016:
Fascinating article. I once worked for a Muslim man. He was extremely nice. At Christmas time he wished me "Merry Christmas" and even bought me a Christmas present but asked I not buy one for him, so I didn't. The frustrations he had with his other who viewed the practice of Islam different from himself sounded very familiar to frustrations Christians have with other Christians. Catholics approach things very different than Baptists, who approach things very different from Pentecostals and everyone has an opinion about Mormons and it goes on. We agreed at the end of the day we all work, do our part for our religion, our family and our life. It's something repeated in cultures and religions all over the world. I once saw a man from Saudi Arabia get into a very serious argument with my Muslim boss about Islam. I do know that the Hijab is a serious issue in some Muslim countries. I also know there are a number of issues between Muslims, just like other religions. I enjoyed reading this.
