A Muslim Woman's Power of Choice
While growing up in the US there has
always been an uproar about Islam and the treatment of Muslim women. Many opinions in the US state women are
forced to cover their bodies, discouraged from education, mutilated, and
shunned for making their own choices.
This may occur in other countries but travelling in Morocco I’ve see
quite the contrary. While touring the
Iberry farms and agricultural research facilities we’ve been introduced to many
women with master’s degrees, engineers, and scientists. Also from personal experience I had the privilege
of working with a young woman, Authra Khreis, from Jordan who practiced Islam. She explained she was never forced to cover
but rather it was a choice she made in deference to Allah. She further explained that women do not cover
for their husbands or for men, but as a religious choice in regards to purity
and cleanliness for God, or Allah. In
the same spirit, Naiema, our guide for the mosque tour, explained that in Morocco
women choose for themselves. In an
article by Anna Piela, Muslim
Women and the Politics of the Headscarf, the scarf or hijab, for many women, wearing the hijab was—and
is—an element of piety” . She
further explains “hijab is used to
described modest behavior and the Qur’an does indeed prescribe modesty in
clothing for both men and women” (Piela, 2022). This is just one example of how misunderstood
Islamic traditions and values are misunderstood by other non-Muslim countries
and cultures. It appears that many women
have assimilated to dominate Christian cultures and do not cover in countries
like the United States for fear of being judged or persecuted for their choice
to cover. While I was speaking with my
friend Authra, she affirmed her choice to cover but also agreed that she has
often thought about changing her mind because of the dominant culture passing
judgement on her choice to wear the hijab.
Therefore from experience in Morocco I have seen that women succeeded
educationally, and professionally is celebrated, and many women have the choice
not to cover. However since the dominant
culture in Morocco is a Muslim culture, covering is not frowned upon or forced
out.
References
Piela, A. (2022). Muslim Women
and the Politics of the Headscarf. https://daily.jstor.org/muslim-women-and-the-politics-of-the-headscarf/. Retrieved
May 30, 2023, from https://daily.jstor.org/muslim-women-and-the-politics-of-the-headscarf/
Your post is fascinating because I did not previously consider the implications of the headscarf and its role as a personal choice for women who practice Islam. I feel like in the past I have tried and failed miserably to have culturally appropriate conversations with Muslim women who were choosing to cover their heads to understand the circumstances under which head coverings were necessary. Perhaps this is because I was not close enough with these ladies to ask these personal questions and I should have considered the implications. I appreciate the clarification from the article you shared about the religious choice that is afforded when wearing a headscarf. As a Christian, I know there are complexities tied up in theological beliefs and practices that cannot be easily explained in a casual conversation. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are religious and cultural complexities associated with a hijab - this item of clothing conveys multitudes on behalf of those women who wear it. What was it like to have this conversation with your friend, Authra? I am curious because I have struggled with these conversations in the past.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! It was relatively easy. She was very open about her religion and covering. We worked in an office with a shared cubicle and we had ample time to small talk. This was during the first Trump campaign and religious freedoms and xenophobia often came up in conversations. We discussed holidays and meanings of the hijab, fasting, dynamics in Muslim marriage, childbearing. It was so insightful. I truly enjoyed being able to connect with her about her culture and beliefs.
DeleteJaime, I agree that Islam as a religion, and Muslims are misunderstood and misrepresented as oppressive. It was interesting to see how many women opt out of wearing a headscarf in Morocco. The majority of women did cover up and out of respect, even those that didn't still covered up when entering a mosque but other than that, if you chose not to, it was acceptable. I appreciate that Women in Morocco were free to choose, as I am not a fan of forcing religion on anyone. It is complex, but in the Middle East/North Africa, Morocco is certainly progressive with their laws and religious freedom.
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