A Look behind the Veil: Is the Hijab More than a Device of Oppression?

Cause and Effect essay:
A Look Behind the Veil
Yosra Hamad
American University of Sharjah
Gregory Duran
1/11/2014

A Look Behind the Veil The notable symbolic implications of a veiled face are morality, obedience, and commitment; divinely recognized authority or power possessed by the veiled person .The base of Islam is the conservation of god’s creation. Therefore, the religious beliefs and ethical instructions in the Quran related to a woman’s hijab have been ploughed according to this philosophy. Many might use the veil to argue for the oppression of women in the Arab world, however, what they fail to note is that these women do not perceive the veil as a wall to hide behind, but as a simple act of following God and the religion’s command in addition to it being a liberating experience that does not undermine their value in society.

Critics of the veil in the West have made no efforts to keep their objection of the veil a secret. Several movements are aimed at “saving” women that they allege have been deprived of the liberty of choosing whether or not to wear the veil, however, these people fail to consider that the foundation of liberty is having the choice to wear what you want to wear, and in the Arab world, most women find it socially appropriate to cover themselves, thus, should they be free to remove the veil they still are likely to choose otherwise. Many women feel self-conscious, vulnerable, and even naked when they first walked on a public street without the veil. Liberated from society’s pressures, veiled women develop a sense of personal identity, allowing their inner beauty to radiate strongly showing their satisfaction with serving God, instilling a sense of purity within the soul.
In addition, an air of respect of is given to veiled women in society such as the veiled women that marched through Cairo during the Nationalist demonstrations against the British after World War I . They force people, mostly men, to overlook their outer appearance and concentrate on the woman’s intellect rather than assessing her based on her physical traits. They empower young women that unfortunately believe that a woman’s capacity to grow and achieve goals is limited by her sex appeal. Shocked, many people are amazed that a veiled woman can be voiced and intelligent. Protected from wicked thoughts, they are capable of shaping their lives the way they please without people questioning their choices. Moreover, their sense of morality helps them steer away from the immoral activities.

Many women nowadays test the stereotype of hijab being used as a device of oppression, as women of all ages and backgrounds take on the hijab performing their duty towards God regardless of any political and social obstacles they may face on their path towards purity and wholeness.