Why oh why, do others too not come up with such modern, well-thought out and considerate solutions?

what i want to say is that, covering the head simply identifies someone as a muslim girl, that brings about various benefits. these, i have seen in sri lanka and in various countries i have worked in.
all that matters is that you be modest, and let people know that you are decent at first glance that they set on you.

so if you have issues with one form of head cover, find one that suites you, rather than not covering at all like your generations of people.
identity is an important factor, i say this because, i have seen muslim girls being ragged at a local university, where i was a guest lecturer, by other girls because of mistaken identity, since they didnt cover their head the seniors didnt know they were muslims. later i got to know from my students, that in sri lanka muslim girls are never ragged but rather looked upon with respect.
sad to see this fading away..

‘but I certainly don’t want the Muslims of Sri Lanka to feel they belong more in Saudi than in Sri Lanka by adopting a new form of dress..’

what grapple of conclusion was that?
The wearing of hijab according to the quran does NOT grant license to the women of saudi only. As you have mentioned it as a mind matter, then every living muslim woman anywhere would simply go for it. if she feels and if she wants to. A freedom of choice isn’t it. just like abortion.
hijab is very much obligatory in islam but like all obligations we still have a choice. not everyone follows every obligation in Islam and that is between them and Allah. it is also a part of Islam as well as history. hijab alphabets a statement.

personally i think it’s humorous how hijabi’s are stamped as oppressed by the west, when it is the same society that oppresses all women through their particular and artificial image of beauty. being pestered with images upon images of the ‘timeless arse’ or the ‘perfect bust’ through superficial media outlets surely only makes a woman feel inferior and insignificant in comparison to societies idea of beauty.

I oppose to such statements if is imposed by men because it is after all the woman who has to run the decision
And I wear the hijab solely because i want to represent by religion which is beautiful. You don’t have to accept me only if I have long and lovely hair. also im reminded that I have a God to please. not just the fervid chauvinists and beauty fanatics.

And I am not saying the hijabis are better than non hijabis and at the end of the day, one of them is obeying Allah and striving for Jannah in a quicker way at least that particular matter, while the other is sitting there and just criticizing instead of helping.

you cannot simply obtain the power to dictate to its members what can and cannot be worn. if you feel you’re comfortable without one, just be that. Please refrain from preventing the next generation after you, from taking the step and embracing it. a person has the choice to wear it and keep functioning with the society. You can’t just shun her for just taking a decision she feels is right and respectable. It’s just irrational and ignorant. I simply cannot comprehend why society threatens freedom in a different cry.

I do not feel this being a ‘powerful,’ or a ‘brave’ voice in the article at all as said. it’s simply to me as someone unable to draw the line between freedom and oppression. Well and if it is banned in schools then i believe it goes against a person’s human individual right. we, women should know what is best for us and our bodies. its a responsiblity infact.
We are here to fully live and part of that is accepting an individual who a little different from you.
And it is NOT a newly invented matter in our religion at all. but I know the staunch of this debate will never find its home.

Similarily, middleeastern customs have nothing or little to do with Islam as a religion, which speaks to all kinds of people and most muslims are not even arabs. Nothing wrong with a muslim female not wearing a headcover or as some claim, hijab.

First a hearty thank you. Because you have to guts to venture out where most people don’t. The price is high, as is evident by the majority of the posts. The usual ad hominem attacks will set in the minute somebody doubts or even is sceptical of the new invented and very convenient “hijab”. The same anger and outrage of course is absent, when hijab clad females and hijab happy males, rant on and on about the “benefit” of the hijab i.e. protection against rape, sexualization, objectifying females, devoutness, humility, modesty and not to forget fearing God.

Yet each and every one of these “reasons” are in direct´conflict with the word of God. But that matters little, when you have selfimposed religious police making sure to tell you, how you could not possible be representative of muslims or even competent to have an opinion and the infamous “you don’t know about Islam” rant. Sadly, these people display ignorance themselves and it could be argumented that they do suffer from sort of a inferirotiy complex seeing as they feel inclined to blindly follow, the arab customs. And even in Arab countries (many apart from Saudi) this is a new thing, the hijab.

To summarize the facts, hijab does not exist in the Quran as in relation to the dresscode of muslim females. Some hadiths are INTERPRETED to mean the hijab (but again no mention of the hijab itself and we should remember that hadith are hadith and not the Quran). Anyways, not in one single Ayah or Surah has the creator mentioned anything. Neither do the arab words for hair, head, headcover or veil appear in the Quran. Strange. Yet the socalled “scholars” and followers have translated very conveniently (deliberately) the words in english and other languages to state veil and headcover. Strange. How can anybody pressume to assert on behalf of Allah/God? Surely any man is incompetent.

The quran does however state some guidelines regarding modest attire and these are not even observed by the majority of hijab clad girls. In fact most of such girls wear tight fitted, trendy, fashionable and figurehugging clothes along with perfectly plucked eyesbrows (forbidden for non-married females as per hadiths), with full makeup to highlight their eyes (eye liners, mascara and of course various shades of eyeshadows), cheekbones (blush), skintone (foundation and powder does wonders) and lips (glitter gloss, lipstick, lip-pencil). Is vanity a part of modesty? Clearly the girls are doing the same things as many other girls across the world, displaying their beauty to the male public. The girls also tend to invest in colourful. bright, glittery, shimmery scarfs with variety of bling such as pearls, beads, sequins, patterns, lace and so on. Anything to get noticed. So really this is not modesty or humilty, but a celebration of their beauty. Some sport their hair and some wear a scarf. No big difference.

Rape and harrassment also does not become less due to scarfs and headcover. In fact the rates of rape and sexual harrassment in public is high even in muslim countries but rarely does the victim meet understanding or support. And it does not help when the “authorities” state that a woman is to blame if she is raped, depending on her wearing the scarf or not. Anybody with a little bit of common sense and some insight into sexual crimes, knows that rape, molestation and sexual harrassment are a form of violence. A violence even used in Abu Gharaib among men. It is a way to show power and superiority and horrible no matter who it happens to.

The “doctor” who asserted (falsely) that women without hijab will be punished, is quite simply lying. There is not if or but around it. I will leave it to the individual to know and find the words of Allah, but in the Quran, Allah says clearly that modesty comes from within and there is no set dresscode (Kaftan, Abayae, hijab, jeans, blouse, burka, niqab). It is pretty much up to the individual to define what modesty and covering is because it emenates from the individual heart. And no two individuals are likely to think alike. There is no punishment for observing other attires. I also find it strange that the opposite of hijab is always assumed to be “naked or tight fitted clothes”. A hijabi can be as naked considering the fashion pursuits they follow. Again hijabi girls are not the same.

I also completely concur with you that hijabi girls are often more judgemental and ignorant than the average. By saying a few arabic words like “inshallh, Alhumdulilah etc) and wearing a cloth on your head does not mean you understand Islam. It is also puzzling, that on one hand these girls will demand tolerance and acceptance of their scarf paving the way for special laws and mention just for the hijab, yet they are not willing to extend the same tolerance for other girls who are also muslims but who do not wear the hijab.

Allah, I find, is more understanding and more tolerant than most muslims which speaks volumes of the issues facing the ummah. The hijab is, as you rightly assert, an innovation.

In conclusion, people should wear whatever, but stop playing God and forcing their newly invented belief on to others.Sadly you are again right, that there will be day, following the next couple of decades when the hijab will be “natural” part of the muslim culture and each of the countries would have forgotten the past, as it was never. Muslims come in all colours, shapes, ethnical backgrounds, races and nationalities as this was the intention of God. Arab is not better than Somali, and Pakistani is not better than NIgerian and so on.

Unfortunately, I fear the tolerance is lost already as now even the non-muslim world have jumped the band wagon.

I found you post enlighting and your courage amazing. I hope God will protect you because the backlash will be severe..

You are as competent and qualified to comment and write about Islam and issues pertaining to it and muslims. Just like everybody else who cites the quran (out of context) while claiming you have no right. The intolerance and hipocrisy is amazing. The internet and the media is drowning in pro hijab rants yet your single post is seen as unwanted and preferably unwritten. Freemdom of speech also extends to you, they forget, conveniently.

You have eloborated on the subject of Hijab with a self-impossed authoritative manner. Anyone with a simple understanding of Islam will find so funny & childish but whats funier is your claim of being a Muslim. I think you are confused. I am not going to lecture you on the subject of Hijab because your ignorance of the subject is beyond limit and I dont think you have the ability comprehension the reality with regards to the said subject. All I want you to know is what is Islam & who is a Muslim.

Islam is an Arabic word which is a verb and it’s literal meaning is – surrender, submit & obey. In religious context it means to surrender submit & obey Allah (the Creator of the Universe & all that is therein). In Arabic the name for the doer of the action is derived from the verb with a prefix (Mu). For example

Adhan (call) — Mu + Adhan = Muadhin

Hijrah (migration) — Mu + Hijah = Muhajir

ete., etc.

In the same way

Islam (surrender submit & obey) — Mu + Islam = Muslim (those who surrender submit & obey the commandments of Allah)

Therefore please dont be bothered to call your self a Muslim unless & until you are ready to surrender submit & obey the will of your Creator & Lord of the World. All you are is a Marakalaya or a Moor or a Burger but definitely not a Muslim.

Thanks,

Muslim

Just some friendly advice: it would probably be wise to make sure your title makes sense before posting.

Moreover, absolutely any discussion about religion and the different applications of religious piety is inane and pointless unless you are simply remarking on the variations with an air of mild interest. Anything beyond that begets, what you can see unabashedly emerging here, people getting offended and offending one another over a matter that is no one’s business but that of the person in question.

If you all insist on being religious, do it on your own time and stop your bloody whingeing about what everyone else is doing. It’s this busybody mentality that not only creates conflict, but also facilitates war, violence, and invariably, death and oppression. When will the world learn that all we have to do to have peace is honestly mind our own business?

- A nineteen year old ex-university student who is currently sitting at home like the lazy louse that she is.

P.S. This comment, although written without a shred of malicious intent, will incontrovertibly engender inflamed rejoinders, and so, dear author, regardless of whatever comments ensue, I implore you to take what I’ve said as nothing more than constructive criticism as that was all that it was intended as.

Islam proscribed interest, most of us did not accept that because it came from Islam and now we experience the crisis which have affected everybody and every vllage on the earth.

Is someone wants to expose her body with tioght fitting clothes let them enjoy
because ultimtaley they would be penalized for their behaviour. We have been living in the so caleld western worls and the non musolims respect our hijab wearing women not only in London and Frankfurt but in Washington and Newyork too.

Please leave these peiople aith mental sickness to develop any story with their ignorance. After all they spend nothing since the internet is free.

I remember this too.

The black chadors began appearing in the 1980′s.

On a separate note, I have often wondered at the similarity between the Hijab and the habit of a nun.