Muslim Women// Between the Miniskirt and the Veil
The aftermath of 9/11 saw a barrage of attacks
against Islam in the media. The media focus was to put the
Muslims in the West in the spotlight. Yet again our identity was
being questioned; yet again our position in Britain was being
redefined.
Anti-Muslim sentiment has been rife throughout Europe. This
climate has led to much discussion about the position of Muslims
in Western societies, especially with regards to the need to
ensure the integration of Muslims into the host society. Many
statements made by politicians, highlight the agenda of the
government. Peter Hain, the former UK Minister for Europe, said;
“We need to work much harder to integrate Muslims in
particular, with the rest of society” and Jack Straw, the
Foreign Secretary, stated; “As British Muslims - and their
European counterparts - become more and more integrated into the
fabric of our democracies, we may over time see the emergence of
a distinctly European Islam” [Prospect Magazine, October
2002].
The Muslim woman has not been spared from this conspiracy of the
integrationists. The quest to see the Muslim woman truly
integrated into the Western society is a quest to strip her of
her distinct Islamic identity and to distance her from Islam.
The Media
Onslaught
Ever since the West launched its war on Islam (also known as the
‘war on terrorism’) there has been much said about the ‘Burka’
[veil] and its oppression of the Muslim woman, i.e. it
symbolising her inferior position in society, and the West has
boasted of its ‘unveiling of Afghanistan’. Those involved in
this overt campaign include high profile political and public
figures such as the US First Lady Laura Bush and the British
Prime Minister’s wife Cherie Blair who commented openly in a
press conference; “Nothing more I think symbolises the
oppression of the woman than the Burka.” They have been
joined by others in their demonisation of the Muslim woman which
was highlighted by the French presidential candidate Jean-Marie
Le Pen’s statement concerning the wearing of the Khimaar
[headscarf] and Jilbaab [outer garment]; "It is good, it
protects us from the ugly women.”
This excoriation of the Islamic dress code for women has been
matched by leading Western journalists such as Polly Toynbee in ‘Behind
the Burka’ in the Guardian:
“The top-to-toe Burka, with its sinister, airless little
grille, is more than an instrument of persecution, it is a public
tarring and feathering of female sexuality. It transforms any
woman into an object of defilement too untouchably disgusting to
be seen. It is a garment of lurid sexual suggestiveness...it
turns them into cowering creatures demanding and expecting
violence and victimisation...More moderate versions of the garb
have much the same effect, inspiring the lascivious thoughts they
are designed to stifle.”
These are just some examples of the recent vilification of the
Khimaar and Jilbaab - the modern day ‘attack on the
veil’. In addition to such public statements, many Muslim women
who cover in accordance with the Shari’ah face on a
daily basis, a barrage of comments and criticisms regarding their
Islamic attire - these range from shows of sympathy for the ‘poor
oppressed covered woman’ to abuse and threats hurled at the
woman who dares to cover in Western society.
With such firmly rooted values held by Muslim women in the West,
the West has sought to dilute the understanding of the Muslim
woman’s dress through its media campaign. In October 2002, the
BBC reported on a story about Afghanistan called 'Afghan Lipstick
Liberation'. It discussed a current project underway, funded by
US money to provide the women of Afghanistan with a Western form
of a beauty school to be built in Kabul inside the compound of
the Afghanistan Ministry of Women’s Affairs and to be completed
by January 2003. Its objective is to train some of the women of
Afghanistan in cutting hair and the 'beauty business' with
make-up donated for it from top cosmetic companies such as Revlon
and MAC. It is clear that the aim is to instil within the minds
of the women the desire to imitate the appearance of the women in
the West. Also, in December 2002, in a BBC documentary, entitled
'Faith in Fashion', it discussed specifically the concept of how
a woman can be Muslim but still be part of the fashion circle
defined by the Western society and aspire to adopt an 'Islamicised'
version of Western dress - whatever that may be!
Therefore much attention has been placed in discrediting and
redefining the Muslim woman’s dress and the reinforcement of
the Western concept of how to decide what is right and wrong.
The Victim
of such an Attack
In the face of such an attack, the Muslim woman in Britain feels
pushed to be one of three; a liberalist, a traditionalist or the
one who fits Islam to fit in with liberal values. The role of
Muslim women in society is much discussed in the media. The
Muslim who carries liberal values will view the role of the
Muslim woman as equal to that of a man since she will adhere to
the concept of equality. The Muslim who carries traditional
values from Asian or Arab culture will view the woman as a
prisoner in her own home, subserviently awaiting her husbands’
orders. The third type of Muslim who twists Islam to fit in with
liberal values is plagued by the notion that both cultures (Islam
and Western) can mix. Such views certainly seek to tarnish the
correct identity and reference point for the Muslim woman and
turn her into one whose actions serve to anger her Creator, Allah
Azza Wa Jall.
Before considering what should be the response of Muslim women in
the West to this attack, let us consider exactly what the West is
inviting us to with regard to how we should dress.
Miniskirt -
Symbol of Oppression
Western capitalist society holds sacred the ideas of individual
freedom and makes it the basis in deciding what is good and bad
in society. The miniskirt, more than any other item of clothing,
symbolises the concept of personal freedom. In response to Cherie
Blair, I would say that “nothing more I think symbolises the
oppression of the Western woman than the miniskirt”. In
response to Polly Toynbee, I would add that; the top-to-toe
nudity, with its sinister, split in the side, is more than an
instrument of persecution, it is a public tarring and feathering
of female sexuality. It transforms any woman into an object of
defilement too cheap to be respected. It is a garment of lurid
sexual suggestiveness. It turns them into cowering creatures
demanding and expecting violence and victimisation. I would ask
them to consider the plight of women in their own societies and
realise that the root of the problem is not Islam but Capitalism.
Consider the recent statistic published by the UK Home Office
stating that (while the government has been busy fighting the war
on Islam) incidents of rape in Britain have increased by 27% over
the last year. Last year’s figures claimed that there were an
average 167 women raped every day in England and Wales.
The Western woman is made to believe that revealing clothing
accentuates her beauty to men and makes her feel wanted. In fact
it has become unusual for women not to reveal their nakedness in
public. A woman who wears something less revealing is gossiped
about behind her back – “what a spinster”, “old hag”, “she
doesn’t take care of her self”, “she’s wasting her good
looks”. So it is not surprising to find these poor oppressed
women on the streets wearing short miniskirts, see through
blouses and push up bras in the freezing cold British winters.
Western film and media positively glamorise prostitutes and
strippers, who are portrayed as confident and in control of their
lives, getting paid good money for what they do best and living
meaningful and fulfilling lifestyles.
TV advertisements propagate slogans such as “because I’m
worth it” implying that a woman who doesn’t use their product
somehow lacks self-respect. It is no wonder then that the Western
woman has become increasingly consumed, obsessed and preoccupied
with the way that she looks, often above other issues in life.
The UK beauty industry secures a revenue of £8.9 billion every
year. The revenue of the US cosmetic industry grows by 10% each
year. The National Institute of Mental Health in the US claimed
that every day in the US, Americans spend on average $109 million
on diet or diet related products (one-third the nation’s annual
food bill). In the US it is said that urban professional women
devote up to a third of their income to “beauty maintenance”
and consider it a necessary investment. In a study performed by
the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 33,000 American
women told researchers that they would rather lose 10 to 15
pounds than achieve any other goal. In 1998, a campaign called
'The Bread for Life' surveyed over 900 young women between the
ages of 18 and 24 living in the West and published a report
called 'Pressure to be Perfect Report' that found that 55% of the
women rated looks as the most attractive thing in a woman and
only 1% said intelligence.
The Impact
on the Muslim Woman’s dress
Because of such pressure, the Muslim woman who has become a
victim of such prevalent Western concepts of individual freedom
will also imitate the West in its dress. It is not surprising to
see Muslim girls leading a double life. In front of their parents
and in the home they lead a life which conforms to cultural
expectations and when in school, college or work they strip away
such an identity and associate themselves with the Western ideas,
dress and values. Such a victim is a victim of her own doing
since she fails to attach herself to one set of values and
conform to them.
The ‘Westernised’ Muslim woman will have no qualms about not
wearing the Khimaar and Jilbaab - rather she will
see this as impeding her ability to advance in life and further
her career prospects. With professions such as being a lawyer,
doctor, scientist or even a secretary the Muslim woman feels
compelled to adhere to the ‘office tart look’ or the ‘professional
chick image’ and in her mind wearing the Islamic dress would
not allow her to ‘fit in’. The same Muslim could also view
other aspects of Islam from this perspective. It is common to see
Muslim women who have sought careers to delay marriage since it
is viewed as hindering their future goals in life and holding
them back in life. Their view of being a mother and wife can also
be taken from a Western perspective. Therefore such a Muslim is
consistently pushed to compromise on the Islamic values of
modesty, chastity and bashfulness, for the degenerate Western
values of immodesty, vanity and lewdness.
Allah (subhanahu wa ta’aala) warns the obedient servant of the
dangers of following the disbelievers:
“O
you who believe! If you listen to a faction among the People of
the Book who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians), they
would indeed render you disbelievers after you have believed.”
[TMQ Ale-Imran: 100]
The third type of victim is the Muslim woman who
adopts the Eastern rather than Western culture. This is the
traditional woman who mistakenly believes that she will safeguard
her honour and dignity by wearing the infamous shalwar kameez
(trousers and tunic). This type of dress is commonly believed to
be Islamic. It even comes complete with its very own mini-Hijab
called a dupatta (light, colourful but usually very see-through
scarf that is used to cover the back part of the head). This type
of dress symbolises the oppression of the traditional woman who
is enslaved to the irrational Eastern traditions. The traditional
woman faces the same conundrum of problems faced by the
Westernised woman because she too is pressured into the looks
game. She is also victim to the same cosmetics industry. Over the
years the traditional shalwar kameez has undergone modifications
including larger splits, shorter trousers, almost blouse like
body hugging tunics, short sleeves or no sleeves and larger
V-necks. The shalwar kameez is almost always accompanied with
massive jewellery. It is not uncommon to see the latest Bollywood
or Lollywood (i.e. Lahori) film actress sporting a form of
shalwar kameez that would even make Hollywood stars feel
embarrassed.
The Islamic
dress code for Muslim Women
The woman’s ‘awrah is her entire body, while her hands and
face are the only exception. The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu
alaihi wasallam) said; “The woman is ‘awrah.” He
also said to Asmaa bint Abu Bakr; “O Asmaa, when the woman
reaches the age of puberty, nothing should be seen of her but
this and this.” - pointing to his face and hands. These are
clear and explicit evidences that the entire body of the woman is
‘awrah with the exception of the face and hands, and that the
woman is obliged to cover her ‘awrah i.e. her entire body with
the exception of the face and hands.
With regard to the woman’s dress in public life, Allah (subhanahu
wa ta’aala) has obliged her to wear a wrap (Jilbaab)
which conceals her (home) clothes and drapes down until it covers
her feet. She is not allowed to go out without such a cloth. If
she leaves without a Jilbaab over her home clothes, she
would be sinful, for she has abandoned an obligation from Allah (subhanahu
wa ta’aala). As for the upper portion, she must have a
Khimaar (head cover) or anything similar, which covers the
entire head, the neck and the opening of the garment on the
chest. Once the woman has these two items of clothing, she is
allowed to leave her home. If the woman does not have these two
pieces of clothes, she is not allowed to go out at all. Allah (subhanahu
wa ta’aala) has said;
“Let
them draw their head-coverings (khumur) over their necks and
bosoms (juyub). And let them not display (more of) their charms
to any but their husbands...” [TMQ An- Nur: 31]
“Oh
Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the
believers to draw their cloaks (Jalabeeb) all over their bodies”
[TMQ Al- Ahzab: 59
Within the private life, the Muslim woman is
allowed to reveal her charms to her husband. He is the one who is
worthy of looking at his wife and appreciating her beauty and not
a foreign man. The Muslim woman can also reveal her charms and
wear her home clothes within the bounds of Shar’a in
front of her mahram men. This is the correct view of the
Islamic dress code, and it is the Hukm of Allah (subhanahu
wa ta’aala) which does not require any other justification in
the face of an intellectual attack. Rather they are rules to be
followed such that it will regulate the relationship between men
and women in society and such that the basis of the relationship
between men and women is not their desires but rather the
Shari’ah rules.
Conclusion
It is an honour for a Muslim woman to obey her Creator and adhere
to the rules of the Islamic dress code. She should not feel
pressured to adopt the Western view of dress or the Eastern view
of dress in public or private life. Islam should be the yardstick
by which the Muslim woman’s measures her actions and not
tradition or the Western culture. Our example should be that of
the Sahabiyat who when addressed with the hukm of
covering their ‘awrah, immediately rose to implement the
command of their Creator. With the reference point of Islam
firmly rooted in one’s mind, regardless of the pressures or the
reality, she will be able to maintain her Islamic identity and
reference point and feel honoured to be recognised as a Muslim
woman in public life.