ronburgundy
Contributor
The hijab issue has created a divide among liberals and feminists who otherwise share a desire to reduce the oppression of women.
Those who focus upon the women forced to wear it, see it as a symbol of oppression. Those who focus on the women who choose to wear it, especially in western democracies see it as a symbol of freedom.
Those who claim that wearing the hijab is compatible with feminism, typically argue that this b/c some women choose to wear it.
There should be no law requiring wearing or not wearing the hijab.
However, I would argue that when it is worn freely and by choice, that is precisely when it most endorses and trivializes the oppression of women.
You can not make any kind of statement when you are merely doing something that you have no choice in. It's only chosen actions that make a statement. And since people can clearly endorse oppression, people can clearly use their freedom to endorse a lack of freedom.
The practice of wearing a hijab was created to control and oppress women. And violent force against women is the only reason it ever became a custom that reflects Islamic belief. Islamic women in democracies that choose to wear it, are doing so b/c it's an Islamic custom and therefore wearing it is a way to express their religious beliefs. But it only became a custom that reflects those beliefs b/c of violent oppression, and that oppression that still exist in countries controlled by Islam and is the reason why the vast majority of women who wear it do so. There can be no reasonable doubt that with liberty and equality, the custom of the hijab would disappear over time. So, wearing it as a choice endorses that oppression that created and maintains the custom. It's like treating the continued oppression of those forced to wear into a kind of fashion statement. It helps to hide the fact that the majority of women who wear it only do so b/c of oppression.
Women should NOT be forcibly prevented from wearing a hijab, but they they should not celebrated for doing so, and it should be criticized for the way such a choice promotes and endorses a custom that only exists b/c of historical and continued violent oppression of women.
Those who focus upon the women forced to wear it, see it as a symbol of oppression. Those who focus on the women who choose to wear it, especially in western democracies see it as a symbol of freedom.
Those who claim that wearing the hijab is compatible with feminism, typically argue that this b/c some women choose to wear it.
There should be no law requiring wearing or not wearing the hijab.
However, I would argue that when it is worn freely and by choice, that is precisely when it most endorses and trivializes the oppression of women.
You can not make any kind of statement when you are merely doing something that you have no choice in. It's only chosen actions that make a statement. And since people can clearly endorse oppression, people can clearly use their freedom to endorse a lack of freedom.
The practice of wearing a hijab was created to control and oppress women. And violent force against women is the only reason it ever became a custom that reflects Islamic belief. Islamic women in democracies that choose to wear it, are doing so b/c it's an Islamic custom and therefore wearing it is a way to express their religious beliefs. But it only became a custom that reflects those beliefs b/c of violent oppression, and that oppression that still exist in countries controlled by Islam and is the reason why the vast majority of women who wear it do so. There can be no reasonable doubt that with liberty and equality, the custom of the hijab would disappear over time. So, wearing it as a choice endorses that oppression that created and maintains the custom. It's like treating the continued oppression of those forced to wear into a kind of fashion statement. It helps to hide the fact that the majority of women who wear it only do so b/c of oppression.
Women should NOT be forcibly prevented from wearing a hijab, but they they should not celebrated for doing so, and it should be criticized for the way such a choice promotes and endorses a custom that only exists b/c of historical and continued violent oppression of women.