Linking Hijab to Oppression of Women

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Only 44seconds video

The Problem of Linking Hijab to Oppression of Women

[Anonymous]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@lind9650 wrote:

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

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Sorry to tell you lind9650 but muslims (A muslim by definition means one who surrenders and submits to the laws of God) are not allowed to cherry-pick the parts of the koran they like and disregard the parts that aren't particularly appealing. Your friend was not a muslim but merely thought she was

Do Catholics who practise birth control merely "think" they are Catholics?

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To clarify VPs assumption.

My muslim friend was born and raised in the USA by muslim parents, went to School there and University where she met her husband, a Saudi Arabian. After finishing their studies and gaining their diplomas, both descided to go back to his home and use their knowledge to help underprivilrdged children.

Her husband even promised not to take another wife or two as is the custom and lawful in Saudi Arabia.

Both have learned differences in the western world that are of benefit in their pursuit to helping others, but despite all this, they both observe the muslim prayer times, Ramadan and other religious rituals.

Their sons, now grown up, attending Universities in England and America.

And NO, my friend does not feel oppressed by having to wear the Hijab. (I have asked her) It's the religion she has chosen to live by. The only oppression she feels is the religious government decree that women are forbiden to drive a car. She drove a car while living in America and has missed that fredom ever since.

Not all muslims are fanatics, but I don't know if I would ever be invited to her home if I had the money to fly over and visit.

Erica

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And NO, my friend does not feel oppressed by having to wear the Hijab. (I have asked her) It's the religion she has chosen to live by.

She migh not feel oppressed to wear it, but her religion still requires her to wear it. So it's still a garment of oppression.

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same as the_great_she_elephant 

thinks wearing head coverings while

praying in church, was a form of 

oppression (except women could take

it off as soon as they left the church)

[the_great_she_elephant]

Is the kippah (yarmulke) a garment of oppression? Do orthodox Jewish men feel oppressed when they wear one? would your husband/son/brother feel oppressed if he was obliged to wear one?

Although according to the Talmud it is not obligatory to cover the head, this custom has developed as a requirement. There are some differences within Orthodox Judaism on how stringent to be with wearing a yarmulke. Ultra-orthodox won't go around even one step without a kippah, while some modern orthodox Jews will only wear the yarmulke by prayers. It is believed that wearing a yarmulke has a divine influence on the person to fear from Hashem (God), as the Talmud describes some mothers putting on a yarmulke on their small babys.

Read more: http://www.orthodox-jews.com/jewish-skull-caps.html#ixzz3yQ2E4i2Y

[icyfroth]

I guess they Jewish men don't feel oppressed and the about the yamulke and the Jewish women don't feel oppressed by having to cover their hair on the Sabbath, She-el. When one grows up with a certain set of conditions one doesn't question them.

It is however, not a choice, it's a religious requirement. So yes it's an opression, even if it's borne gladly.

And once again, you've illustrated the paralells between two middle-eastern religions, Islam and Judaism, and Judaisms offshoot, Chrisitanity.

[cmcoins2000]

Not quite a garment that hides the person though.

[icyfroth]

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@cmcoins2000 wrote:

Not quite a garment that hides the person though.

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No of course not. The point was, religious requirement =  oppression.

[the_great_she_elephant · Accepted solution]

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helen5839 wrote:

Not quite a garment that hides the person though.

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The oppression does not lie in the wearing of the garment, but in the reason it is required  to be worn. The yarmulke is worn as sign of subservience, as is the hijab. Not all Jewish men feel obliged to wear it all the time just as not all Muslim wwomen  feel obliged to wear the hijab; but some do.

Mr Elephant is not Jewish and would be most indignant if he was told he had to wear a skull cap at all times. I am not a Muslim and would feel indignant if I was told I had to wear a headscarf whenever I set foot outside the house.

If Mr Elephant was an orthodox Jew, he would accept the ruling without considring himself oppressed by it.

If I was a  Muslim ,and believed wearing the hijab was a requirement of my faith, then I would accept without feeling oppressed by it. 

[Anonymous]

Is the kippah (yarmulke) a garment of oppression?

why would it be?  

its not like hijab that literally

means a screen or curtain.  

some women are required to hide

behind the hijab. 

what are the men hiding?  the top

of their heads?  nowhere near as 

isolating or restrictive.

Until quite recently I was a practising Catholic and for most of that time I was required to wear a head covering every time I entered my church.

Did I feel oppressed? No. It was simply a religious requirement and I went along with it.

Do I look back now and realise that it actually was a form of oppression. Yes.

the great she elephant -

i'm still interested to know what made

you realise it?

[the_great_she_elephant]

the great she elephant -

i'm still interested to know what made

you realise it?

I think the feminist movement had a lot to do with it - I'd never really heard of feminism until I left home and went to work in London in 1960. It wasn't a sudden revelation, I was never a card-carrying banner-waving feminist, but I gradually started to question stuff about my faith and the rules of  the church and the way women were treated in society generally. By the time I left the church the headwear rule had been waived anyway so, to be honest, I never gave it much thought until the hijab thing came up and I thought, yes, in hindsight, it was a bit oppressive. 

I should stress however that while it felt (mildly) oppressive to me I never assumed it gave me the right to assume all women should feel the same way.

[Anonymous]

thanks.  i imagine there would be many

women feeling the same way. 

[Anonymous]

"women in islam"