Islamic Concepts and Social Concerns: Hijab and Jihad

Hijab Hijab = Arabic word meaning “barrier” or “partition” Broader meaning = principle of modesty; includes both behavior and dress for men and women Those who believe the Qur’an requires women to wear hijab say it must be worn in front of any man a woman may theoretically marry Modesty rules are open to a wide range of interpretations; practices thus differ greatly

Video: Hijab – why I do or don’t wear it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puKosWNjY3A

Hijab Bathing Suit

Video: Burqa Debate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkh3WB5Htwg Video: Hijab Ban in the UK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjY8WpVAPRs

Catholic Veil: Mantilla Mantillas = chapel veils; pieces of black or white lace that are draped over a woman’s head when attending Mass, or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament Traditionally, the black veils were worn by married or widowed women, while the white veils were worn by young girls, or unmarried women Before the Second Vatican Council, the wearing of chapel veils was required for a woman when attending Mass as a symbol of her modesty and humility before God (until 1960s)

Mantilla

Mantilla: Purposes Act of veiling a woman's physical beauty, so that the beauty of God may be glorified instead Way of emulating the Virgin Mary, who is the archetype of purity and humility Signifies women’s role of giving life Similar to: The chalice holding the blood of Christ, which is veiled until the Preparation of the Gifts. Also, the tabernacle is veiled between Masses. Both of these vessels hold the Eucharist, the very life of Christ.

France: Hijab Ban September 2004: Banned all “obvious” religious symbols from public schools, including hijab

France: Full Veil Ban April 2011: Passed law against covering one’s face in public. Muslim women in the niqab or burqa (full face veil) are banned from any public activity, including walking down the street, taking a bus, going to shops, and picking their children up from school French politicians say they favored the ban in order to protect “gender equality” and women’s “dignity” Only the French police can confront a woman in niqab. They can't remove her veil but must refer the case to a local judge, who can hand out a fine, a “citizenship training course,” or both

France: Hijab Ban March 2013: Public poll shows that 84% of the public would support a ban on the hijab in any workplace that the public frequents and 86% would support a ban on religious symbols in a workplace centered on children, such as a school

Yuna: Hijabi Swag 25 year old Muslim pop singer from Malaysia Law-school graduate and fashion icon (“modern Muslim chic”) Has turned her personal style into a business with her I AM JET FUEL shop in Malaysia Carries her own line of traditional Malaysian head scarves

Q: You wear your head scarf beautifully. It seems like it’s an intrinsic part of who you are. A: I am never without my head scarf. It’s a part of me. As a Muslim woman, I embraced it on my own a few years ago, and I love wearing it. I wanted to give life to it, and I like having fun with it. Video: Mermaid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhH24I4mSpk Video: Lullabies (Adventure Club Remix) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsGiBwK4Ycc

Jihad Jihad = “struggle” Sometimes referred to as the 6th pillar of Islam An effort to practice Islam in the face of oppression and persecution Personally: Refers to an individual’s struggle against anything that prevents her/him from obeying Allah and Allah’s divine law Socially: Refers to the preservation of the order that Allah willed for the world

Jihad in the Qur’an: Holy War? Muslims are commanded in the Qur'an not to begin hostilities, violate the rights of others, or harm the innocent Even hurting or destroying animals or trees is forbidden If non-Muslims are peaceful or indifferent to Islam, there is no justified reason in the Qur’an to declare war on them Armed struggle is only approved as a last resort and only for self-defense

Jihad: Forced Conversion? The Qur'an says: "Let there be no compulsion in religion" (2:256). Using violence and thus forcing someone to choose death or Islam = foreign to the spirit of Islam There is no command in the Qur’an to wage a "holy war" in order to "spread the faith" and thus force people to embrace Islam This would be an unholy war and the people's forced conversions would not be sincere

Jihad and Islamic Fundamentalism: Wahhabism Wahhabism = an ultra-conservative branch of Sunni Islam Founded by theologian Muhammad ibnAbd al Wahhab during the eighteenth century (1703-1791) Sought to reverse what he perceived as the moral decline of his society

Wahhabism Seeks to “purify” Islam of any teachings/practices that deviate from the seventh-century teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions Both religious and political Its ideology has influenced Islamic extremist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda Often see non-Muslim, especially Western, influence as a threat

Nasheed Music and Islamic Extremism Videos: Nasheed Music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOdphEf21jg (jihad) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l83oI1zwCsQ (Umma)

Islamic Extremist Quotes “We destroyed the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and Allah ordered us to... punish everyone who stands alongside (US President George W) Bush.” – al-Qaeda “Congratulations to the Islamic nation, to our sheikh Osama abu Abdullah ( Osama bin Laden ), to our emir Mullah Mohammad Omar, to sheikh AymanZawahiri (bin Laden's deputy)... for the destruction of America, which is at the forefront of evil.” – al-Qaeda “Sons of Islam everywhere, the jihad is the duty – to establish the rule of Allah on earth and to liberate your countries and yourselves from America’s domination and its Zionist allies, it is your battle – either victory or martyrdom.” – Ahmed Yassin (founder of Hamas, a non-Wahhabi Palestinian extremist group)

Islamic quotes against jihadi attacks on the West “The undersigned, leaders of Islamic movements, are horrified by the events of Tuesday 11 September 2001 in the United States which resulted in massive killing, destruction and attack on innocent lives. We express our deepest sympathies and sorrow. We condemn, in the strongest terms, the incidents, which are against all human and Islamic norms. This is grounded in the Noble Laws of Islam which forbid all forms of attacks on innocents. God Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an: ‘No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another’ (Surah al-Isra 17:15).”

“There is no terrorism or a threat to civilians in jihad [religious struggle].” – Abdel-Mo’teiBayyoumi, al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy, Cairo, Egypt “You must know Islam’s firm position against all these terrible crimes. The world must know that Islam is a religion of peace and mercy and goodness; it is a religion of justice and guidance…Islam has forbidden violence in all its forms. It forbids the hijacking [of] airplanes, ships and other means of transport, and it forbids all acts that undermine the security of the innocent.” – Abdulaziz bin ‘Abdallah Al-Ashaykh, chief mufti (Muslim legal expert) of Saudi Arabia

Why do Islamic extremists see Western influence as a threat?

Islamic History Post-Caliphate 1258: Mongols captured/destroyed the city of Baghdad and brought about the fall of the caliphate The caliphate became united and expanded under the Ottoman Empire but remained an Islamic state WWI: The collapse of the Ottoman Empire Post WWI: Britain came to occupy the territory that was to become Iraq, Palestine, Trans-Jordan, Syria and Lebanon British and French forces drew the boundaries of these Middle Eastern nations without regard for local regional, familial, and tribal connections

Video: Israeli-Palestine conflict https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKfV8wCLjlE

1. Do you think that Islamic extremists’ views of the West as a threat are justified? Why or why not? 2. How does Quranic exegesis play a role in Islamic extremists’ calls for jihadi attacks on the West? i.e. How are they interpreting what the Qur’an says about jihad in relation to West-Middle East conflict? 3. Can extremists’ calls for jihadi attacks on the West be tied to both oppression and resistance? Why or why not? 4. How can Catholics follow the Church’s teaching on religious tolerance of Islam and esteem for Muslims despite Islamic extremists’ violent views and actions? (If you don’t think this is possible or that they should, explain.)

Islamic Concepts and Social Concerns: Hijab and Jihad