Hijab: An Expression of Identity or Oppression?

1. Hijab: An Expression of Identity or Oppression? Irena Joseph and Fulwah Bin Sulayyih Wright State University Ohio TESOL 2013

2. Ohio TESOL 2013

3. Veil vs. Hijab • VEIL – misleading term, as the strict definition of veil is a covering for the face, whereas in the Muslim context, it is used to describe what Muslim women use to cover their hair. • HIJAB – has a more flexible meaning: ranging from the covering of one's body (including one's hair) to modest behavior. Ohio TESOL 2013

4. Reason for the Choice of Topic • To share what I learned about the hijab from Muslim women while teaching an advanced reading and writing course • Program: LEAP Intensive English Program at Wright State University, Dayton • Course: Level 4 Advanced Reading and Writing class • Student population: the countries of the Middle East and East Asia • Time period: 3 quarters (2011/2012) • Essay Topic: Cause and effect research essay about prejudice Ohio TESOL 2013

5. How It All Came About • Writing Topic: Describe agroup of people that are suffering from prejudice, analyze the causes and effects of this prejudice, and discuss possible solutions. To help generate ideas, try to answer the following questions: 1. What does the word prejudice mean? 2. What groups of people suffer from prejudice in your native country? In the United States? In the world? 3. Why do these groups suffer from prejudice? (What are the causes of the problem?) 4. What happens to these people as a result of the prejudice? (What are the effects of the problem?) 5. What are the solutions to the problem? Who should be responsible for solving the problem? 6. What difference can one person (each individual) make in solving this problem? Ohio TESOL 2013

6. Perspectives on the Hijab • Hijab – a symbol of oppression? • Media influence “The media often represents Muslim women who wear the hijab as primitive, backward and oppressed by showing images that appear antithetical to women in a democratic Western society” (Selod, 2008, p. 1360). • Lessons from students: Can hijab be a symbol of something other than oppression? Ohio TESOL 2013

7. A graduate student • I am from Saudi Arabia • Studying educational technology at Wright State University. • Why I came to the U.S.? Ohio TESOL 2013

8. Hijab and the Parts of It • The literal meaning of hijab is to veil, to cover, or to screen. • KHMAR “ Scarf” which covers hair, neck, bosom. • (JILBAB) Abayah which is baggy and wide. • NIQAB that covers the face except eyes. • BURQA. • In short, it has a variety of different dress styles from around the world. Ohio TESOL 2013

9. * Questions Received • Who asks you to dress this way? • Are you wearing hijab because • you don’t have enough money to buy new clothes? • you’re ugly or don’t have hair? • Do you wear hijab all the time, even at home? • Do men force you to wear hijab? • How Do I feel?????? Ohio TESOL 2013

10. What I Have Experienced because of Hijab • In school • Out of school • Malls & Supermarkets • Elsewhere • Examples Ohio TESOL 2013

11. Why Hijab? • It is required of Muslim women and that is obvious in Quran which is the Muslim holy book. • In Chapter 24 known as an-Nur (the Light), in verse 30, Allah • commands Prophet Muhammad as follows: • ““قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ يَغُضُّوْا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَ يَحْفَظُوْا فُرُوْجَهُمْ, ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ. • Translation: • “Say to the believing men that: they should cast down their glances and guard their private parts (by being chaste). This is better for them.” Ohio TESOL 2013

12. Then in the next verse, Allah commands the Prophet to address the women:““قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَ يَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوْجَهُنَّ... Translation:“Say to the believing women that: they should cast down their glances and guard their private parts (by being chaste)…”After “hijab of the eyes” came the order describing the dress code for women:“وَ لاَ يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَ لْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلىَ جُيُوْبِهِنَّ...”“...and not display their beauty except what is apparent, and they should place their khumur over their bosoms...” Ohio TESOL 2013

13. In Chapter 33 known as al-Ahzab, verse 59, Allah gives the following command to Prophet Muhammad: “يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ, قُلْ لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَ بَنَاتِكَ وَ نِسآءِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ: يُدْنِيْنَ “عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلاَبِيْبِهِنَّ... “O Prophet! Say to your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers that: they should let down upon themselves their jalabib.” Jilbab means a wide dress. The Islamic dress code for women does not only consist of a scarf which covers the head, neck, and the bosom; it also includes the wide dress. Ohio TESOL 2013

14. An Expression of Identity Hijab • represents modesty, an important virtue • makes me feel safe and comfortable • encourages people to respect me • marks me as a visible member of Muslim community, which I’m proud of Ohio TESOL 2013

15. 1st Lesson Learned • I became more aware of stereotypes against veiled women: Muslim women wear the hijab for various reasons. “[G]iven the complexity of the Islamic veil, the veil can mean many different types of identity – ascribed, chosen, declared – not only a dominant one” (Bucar, 2012, p. 116). “Islam asks women to dress modestly but doesn’t force women to wear hijab” (Elham). Ohio TESOL 2013

16. 2nd Lesson Learned • Students are surprised we know so little. “When I first arrived to the United States of America, I used to be surprised of comments like, “Can you take off your headscarf at home?”, “What would be the reaction of your father or brother if you take off your headscarf?” Part of my surprise was because I actually spent some time trying to convince my father to let me wear hijab, and the other part was due to my assumed expectations about the Western world. I assumed that because we are living in the era of globalization, the Western society’s knowledge about my religion and culture should be better than giving such kind of uninformed comments” (Elham). Ohio TESOL 2013

17. 3rd Lesson Learned • We shouldn’t assume Muslim women who wear the hijab are oppressed. “The theme “women oppression” should be handled with caution when combining it with hijab, as it is not always the case. The best example to reveal this is the second and third generations of Muslim women immigrants. Those generations were born and grown up on the principles of the free democratic Western society, yet they willingly chose to wear the veil” (Elham). Ohio TESOL 2013

18. 4th Lesson Learned • We should educate ourselves. “Beingable to become close to Muslim people is an excellent step to realize they are as any other religion. Some of them are nice while others are not” (Fulwah). “If the people understand the purpose of Hijab and why women wearing Hijab, they maybe communicate more easily and in a respectful way with these women. To achieve this goal we have to educate people by many ways and tell them what the Hijab is, and why it is an important part of Muslim women’s life” (Waad). Ohio TESOL 2013

19. 4th Lesson Learned (cont.) “The most important person who can quickly remove the prejudice from the society is the person himself who experienced this prejudice. Muslim women wearing hijab should not isolate themselves from the environment. Interacting with surrounding and keep knocking on doors to get good education and look for chances of work is the only way to correct the negative picture that was adopted by the western society about hijab” (Elham). Ohio TESOL 2013

20. 5th Lesson Learned • We should get to know our students, which breaks down barriers and stereotypes better than anything we hear or read. Ohio TESOL 2013

21. Tips to Fight Prejudice • Don’t believe in everything that media says. • Talk to us. • Learn about us. • Believe that we are normal women like others, but we dress differently. • Be sure that we are not oppressed and we wear hijab to obey God. Ohio TESOL 2013

22. References • Bucar, E. (2012). The Islamic Veil: A Beginner’s Guide. Oxford: Oneworld. • Selod S. F. (2008). Veil. In R. T Schaefer (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society 1360-1361. SAGE Publications. DOI: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libraries.wright.edu:2048/10.4135/9781412963879.n572 Ohio TESOL 2013