Something about essay season in grad school makes me want to blog blog blog my days away... My creative side gets so beaten and downtrodden during these few months of dry details and structure. I have to let off steam somehow, and those of you who read this blog take the brunt. But hey, I ain't forcing you to read this. So sit down, shut up, and like it. LIKE IT.
I've been doing quite a lot of soul searching lately concerning my relationship with hijab, and why it is that I continue to wear it. Some of you who have been following me for a long time might remember a video I posted listing the reasons why I wear it. Most of what I said there is still true, but there's a lot of bullshit. That was still when my relationship with Islam was in its infancy. Now, my relationship with Islam could be thought of as an adolescent teenager, and my views on this topic have once again changed.
Being in Doha and immersing myself in the field that I am, I come into contact with so many academic types who strictly adhere to secularism. They cling to it. I've been asked often by a handful of PhDs why it is that I continue to wear a scarf on my head while we puff on never ending bowls of sweet shisha smoke.
The truth is, I put hijab on initially to form a physical barrier between myself and the habits I was trying to kick. It's nice to wear a constant reminder on your head that pushes you towards being a better person.
I don't think that hijab is obligatory for Muslim women. I hold no preconceptions about Muslim women who chose to wear hijab or not, I think this sort of thing is best left as a personal decision. Nobody can mediate between yourself and God in the end, and He knows best what is in the hearts of pious women.
When I started wearing hijab I still drank (although I quit soon after). I don't pray every day. I smoke, and sometimes I take off my scarf when I'm alone with an attractive guy... Does this invalidate my hijab? According to every serious Muslim scholar with a beard down to his knee: YES! HARAAAAM!
So why do I continue to wear hijab? I am not (by far) the most pious or devout Muslim woman. Does that really have anything to do with hijab, though? I think not. Islam gives me a great excuse to wear a scarf around my head and to dress more modestly. I can blame this simple comfort on God, too. It's great. It's far too complicated to actually explain to somebody in polite conversation why it is that I decided to start wearing hijab, but maybe I can express something coherent in this post.
First and foremost, when I wear hijab and cover myself until I'm comfortable, it signals to others that my body belongs to me. Let's face it: today, women are constantly objectified. In the media, advertisements, even in civil society. Women no longer own their own bodies. The sensual curves, intoxicating fragrance, or simple beauty of a woman are no longer her own.
This idea that women should cover because their beauty "is for their husband only" is total bullshit. A woman should cover herself or decide to dress modestly because she respects herself, and so that she can take back total control over her own body. A woman's body or beauty belongs to nobody but herself, especially not her husband. Men do not own women. We own ourselves. When I wear hijab, I get to decide with whom I share my body. I don't want the whole wide world critiquing or scoffing at the body that I was given by God, and likewise I want to bestow the richness of my body on only those that I choose.
My hijab is then a signal to the world that I respect and care for myself, not that I am "oppressed" and/or "owned" by a male.
To be perfectly honest, I also love wearing hijab just to throw people off. Most people in Doha automatically speak to me in Arabic and are totally baffled when I respond in my big fat American accent. Hijab commands respect in Muslim societies, and deflects a LOT of unwanted attention. Of course, you can never do away with all of the stares, hoots n hollers, but wearing hijab does help a bunch.
Well that's it. I know that's not a great answer, and probably not what many of you wanted to hear but hey. I don't know if I care.
Peace and love always <3
I've been doing quite a lot of soul searching lately concerning my relationship with hijab, and why it is that I continue to wear it. Some of you who have been following me for a long time might remember a video I posted listing the reasons why I wear it. Most of what I said there is still true, but there's a lot of bullshit. That was still when my relationship with Islam was in its infancy. Now, my relationship with Islam could be thought of as an adolescent teenager, and my views on this topic have once again changed.
Being in Doha and immersing myself in the field that I am, I come into contact with so many academic types who strictly adhere to secularism. They cling to it. I've been asked often by a handful of PhDs why it is that I continue to wear a scarf on my head while we puff on never ending bowls of sweet shisha smoke.
The truth is, I put hijab on initially to form a physical barrier between myself and the habits I was trying to kick. It's nice to wear a constant reminder on your head that pushes you towards being a better person.
I don't think that hijab is obligatory for Muslim women. I hold no preconceptions about Muslim women who chose to wear hijab or not, I think this sort of thing is best left as a personal decision. Nobody can mediate between yourself and God in the end, and He knows best what is in the hearts of pious women.
When I started wearing hijab I still drank (although I quit soon after). I don't pray every day. I smoke, and sometimes I take off my scarf when I'm alone with an attractive guy... Does this invalidate my hijab? According to every serious Muslim scholar with a beard down to his knee: YES! HARAAAAM!
So why do I continue to wear hijab? I am not (by far) the most pious or devout Muslim woman. Does that really have anything to do with hijab, though? I think not. Islam gives me a great excuse to wear a scarf around my head and to dress more modestly. I can blame this simple comfort on God, too. It's great. It's far too complicated to actually explain to somebody in polite conversation why it is that I decided to start wearing hijab, but maybe I can express something coherent in this post.
First and foremost, when I wear hijab and cover myself until I'm comfortable, it signals to others that my body belongs to me. Let's face it: today, women are constantly objectified. In the media, advertisements, even in civil society. Women no longer own their own bodies. The sensual curves, intoxicating fragrance, or simple beauty of a woman are no longer her own.
This idea that women should cover because their beauty "is for their husband only" is total bullshit. A woman should cover herself or decide to dress modestly because she respects herself, and so that she can take back total control over her own body. A woman's body or beauty belongs to nobody but herself, especially not her husband. Men do not own women. We own ourselves. When I wear hijab, I get to decide with whom I share my body. I don't want the whole wide world critiquing or scoffing at the body that I was given by God, and likewise I want to bestow the richness of my body on only those that I choose.
My hijab is then a signal to the world that I respect and care for myself, not that I am "oppressed" and/or "owned" by a male.
To be perfectly honest, I also love wearing hijab just to throw people off. Most people in Doha automatically speak to me in Arabic and are totally baffled when I respond in my big fat American accent. Hijab commands respect in Muslim societies, and deflects a LOT of unwanted attention. Of course, you can never do away with all of the stares, hoots n hollers, but wearing hijab does help a bunch.
Well that's it. I know that's not a great answer, and probably not what many of you wanted to hear but hey. I don't know if I care.
Peace and love always <3
EXCELLENT answer!
ReplyDeleteHummmm, Interesting, You made me thinking about it. That make sense, although it is one-side view~
ReplyDeleteAlhamdulillah that you wear hijab because of self respect. Islam told women to cover their aurah because to protect their dignity. That means to cover your beauty from the sight of the wild eyes out there. Btw, husbands dont own their wives and never do. Why did you think that way?
ReplyDelete"This idea that women should cover because their beauty "is for their husband only" is total bullshit. "
Well of course! Why not? I don't think you want your husband to share with other men do you?
U wear Hijab for urself & for Allah and for ur own dignity not to make ur body as commodity or not to be objectified as u said.
ReplyDeleteIn Quran Allah never say, their beauty "is for their husband only".
On other way, Allah doesnt allow a man's smartness or women's beauty to be exposed or shared with unmarried woman/man but only with/for their own spouse,that's beauty of Islam. Islam prohibits animalism,seducing unknown man/woman, hooking up like animals with anyone. Unfortunately, in today's western world, a husband hardly trust his wife and a wife hardly trust her husband becoz they know how sincere they are with their own spouse. Very often their spouse go with a reliable /trustful dog in car not with spouse. Of course, I can't generalise but true for millions.