In Western society, I don't think it's much of a shock to assert that Western media shines a negative light on veiling. Seeing a woman walking down the streets of Chicago in a hijab, especially a burqa, stirs up controversy. The usual questions arise: "Who would make her wear that thing?", "Why would anyone wear that thing in the United States"?, and even "Is she a threat?". Anger, frustration, confusion. Americans are so used to the status-quo that anything different is considered bad. Typical American dress varies, but in general, we're used to showing a lot of skin. Bikinis, short shorts, and miniskirts are typically acceptable for women, and being topless in public is totally acceptable for men.
Appearance is so important to us, rightfully so, as it is the first thing we see when we look at people. However, it's truly difficult to justifiably say "This is the right way to look" or "This is the wrong way to look". We think burqas are oppressive? Take a look at this:
Appearance has a lot to do with perspective. What I take away from this is that an individual must understand the reason why someone else dresses or appears the way they do. Preconceptions and rumors go a long way, but they are rarely true. Going back to veiling in Muslim societies, sure, some women may feel oppressed and forced when wearing a burqa. That's a possibility. However, there are undoubtedly veiled women who feel like the woman wearing the burqa in the comic. Women who cover themselves to feel modest and gain self-respect.
This article gives a pleasant, positive perspective on veiling. Take Dawud, the Muslim Student Association board member, as an example. Dawud said that "[the hijab] defines who I am as a Muslim woman. It is a constant reminder of my faith....As women, we tend to be constantly objectified and expected to play out certain roles. I feel like the hijab breaks that barrier down". See that? Here's a woman who not only feels proud that she wears a hijab, but also a woman who chose to wear it out of her own free-will. Not the sort of story you would expect to hear on typical American television, right?
So are veils always a positive sign? No, but I like to think that they aren't as negative as the Western media portrays them to be. Appearance is powerful and indicates plenty, however each individual's appearance has a complex back story. That being said, before we judge a tradition, let's do some proper research before coming to any major conclusions.
You have a very interesting perspective here, one that needs to be considered by all people. The American, or western, media is so strong in the sense that it has created such strong conceptions about what should be worn and what should not. And though people may wear something not "in" there is a level of tolerance that has been established that permits them to commit this crime of style. So though they may get away with doing so, they do not escape the judgement or harsh opinions of the society around them, an aspect that must sincerely change. Indeed, we do not understand completely the reasons and justification people give for their actions and our head first, predominant culture only adds to this problem. We must make an effort to understand the culture of others, before making harsh judgement as our society might suggest.
ReplyDeleteI find the image and your post very compelling. I think it begs the question, can liberation come from oppression? Or can liberation coexist with oppression? Wearing veils is surely liberating, as it prevents women from being objectified or sexualized. But that liberation comes at the price of some oppression--not being able to express oneself through appearance and clothing to the extent allowed by Western culture (hairstyle/accessories/necklaces/clothes/etc). I think for Western women, our methods of expression involve just as much coexistence of liberation and oppression. We have the freedom to wear very little (bikinis, revealing tops, short shorts, short skirts), but choosing to do so exposes us more than men typically expose themselves and as such can serve to objectify us.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think...if acceptable methods of expression in Western and Middle Eastern cultures both liberate and oppress women, is there a type of way women can dress/express themselves through their appearance that is only liberating?
I really like the question you explored here, as it really got down to the core of what I was exploring in my post. I wonder the same thing...is there a way for women to express themselves that would not have any negative impacts? Would it be too idealistic to think that there is a way?
DeleteI think the main idea that I was trying to get at was that it's unfair for Western culture to portray veils as completely oppressive. Sure, they can be. But the same argument can be made for the way Western women dress themselves. It all depends on your perspective. I guess ideally, everyone would feel comfortable enough to choose on their own how they want to look...to not feel societal pressure one way or the other. Then, if someone wants to wear a veil, they would feel at peace with that decision and so would everyone else since they would know that that person made that decision themselves. You know?
Considering what a Muslim woman may think of western women is an interesting way to look at things. It's interesting because most women probably think that they dress the way they do because countries like America allow freedom of expression and we are no longer bound by social expectations, which restricted women to skirts and dresses. I'm trying to think of how a Muslim woman would look at these American woman. Perhaps she would say that the American is trying to appeal to what a male likes to see a woman wearing. I'm not sure-- it would be interesting to ask a Muslim woman about this.
ReplyDeleteAlso,you mentioned how many Americans see someone wearing a hijab or some sort of veiling and they ask why would they wear that here and who would make her wear that? When I see these questions, I think about what was going through the minds of people like the French, who banned wearing veils in public. The French probably also considered veiling an oppressive characteristic. They probably felt that because of veiling, certain people were alienated and considered "different" from the rest of the population. I'm sure he whole idea of safety was brought up at some point as well (i.e. it's safer when you can fully see someone's face). However, I'm curious to know if lawmakers ever stopped to think about the Muslim woman's perspective. I doubt they considered that many women choose to wear the veil as a tribute to their religion and modesty. For many, it is a personal choice. In America, we give people this freedom, and a woman can decide if she wants to wear some sort of veil or not. Of course people may stare, but at least there is the choice.
Steph, you bring up a great example. Since I took AP French last year, we talked a lot about the veiling controversy in France and how that impacted individuals in French society. I'm not sure if they necessarily felt bad that other individuals were alienated, I think it was just both safety and discrimination. One argument the French made was that if police wanted to arrest a Muslim in the country, they would not be able to identify the person (you sort of touched on this in your comment already.) I'm not sure what I think about this....it's hard to say that that claim is invalid....because in some ways, it does make sense that it would be nearly impossible to go through the typical measures if someone refuses to show themselves. Hmm.
DeleteAlso though, there was plenty of discrimination there. I think with the rise of immigration in France, the French were getting fed up with it. Of course that is not fair then, for this reason, to discriminate against veiling. You are definitely bringing up a good point though....I wonder if they ever thought to consider the opinions of those who they were trying to "change". Maybe they would have felt differently had they heard an overwhelming number of veiled women claim that they love wearing the veil and that they feel that it's their choice to dress however they life. Interesting..
I find your post very interesting Nicole. It is true how many Americans and Westerners are very ignorant when it comes to the veil and that has led to narrow-mindedness about the veil. However, I still do feel that while some women want to wear the veil and feel that it is 100% a positive thing, the fact that some countries enforce the wearing it is wrong no matter what. I fully understand what the cartoon is trying to say, but going deeper, the woman in the veil may have been forced to wear that, whereas the other woman chooses to wear it. The male-dominance is seen more in the restrictions of the women rather than what is being worn.
ReplyDeleteAs for the French discussion I agree with what you and Steph are saying and to add to that I feel that French are choosing to ban the veil because they want to preserve their own culture. The burqa is so noticeable and with the combination of the increase of immigration in France, I feel the French what to keep themselves as "French" as possible. Nonetheless this is still very controversial since it still is discriminating against Muslims who want to express their religion for themselves.
You bring up some good points here. I definitely agree with you and hopefully made it clear in my post that I don't think all women have chosen to wear and are happy with the veil. I definitely believe that veiling should not be enforced anywhere, because that is certainly oppressive. However, my point is that though Western "appearance norms" are never forced, they are strongly embedded in our ideas of what's acceptable or not. Essentially, I just don't think it's fair for Westerners to claim that veiling is always oppressive and awful for women. There are pros and cons regarding both choices.
DeleteRegarding the French, yes, I think you're right that they just want to preserve their culture. In some ways, I sympathize with that. However, in this day and age, France is becoming a sort of culmination of many cultures. Whether people like it or not, it's just the reality. And with so many people immigrating from the Middle East, it's unrealistic to instill these strict bans without upsetting a great deal of your population! Though I don't want old French culture to get diminished, it just doesn't make sense to be so discriminatory.