The Hijab And Freedom

In the Western media, it is common to see the Hijab, or Arabic dress that women wear, is portrayed as a symbol of female oppression. I used to have the same opinion, as forcing women to dress in a certain manner and thus conceal their bodies seems terribly patriarchal. It basically says that women cause men to sin, and thus women have to conceal their desirability to avoid leading men into sin. I really hate the way such an interpretation makes it seem that women are at fault for being desirable and thus lead men to do stupid things. It fails to take into account the weakness in men that only men can overcome, instead of semi-metaphorically sweeping the problem under a carpet.


After some time observing how other women lead their lives, I am beginning to wonder if there is some merit to the Hijab. In many non-Muslim countries, women are portrayed as free and pretty. They are liberated in acknowledging their sexuality and expressing it. This is the rosy interpretation of contemporary female fashion. It seems to be an improvement on how women had to wear skirts and dresses and keep their hair long back in the Victorian days. Women's rights and norms of behaviour are a separate issue here.

However, the same does not apply to just any woman. Not every woman feels the ability or compulsion to dress in a manner that enhances their appearance in a way that is similar to stereotypical models in a Hollywood ad. Some have bodies that hardly resemble that of any model. Others perhaps have no fashion sense whatsoever and are derided for dressing in an inappropriate manner. Simply put, these women are being oppressed by the contemporary norms of fashion in very much the same way the Hijab supposedly oppresses Arabic women.

In fact, the application of Hijab-style fashion is a powerful leveling instrument. It frees women to worry less about their appearances and dress sense, and more towards cultivating themselves as females. Self-actualization becomes possible without reference to the context of fashion or beauty as popular culture portrays it. There will be fewer concerns about whether my butt looks fat today, or whether that dress fits me well.

Of course, such an ideal situation would only be possible through universal acceptance of the Hijab itself and what it represents. Surely some shapelier women will bemoan the plainness of the Hijab preventing them from using their inborn feminine beauty to help personal relations. Seduction is, after all, a natural advantage that some women have raised to an art form. There will also be those who scream about men oppressing women all over again. Or perhaps the apparent uniformity of the dress.

I think the issue here is not so much about freedom, as there are many ways to freedom. I would not feel free in a prison, though an impoverished citizen unable to secure regular meals and in constant danger on the streets may actually feel liberated through incarceration. The issue is the startling imbalance in the application of the Hijab, with men blaming women for being seductresses and imposing the restrictions on them, yet not imposing the same on themselves. After all, are not particularly beautiful men in danger of seducing women, leading them to sin?