Islamic Veil Significance and Popularity - Essay Example

ISLAMIC VEIL SIGNIFICANCE AND POPULARITY Islamic Veil Significance and Popularity Introduction Up to the present day, coverings on the head and body are considered to play a key role in different religions, such as Islam, Catholicism, and Orthodox Judaism. For instance, the hijab is a single name of a veil that represents several headscarves. It is mostly common among Western countries. The veils can comprise of either one or two scarves meant to shelter the head as well as the neck. Beyond the West, Muslim women, especially those in Arab countries wear different kinds of veils. The niqab, for instance, covers the entire body of a person, although it leaves openings around the eyes. Two forms of niqab styles exist, including a full niqab, which leaves thin slits on the eyes and a half niqab, which exposes the eyes as well as a portion of the forehead. These veils are popular among Muslims, especially those residing in Gulf States (Murphy 2009). Within Europe and other Western states, on the other hand, the use of niqab has raised major debate. Various politicians suggest it should be banned while others stipulate that it raises concerns about security as well as restricts communication. Furthermore, the chador is a veil having the length of a full body. Although it covers a person’s head, the face is visible entirely. These kinds of veils are mostly black and found in the Middle East, especially in Iran. In addition, the burqa veil covers the entire body of the wearer. An individual can only see through the mesh screen left for the eyes. This kind of veil is dominant in Pakistan and Afghanistan (Women in World History, 2013). Veils characterized by diverse shapes and colours were customary in diverse cultures even before Islam was introduced to the world. Up until today, for instance, coverings on the head play a major role in diverse religions, such as Catholicism, and Orthodox Judaism. Nonetheless, Islam has emerged to serve as a dominant religion in the world since the seventh century. As the religion, grew, it adopted veiling customs also influenced other religions. Nonetheless, in the recent years, various Islamic states including Iran have implemented measures where all women must wear the veil (Why Islam, 2011). Most individuals who criticize the veiling tradition by Muslims argue that women are coerced to wear the veils rather than making their choices. By contrast, young Muslim immigrants found in the West stipulate that a veil should serve as a symbol of piety and devotion where one chooses whether to wear one or not. They argue that a veil represents self-expression and religious identity. In the recent years, however, the veil by Muslims has received notable popularity in different parts of the world based on the widespread adoption by this religious group. This has raised the question as to what significance the veil has among Muslims and the reasons for its widespread popularity (Why Islam, 2011). Discussion Islamic Veil Adoption In the entire human life, a piece of cloth has not served many roles, leading to major controversies, misunderstandings, and manipulations concerning the Islamic veil. It is assigned many roles, including a liberator, repressor, imprisonment, prayer, protection, and obliteration. For those individuals who are non-Muslims, they consider the veil as a most visible and controversial Islamic symbol. The veil has gathered new prominence in the West, leading emergence of various misunderstandings, parliamentary debates, and court rulings regarding whether it should be allowed to exist. For instance, the high-profile associated with the veil is linked with diverse forces, such as notable curiosity and awareness regarding Islam after 9/11. Additionally, the United States military has intervened in various Muslim countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq. There is also a growing dominance of Muslim immigrants in Europe and the United States. As such, the West has raised security concerns regarding the use of the veil, particularly because of security risks poses and interferences with communication (Facing History 2015). The veil creates trouble, particularly when an individual is in distress. The West perceives it as a symbol of tyranny, oppression, and zealotry among Muslims. These assumptions do not reveal why Muslim women wear the veil. Hence, the attention given to the veil is immense because the Muslim faith is considered to mean more as opposed to things that women wear to cover their heads or body. Nonetheless, based on the diverse manifestations associated with the veil, it also leads to the emergence of discrepancies among Muslims. Furthermore, the contemporary debate concerning the veil raises vital questions, regarding free will, interpretation of the Koran, and status of women in the society (Facing History 2015). In the perspective of many, the Islamic veil describes a set of coverings. The headscarf is the one that many individuals wear. It mostly covers their neck and head. It may be characterized by a simple, black colour, or may be colourful, as in the case of Cairo, where women wear scarves around their head and cascade them in a luxurious manner around their waists. Among Arabs, a headscarf (hijab) refers to a screen or covering. In the perspective of various Islamic scholars globally, Muslim women are supposed to wear a headscarf to cover their hair. Thus, any form of head covering is acceptable among Muslims. The other kinds of coverings that Muslim women wear are also treated as veils based on the country in which they come from. Outfits may be regarded as either compulsory or optional, based on cultural or religious grounds (Stacey 2010). For instance, the traditional covering among Iranians is referred to as a chador. This refers to a black cloth, which should fit a woman from head to bottom. In case they are mixing with other people, women tend to hold part of the veil while covering their face. For the modern Iranians, they usually wear a headscarf and match it with a long garment. In Saudi Arabia, women are required to wear a long rectangular scarf, which they fold on their heads accompanied with a black robe. Other individuals incorporate a niqab to help cover their nose and mouth. They can even decide to hide their whole face, leaving a slight opening around the eyes. The Afghanistan burqa serves as the most obstructive form of covering as it covers the entire woman’s body (Stacey 2010). Perception of Non-Muslims A large number of non-Muslims regard the veiling practice by Muslim women as repression among them. This is particularly the case for societies, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are considered highly patriarchal. They treat the status of women as second class, requiring them to cover their entire body and head when they leave home. Nonetheless, a large number of Muslim women, such as those residing in the United States wear a headscarf voluntarily during religious events. By wearing veils, they stipulate that it is God’s wish rather than a symbol of less dominance in the workplace or at home. They love engaging in this practice because they believe it brings them close to Allah. Thus, they believe that wearing a veil is not a bad thing. For example, some Muslim women, especially those in Egypt believe that God commanded them to wear a veil to safeguard their dignity. Muslim women also wear the veil to indicate that they are proud of their faith, particularly when non-Muslims attack them. This is especially the case where Muslim countries believe that the Western culture threatens their existence. Thus, the women in these kinds of societies believe they are authentic when they wear the Islamic veil (Stacey 2010). Other reasons given as to why Muslims wear veils are that they lack a variety of choices. For those women residing in the developed world, for example, they wear a veil to avoid shame when men stare at them, particularly in heavily crowded areas. Others are subjected to pressures by family members, including husbands, fathers, or brothers who want women to be considered moral. These men normally respond to the norms that govern their societies, which stipulate that women who wear veils are obedient to Islam exclusions concerning extramarital sex and dating issues. In addition, certain Islamic men ask women to veil because of the jealousy they develop towards them. They feel bad when they see other men looking at their wives. Most men have great respect for women who wear veils because this indicates that they respect their status in the society. This means they do not wish to serve as a materialistic thing or a symbol for sex. However, some do not consider veiling as an important practice because they believe that a human being is the one that represents the whole entity rather than what is worn (Facing History 2015). Modern Historical Arguments Contemporary history reveals that men, as well as those regimes that are dominated by men, have encouraged veiling to serve as a way of regulating the activities that women engage in and the entire society. They also follow this trend for them to be in a position to support their ideologies, regardless of whether they are Islamic or secular. For instance, during the initial half of the twentieth century, leaders in Iran and Turkey who were oriented towards secular practices played a key role in modernizing their nations to follow Western practices. This led them to ban women from using veils while in the vicinity of the public. This practice created distress among many women who believed in Muslim teachings. In Iran, for instance, the police removed those women who wore veils among the members of the public in a forceful manner. Those women who could not bear such shame remained in their homes (Murphy 2009). In the present day Turkey, the state prohibits women from wearing veils in universities that are run by the government. During the revolution that took place in Iran in 1979 where the ban for use of veil was reversed, women were forced to cover their entire body and head, even for those who did not belong to the Muslim religion. Here, the key aim was to illustrate that Islam was the dominating force in the Iranian society and not Westerners. The revolution evident in Iran led to the emergence of deep-rooted ideologies regarding the erotic state of a women’s hair. For instance, conservative writers argue that a women’s hair radiates a form of ray, which influences a man beyond his normal state. Thus, supporters of veiling argue that it was intended for regulating the sexual power that women possess (Stacey 2010). Besides, after the Taliban overtook Afghanistan in 1996, the society implemented similar rules. Afghan women were forced to wear the burqa, which used to be worn in the past by traditional women to address various religious and cultural matters. Nevertheless, during the civil war that took place in Algeria in 1990s, Muslim extremists killed women who did not wear veils. Furthermore, in Gaza, which was controlled by Hamas, girls going to school have been demanded to veil themselves. The Orthodox Jewish society in Israel also requires all married women to put a cover on their hair. Various critics have, however, accused the West of debating the veil by treating it as an Islamic symbol. They normally do this while criticizing the manner in which Muslim women have been repressed in their societies. Thus, any veiled woman is considered to represent Islam religion in the West (Stacey 2010). Present Perceptions Today, the burqa and niqab represent the most extreme veil types, particularly because they are raising notable debates in Europe and those countries dominated by Muslims. Various Islamic scholars have failed to reach an agreement as to whether Muslim women should be forced to cover themselves using veils. For instance, in Egypt, students have been asked to remove their veils when going to certain schools because a veil does not represent Islam, but it only serves as a custom. In Egypt, niqab never served as a traditional type of dress. Nonetheless, young women have adopted it in the recent years, turning it into a form of conservative dress mode followed by Saudis. While citing security concerns, therefore, the government of Egypt has banned young women from using veils in university dormitories (Why Islam, 2011). Based on the current security issues associated with the use of the veil, it is true that a niqab does not serve as a religious prerequisite. This is particularly the case because the Taliban coerces women to cover themselves using the niqab. Thus, this is the appropriate time to consult the idea as to whether the veil should be considered mandatory. Furthermore, for Saudi Arabia, the veil has deep roots in the case of the country’s tribal customs. As such, it is worn because of its broad acceptance, although women in the region have different perceptions towards it. Some believe that since a woman’s face is the most beautiful, then it should be covered. The niqab is different because it is a tradition as opposed to an Islamic rule or ritual. Islam requires you to cover hair rather than the face. Moreover, for there to be effective communication between individuals from diverse civilizations, it is vital for one to reveal her face to build trust. In the West, the veil has created various problems for various reasons. Since insecurity has grown tremendously, it is a requirement for judges, airline ticket agents, teachers, and policemen to understand who they are dealing with (Women in World History, 2013). In addition, the veil challenges assumption by Western nations that masks are an indication of deceit. Thus, in those societies where interaction is dependent on confrontational interaction, a veil can create barriers with regard to assimilation as well as create a sense of anxiety. It is for this reason that a number of European nations are imposing plans to ban the use of veils, such as burqa and niqab in public. A major Islam organization based in Canada has also requested the government of the country to institute that kind of a ban. France banned the use of the headscarf as well as other symbols of faith from public schools in 2004 to enhance the security of the country (Murphy 2009). Conclusion The Islamic veil has gained notable popularity in different parts of the world. In the Muslim world, the veil is considered a symbol of commitment to the Islamic faith as well as a way of keeping a woman from the prying eyes of men. Some Islamic societies have adopted extreme types of veils, such as the burqa and niqab, which make it difficult to identify an individual. This has raised concerns among western countries, particularly because they consider their use as a threat to security and a hindrance to effective interaction. Other groups of Muslims also argue that use of niqab and burqa is extreme and is not in accordance with Islamic faith. Hence, Muslims need to evaluate the extent to which they adopt the Islamic veil to ensure that it is acceptable in their society and other parts of the world. This would help ease security tensions affiliated with Muslims and foster effective communication among individuals of diverse civilizations. References Facing History 2015, A Brief History of the Veil in Islam, viewed 16 June 2015, . Murphy, C 2009, Behind the veil: Why Islams most visible symbol is spreading, viewed 16 June 2015, . Stacey, A 2010, Why Muslim Women Wear the Veil, viewed 16 June 2015, . WhyIslam 2011, Why do Muslim Women Veil Themselves, viewed 16 June 2015, . Women in World History 2013, Historical Perspectives On Islamic Dress, viewed 16 June 2015, . Read More