Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?

Question

The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijaab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijaab’, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam.

In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust

The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity:

Babylonian Civilization: The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death.
Greek Civilization: Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.
Roman Civilization: When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.
Egyptian Civilization: The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.
Pre-Islamic Arabia: Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive.
Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them to maintain their status.

Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.

Hijaab for men

People usually only discuss ‘hijaab’ in the context of women. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijaab’ for men before ‘hijaab’ for the women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor:

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do."[Al-Qur’an 24:30]

The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

Hijaab for women.

The next verse of Surah Noor, says:

" And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons..."[Al-Qur’an 24:31]

Six criteria for Hijaab.

According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing hijaab:

The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijaab’. All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.
The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them.
The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.
The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.
The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers’ religions.
Hijaab includes conduct and behavior among other things

Complete ‘hijaab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moral conduct, behavior, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijaab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijaab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijaab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijaab’ of the eyes, ‘hijaab’ of the heart, ‘hijaab’ of thought and ‘hijaab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.

Hijaab prevents molestation

The reason why Hijaab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verses of Surah Al-Ahzab:

"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."[Al-Qur’an 33:59]

The Qur’an says that Hijaab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being molested.

Example of twin sisters

Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic hijaab i.e. the complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists. The other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijaab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the mini. Such dresses are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says that hijaab prevents women from being molested.

Capital punishment for the rapists

Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards?

Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women

Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honor. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketers, hidden behind the colorful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.

USA has one of the highest rates of rape

United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans got ‘bolder’ in the following years.

Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijaab is followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijaab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease?

Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce the rate of rapes

Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world, whether it is America or Europe, society will breathe easier. Hijaab does not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.

Answer 1

As a veiled muslim woman, i would like to say that i am not degraded or oppressed. It is completely my choice to wear the veil and i love wearing it because i am doing it for the sake of my Lord who has given me much honor and respect in this society. And if we were degraded you wouldn't see us defending ourselves against those who do not even know about the wisdom of veil. Nobody can tell me that i am oppressed when i feel so proud and happy covering myself!

Answer 2

Veil is not a discrimination or degradation. Veil is the way women protect themselves from men's eyes, from being desired. I know, that it must be very difficult for a European to understand (or to any other peson, who has been brought up in contemporary democratic values) but beauty in the veiw of muslim women and men is not about showing your har or body but is about soul and heart. And it's not necessary at all for a woman to show her hair to state her position. A person can be unique, can show her individuality while wearing the viel, because character and personality is something inside one's soul, not on the hair or the body. I hope my idea is clear. Have a nice day, eveone!

Answer 3

what is sharia law or true islamic law uses the veil to actually degrade men!

according to the idea that a women is a walking v-a-g-i-n-a and for a man to see even a hint of the walking v-a-g-i-n-a will result in his uncontrollable lust because he is after all a man and completely incapable of looking at any part of a women without being completely over taken by lust.

another great sharia law is death by stoning for adultery and if a women gets raped she needs four witnesses to prove she was raped other wise she needs to keep her mouth shut or she will be accused of adultery which will result in guess what? death by stoning.

What a wonder that there are dramatically fewer documented cases of rape in the wonderful world of islam.

news.faithfreedom.org where muslims go to be cured of the stupidity known as islam.

Answer 4

Not all islam believers keep women in veils.Most wear a head scarf which is the custom has they are not allowed to show there hair, same way nuns are not allowed to.

Answer 5

This is an attempt to punish Muslims. It's a pseudo probe. He doesn't really want to know why...Islam....
He's just trying to punish Muslims for not meeting his expectations. That he chooses to stigmatise Muslim women pisses me off as a woman and as a Muslim.
His real psychological problem is exactly the opposite of his complaint. People are not unhappy because we are hideing behind our veils. They are unhappy because we are out in public in plain view to everyone, in our distinctive Islamic attire. That's what they are trying to stop. They don't care if we wear veils , just so long as they do not have to see us wearing them. So they beleive that if they promote stigma upon us that we will go home and hide from view. We aren't wimps. We have discipline and intellect...real courage.
I think the real degradation upon women is the sexual slavery, prostitution, pornography and rape that is now this huge profit makeing slave racket. 30 million women and girls in 30 years. You missed that? In the face of it no Muslims- male or female see themselves as anything but extremely fortunate to be in the LAST intact traditional culture left on the planet. In the USA we have 30 thousand unprocessed rape kits. He's asking the wrong dammned question. They project on to us Muslims all the vile things they don't like about themselves. A dependence on the income from the sex industry for example or a 60% illegitimacy rate and the poverty that goes with it! You gave up your social controls as easily as a 20 dollar hooker turns a trick. You rolled again and again Since the 1920's you've been slideing lower and lower.So that you have forgotten or never knew at all what basic chastity modesty and virture looked like. There was a time when no respectable woman would show her ankles, her hair loose or bare arms in public . What happened? The veil is about social control and It definitely keeps us out of the mess the rest of you are in.

Answer 6

Its not islamic practice, its a connected tradition written by some men who think they know better than the quran and can add to it. women who choose to wear it, or those that live in areas where it is generally practice wear it. of course you get some women forced to wear it, and some who mistakenly believe it is religious rather than traditionally, but i expect that is a minority.

Answer 7

Degrade women? Are you serious? So it is degrading to cover your body from unwanted eyes, yet it is not to be a whore and show off your body to people. Now I don't know what you think degrading means, but Islam definately does not degrade women.

Answer 8

Well i dont wear the viel for my husband as i wore it befor ei was married,... and actually some muslim men do not even like it. its the women keeping the practice alive. but i am not degraded in anyway shape or form this is a blessing from allah

Answer 9

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Answer 10

do you mean in uk?? women wear it as their own personal choice..as is their right ..we are a democratic society...and as for the women who are forced to wear it in countries where it is currently law...when womens rights are recognised there(or us invade because they decide that the country has something it wants) then they can also have the right to choose...islam is a religion not a dictatorship