Why is wearing a hijab (head scarf) oppressive?

Question

First of all, as someone said earlier nuns do it, people used to do it in the past, and most muslim women CHOOSE to do it. It's like if someone came to the UK or America naked, and started saying people who wear clothes are oppressed. So what's the difference? It's like clothes, but over the head.

very few women are forced to wear a scarf. Muslim women are not supposed to be forced to wear a scarf, but why do people say all muslim women are oppressive when most of them choose to wear it? Even if they say they choose to wear it, they are told they are oppressed. Why?

I understand why it's oppressive when they are forced, but most of the time their not, and I mean why are ALL muslim women told they are oppressive even if they do choose to wear a hijab?

abu gabal i actually disagree with something you said. I don't think niqab should be banned. You don't HAVE to wear it, but it is good to wear it and there's no reason why women shouldn't if they choose to do so. And denying people of the freedom to wear the niqab is actually oppressive. Wouldnt you agree?

ettenna i: i agree. For security reasons, women who wear niqab should take it off, but they do and there is no problem with this. It is perfectly understandable that people see who they are for security reasons, but there's no other reason why you should see someone's face.

fromage: Why do you need to see their faces? There's no need except for security reasons. Muslim women who wear niqab (face veils) shouldn't be committing crimes and hitting people and running lol imagine how ridiculous that would look.

You think it is rude to wear a niqab while talking to someone because you have been taught a certain way.

AND I'm not even talking about a niqab right now, I'm talking about the head scarf.

lancs lad: In many muslim countries people wear whatever they like. I thought this country was supposed to be 'free'. What happened to that freedom? Clearly this proves a muslim is not free to follow her religion. Muslims don't need to respect this countries customs if they can't respect ours.

What do you mean it is against the law to wear it in a post office or a bank? That's not true. So is it also illegal to wear a hat in post office and banks? I've never heard that crap before.

aar cee: First of all so what if men can have 4 wives, there's more women in the world anyway, and as long as he treats them fairly, why does that matter? She gets a say in it too if she WANTS him to marry more women or not.

Second incest is against our religion, i don't know where you get that crap. Divorce is disliked in our religion, there must be a good reason for divorce, and both the husband and wife decide on this.

And about the woman in saudi, first of all what happened doesn't mean it was islamically correct, secondly WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH A HEADSCARF?

PEOPLE! PLEASE REMEMBER I AM TALKING ABOUT THE HEAD SCARF NOT THE NIQAB!

HEAD SCARF!

Athiests rule: Firstly 'paki' is intended to be a racist term, a 'brit' isn't.

Secondly, you're idea that if someone doesn't like it, they should leave, is not so easy. You're forgetting many muslims are actually from here, and have their whole lives here. They can't just simply leave. They would also like to be accepted in their own country, and since this is a free country, then why can't they wear a HEAD scarf (does anyone read the question?)

sr. abbs. I don't know what country you're in, but in the uk passport women are not allowed to wear a niqab in their passport photo for security reason. I understand that it is difficult for someone to take in someone wearing a niqab because it is seen as abnormal and rude because of how you've been raised, but you have to understand that forcing someone that they shouldn't wear it is being oppressive.

troothskr: "It is all very well going on about some metaphysical 'inner self', but its actually by the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the property you own and the status of your friends that you establish yourself as a worthy and decent member of society."

That's the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard. And many of you are missing the point of the question:
WHY is wearing the head scarf oppressive.

Answer 1

of course its oppressive if the women are forced to wear it. but if they are wearing them through choice then whats the problem. many non muslim brits are so quick to brand muslim dress as oppressive towards women. but i often find our own culture much more oppressive. our society and media is constantly forcing the idea on us that we, as women, are sexual beings: trinny and susannah tell us how to make the best of our **** and asses; magazines tell us how to apply our makeup to highlight our most attractive features; the most expensive advert ever made is for perfume to make us smell nice and every single media outlet is overflowing with beautiful celebrities that we should strive to be like. and i find this whole culture so oppressive sometimes. god forbid that i should forget to pluck my fking eyebrows one week...
in wearing a hijab, in my opinion, women would not feel like they have to put so much wasted effort into looking 'pretty' (to please who?random passers by?) and can invest themselves fully in their personalities and become more confident in their intellectual worth. they can still be sexual beings at home, with the people they choose to be sexual with, but have no pressure to conform to the vanities of modern day living in other areas of their lives.
i know i might seem a bit over the top, but all i want to do is challenge people notions of what 'oppression' really is.

Answer 2

It is only oppressive to those who would rather not wear them, and are pressured into wearing them by family, friends, clerics and husbands.

When you are told you MUST do something, then you are oppressed. You may be oppressed and ignorant of the fact. It seems, however, if the Quran demands that you wear a head covering because you are female, then that is oppression. What I don't understand is that if this is directed by the Quran, then why the differences between the full black covering of most of the body, and all different levels of covering to just a scarf; and finally to Muslims who wear NO covering? Are some of those people sinning for not covering up enough??

Answer 3

This is a feeble excuse put out by feminists which just detracts from the real annoyance of hijabs worn in Britain. We read 80% of what a person feels and thinks by their body language – the facial ticks and minute changes in facial muscles as they talk, the other 20% is what they actually say. By covering a person's head, you are restricting natural communication to only that 20% which makes the person who has to face someone wearing a hijab feel uncomfortable. This is what Jack Straw objected to.
It is if you are talking to someone who has something to hide from you, whether that be true or not. Add the fact that the person is usually foreign, you are down to understanding only about 10% of what the person is saying and feeling. This is unnatural and it imposes unfair restrictions on the other person. The person wearing the hijab can see and hear 100% of what the other is feeling and saying, further taking an unfair advantage in the conversation. This is Britain - here we believe it is downright rude that someone should unnaturally hide their face and then expects us to put up with it. The excuse that it is an obscure and voluntary part of a religion to which 99.9% of British people have nothing in common with will not wash. This country, thanks to an irritating white liberal minority is expected to change to accommodate these few individuals rather than have them conform and respect the rituals and beliefs of the British majority.
I, and many other British people find this approach arrogant and hostile. The defence that you may be British yourself is not one that will wear with the majority either. A Paedophile may also be British, but that does not give him the right to pursue what he feels to be right. Enough of multiculturalism and religious tolerance, we expect majority rule. I want to be able to call someone from Pakistan a ‘Paki’ if they are allowed to call me a ‘Brit’. I want you to conform to western values the same way western women are unable to drive and must cover up in Arab countries out of respect of that countries law. If we don't like it we don't go there, the same should apply in reverse. If it upsets you – then leave!

Answer 4

Nothing is ever 100% oppresive and any one can choose to live by a certain code of conduct. The problem is that the atmosphere many of these women grow up in does not give us much confidence in what there words say. Their rules take such a big role in their life that to go against them is considered a disgrace and in some (sad to say many) Muslim groups it is considered an offence to be punished either physically or by being banned from the community. The truth is that you can't take them at their word when it comes to going against their religion. Do you believe the Mormon women that say they have no problem with polygammy, please no women wants to share her husband, but they will say they like the rules.

Answer 5

personally i don't think it is oppressive, some people choose to cover their hair/head and if thats what they would like to do then let them be. where i live the majority of muslim women do not wear the hijab, its just personal choice at the end of the day. Though what i read recently in the news where a criminal left the uk and got through security because he wore the full veil, i think at security check points there should be a private area were women can quickly and discreetly uncover themselves and be allowed through checkpoints.

sorry for the story, its late and i'm tired so lots of thoughts are in my head...

Answer 6

you really want to know...........okyou asked for it

Its because this is england and in england people dont wear stuff like that. If we go to a muslim country the women are required out of respect to wear a viel or hijab so when you come hear out of respect you should dress in our culture which means no head scarf.

Obviously by not doing it means you have no respect, simple as. theres no arguement.

I hope you dont wear it in post offices, banks, government buildings or anywhere large amounts of cash and personal detail are stored because that is against the law.

It is illegal to enter a building that deals in large sums of money or highly confedential information with your face covered as in a full face viel, motor bike helmet, balaclava and any other face covering item. It is taken that the building is in danger as usually robbers hide there face in order to escape identification. It also instals fear into people who are about to make a transaction or get sensitive details about themselves and there family ( id fraud ). Just to clear it up for ya.

This country is free and you are free to express yourselves but its also curtisy that if something offends you dont do it. Muslims and other minorities have been offended by alot of what we do so we have changed to make you feel more welcome but when we express a concern over something you do it causes a huge problem amongst the muslim community and cries of racism are heard. We as the white population af the UK cannot now express our views where muslims and islamic fanatics can say what the want. Its a disgrace and needs sorting. why are we getting punnished for something that was done in the past. Answer that

Answer 7

When you cover a person's face, it takes away thier identity and reduces them to a thing. There is no sense of personality, strength, heart or soul. It makes it easiler for society to ignore, abuse or forget that person. It brands them as a nonperson to others and it becomes easier to disrespect them and see them as lower class. When this is FORCED on a group, it does immeasurable harm to each individual. If it is a choosen thing then fine but the people involved should be able to CHOOSE whether they wish to do this and not have to endure abuse if they choose not to do it. Because of the many stories told by women who have had to endure severe abuse in societies who want to FORCE them to wear the hijab when they do not wear it out of thier own personal choice, western society sees it as a symbol of oppression. It is a matter of personal FREEDOM and CHOICE to many westerners. That is my opinion and many will probably disagree. Isn't it good to be in a country where we can discuss this and disagree?

Answer 8

How about if I put a balaclava on and talked to you? You wouldn't be able to see my lips move, see me smile, frown and you would have great difficulty in making out what I had to say. Plus I could hit you and run off and get away with it as no witness would be able to identify me.

That is why veils are considered extremely rude here in the UK. I personally would ask one to remove her veil form her face if she were to talk to me. And muslims who refuse to are even more rude.

"When in Rome do as the Romans do". If muslims don't like the UK so much why don't they leave?

As for airports women should remove their veil and show their faces like EVERYONE ELSE. Why should we waste time taking each one to a private room with a female staff member? Security staff are usually busy enough.

nb If someone wanted to come here and run round naked that's fine by me but they might catch hypothermia lol.

Answer 9

You're 100% correct

Wearing hijab should not be a problem to anyone
but
on the other hand niqab (covering the whole face and body and looking really scary) ....it is NOT an Islamic tradition, it's and old and outdated bedouin tradition which alot of women still follow

Bottom line, hijab is OK, while niqab should be banned from the whole world

Answer 10

I don't think women wearing the hijab are oppressed.
But I find the women who wear the nijab as offencive you don't know what is underneath it.

As for being taken into a private room to be viewed at the airport how would they know it was the person in the passport as the photo does not show the face?.

Don't believe me send me your email address and I'll email you a copy of one.