whats the problem with women wearing veils and headcoverings?

Question

of late i have noticed growing intolerance of "christians" as regard to muslim women wearing veils and whatnot.i'd like to make it clear that many christian & jewish women cover too,myself included in that, but with growing horror i have noticed that in uk they are trying to ban this & that in france and turkey,they already have in places of education.can people not see that women are not forced to cover but that they chose to cover?a veil is a tesimoney to our beliefs, a form protection & a way of saying that they love their husbands & keep themselves only for him.i have heard people argue that these women are being liberated from a life of submission and ignorance but truely how can they liberated if they cannot be educated veiled?i know apart of the problem is the terrorist attacks & people afraid of muslims attacking them but a veiled women is a testimoney to their beliefs and violence is not apart of muslim beliefs,but i will people in uk & france attack me too for veiling?

ps-i forgot to add for those commented on the rudeness of hiding ones' face- christian and jewish women dont cover their faces,just their hair.just to correct that misunderstanding.also i would like people to understand that i'm not picking a fight,i just want some honest,not non-offencive answers.

men arent required in to cover as their are made in the image of god,but women are required to cover because they are made in the image of man.
1 corinthinians 11.

"The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman. For I have accepted God's idea of me, and my whole life is an offering back to Him of all that I am and all that He wants me to be." -Elisabeth Elliot

for those you dont get this-i am christian.there are christian who cover their hair out there.

Answer 1

Baning head covering is open denial of Bible as well.

Answer 2

The situation is this:

England is an officially Christian country, with a National Church (Anglican, called Episcopalian in the USA) which enjoys specific legal advantages in law. England has no formal Constitution, only Acts of Parliament, which can be rescinded by majority vote. I do not believe that any Act of Parliament grants Islam any guarantee of rights, so various local jurisdictions can have the power to outlaw Muslim head coverings.

France is an officially secular country. The French Constitution (their third or fourth since their 1789) does not guarantee anyone a right of free exercise of religion. Any jurisdiction may, via legal process, outlaw a religious practice which its majority finds problematic or distasteful. Recently, for a variety of reasons, all religious head-coverings were banned in public schools in some jurisdictions. Although Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and others have mandatory head-coverings as part of their religious practices, protests were ineffective and the ban was passed. I believe that litigation to overturn the ban is in the French courts, but, since a secular State does not support any religions at all, I am not confident that the right to cover one's head will be upheld.

Turkey, although a Muslim country and the headquarters of the last Muslim Empire (the Ottomans), became officially secular under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk after its defeat in World War I. Ataturk forced abandonment of many religious laws, at least as official national laws, and propounded a forced modernization, including the outlawing of a traditional head-dress, the fez, and the female whole body covering (called "burka" in Afghanistan and by various names elsewhere.) To this day, the Turkish government is antireligious, and Turkish law also does not guarantee free exercise of religion.

The United States Constitution contains two provisions - the first bans the English practice of an endorsed State religion, the second bans the French and Turkish practice of permitting laws to interfere with religion. To my knowledgte, no other country on earth both prohibits an established national religion or religions and bans laws interfering with religious free exercise. So, if you want the right to wear your traditional religious garb, but the freedom to not obey your Imam in every respect, come to the USA. Just be prepared to understand that pagan Greek practices are also protected by law here, so any morality you want to maintain must be upheld at home against the pressure of a mercantile system under which almost anything goes.

Answer 3

I am an American Jew, born again Christian. I had stuggled with the text in the Bible about covering your head because of the angels, in prayer. While living in the USA and married I did not cover my head. When I moved to live in Israel I felt the Lord telling me to cover my head so that I could reach the religious Jewish woman there. I fought with myself and with God for a few months and then finally gave in, In the beginning I felt very uncomfortable, but then after several months it became a way of life. I never went outside without my head covering. So what I am trying to say here is that I believe it is a private decision for a woman to cover or not cover her head. This is something that is between you and God alone. I truly pray that the word of God would stop being so complicated to so many people and just accept what is written with a cheerful heart. The Lord tells us to study the word. God Bless you all.

Answer 4

here's my opinion and i only give it because you asked. To veil or not to veil. Look at the origin and the reasoning behind veiling. Women should veil because
a. It prevents the wanton females from drawing the attentioin of the testosterone controlled male
b. A beautiful thing should be kept covered
c. It is shameful for a woman to expose her glorious hair
d. preservation of a woman's beauty for only her husband (like you so eloquently point out) while said husband is allowed to expose his "handsomeness" to as many females as he pleases.
Notice that all the reasons a woman is to veil is male oriented. Yes it has evolved into many women wanting to veil because "they want to" but they want to because they have bought into the inferiority complex that the entire veiling concept originated from

second issue about veiling. i will illustrate with a story. My christian friend visits a middle eastern country once a year. When she gets to the airport she has to wear the complete veil otherwise she will be harrassed and possibly prevented from entering. In other words, when in rome, she has to act like the romans. In our schools and professiona settings, the veil is not part of the uniform that is why if you veil you may be asked not to. What is wrong with behaving like the romans when in rome? Some muslim countries make it a mandate that non-muslims in the country abide willingly or unwillingly to their muslim customs yet when muslims come to western countries they put up a fight and cry outrage when they are asked to comply with western customs. What gives?

Not meant to offend but this is my opinion on the issue

Answer 5

When women worldwide are free to wear what they want without getting beaten, stoned, or whipped is the day that veils and head-coverings won't be looked down on. Maybe you have chosen to wear it, but you know that many women are not given the choice. That's when it's a problem. I hope you can see the difference.

May God Bless you.

Answer 6

I honestly think for the UK and France to ban veils, they're destroying religious freedom. That's not the government's place to say, I don't think. You're right that it's a personal decision. I don't see it as being any different from a yarmulke (kippah) or the long skirts the Pentecostals wear.

Answer 7

There are many instruction in the bible which were given to certain people at a certain point in time and for a certain reason. This could be one of them and does not, necessarily apply to all women for all time. However, also bear in mind that a woman's hair is referred to as her covering. It is thought, by many, that the order to have the head covered could refer to not having their hair cut short of shaved off. The reason being that prostitutes had to walk around with shaven heads so that they were immediately recognised for what they were. A woman with short hair could also be mistaken for a prostitute who's hair was beginning to grow again.

Answer 8

In an ideal world, it is not a problem.

However, we do not live in an ideal world, and it is indeed unfortunate that Islam is now synonymous with terrorism.

Until true Muslims themselves take active steps to weed out the extremists, the Governments of non-Islamic countries will have no option but to interfere with even seemingly harmless customs as wearing veils.

On another note, it is important for Muslims who do not live in Islamic countries to understand that some sort of sacrifice is inevitable when being part of a largely non-Islamic society. It is not reasonable to expect the same levels of acceptance as you would have in Islamic countries.

Answer 9

While a lot of it is fear concerning our current conflict; much if it also has to do with hiding one's identity. How can the professor know who is actually behind that veil during testing time?

Elegant,

Regarding your posting of 1 Corinthians 11. It does state that a woman's head must be covered, but be certain to read verse 15. "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering." (1 Cor. 11:15). The woman's hair is her covering

Answer 10

(1 Corinthians 11:6) For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her wear a veil. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 (For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.)

Women are ordered to cover their head, in the Bible, and in the Quran. A woman who chooses to do so must not be harrassed, what happened to freedom of expression?

Peace

for more info:
http://www.sultan.org

Answer 11

im a christian and i dont have a problem at all but i dont know why you do it the bible says that womens hair is their glory im not sure why you would hide it. but theres nothing wrong with it. and i know muslims in general arent suicide bombers but i still pray that you one day see that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father he loves you he is just waiting for you to come to him.