Why are Muslims women with a hijab considered opressed but nuns with a habit are considered pious?

Answer 1

To everyone who says nuns put the habit on willingly.....
I am Muslim and I wear my hijab willingly. I do it for the same reason as the nuns, out of respect for my religion and my God, and myself.

In every portrait of the Virgin Mary, she has her hair covered, why are you not offended by that, but are afraid of the piece of cloth on my head?

And for everyone who says nuns chose their religion..... Ummmm... most are born Catholic, therefore are not making a choice in their religion, they are following the religion of their birth, just as Muslim women are.

I know a Muslim woman who is 48 years old and decided to start wearing hijab this year, she has never worn it before now! Out of all the women I know, 50% wear and the others don't.

And Muslim women are not required to cover our faces. But again some CHOOSE to do so.

Answer 2

Perspective. Nuns make the choice to dress the way they do because they have made a commitment to devote their lives to God and the habit is kind of their uniform. They have many more freedoms in their daily lives than many Muslim women. Because most Americans have very little true knowledge of the Muslim religion as opposed to Middle East culture, they see the hijab and think of the oppressive state that many Middle Eastern women live in, not realizing that many American Muslim women do not have these same issues but wear the hijab out of modesty. Not saying that none of the Muslim women in America are oppressed, but so are many Christian women and they don't have a uniform. It's all about perspective, ignorance and stereotyping.

Answer 3

The hujab has some connection with Muslim women being opressed. But is only a piece of clothing, and some choose to wear it;others not. I have Muslim friends who like to wear it as a statement of their faith. I have others who do not, just because they feel they can love God faith without needing the clothing to express it. Again, it is a choice for some; for others, it is the choice of the spouse..
Muslim men are controlling, and much like a lot of other men, regardless of their religion or country, who think they own women. This has been allowed more in the Arab states, so of course, it is more ingrained than in USA. When Muslims immigrate, they bring with them their beliefs, cultures and traditions, and rightly so. American women of the last century were ruled more by the men than today; we just won't put up with it, because we have financial means to take care of ourselves. Muslim women have not reached that point yet, but it will happen. Until then, they will wear the hijab for their faith or for their husband, or for both..
Nuns wear a habit for their religion, also. But they are not married, except to Jesus, so have no earthly man ready to be abusive if they don't follow the garment regulations. It has been for so many years in America and whereever the Catholic faith is practiced, but we never question it. Why? Because, again, nuns have much more freedom than Muslim women. It was not a choice until just a few years ago that a nun could wear anything but her "uniform"; now some nuns can wear normal clothing in their ministry.
As you can see, both are similar but both are different. Of the many Muslims that I know who wear the hujab, I never think of it as a garment of being pious. With Nuns, I have been raised as seeing that as their mark of celibacy, which then refer in my mind to pious.
I think what you ask is a very good question. I also think the answer is in the person who reads it and thinks of how they reached their conclusion. Media? Childhood teachings? Knowing and understanding each faith? Bias and intolerance of others?
Thanks for asking. I hope I live long enough that all people can wear what they want without being offensive to others; I hope that we all learn to tolerate each other's faiths. And I hope that none of us misuse this tolerance to hurt others. If wearing a hijab in a place where it presents fear, then I hope that person or leader of that religion will help to educate others. Sadly, this isn't being done.

Answer 4

I'm seeing much bais answers that women have to wear a Hijab - this is not always the case atall some wear it by choice and some because its a cultural thing.

If you join a nuns order it's not always that easy to leave just like that either and I'm sure centuries ago the christain culture were forcing people to do this too.

Forcing adults to wear things in this day and age is no good thing, neither is suppression. I've herd in some cutlures the men blame the women for looking so attractive to the extent that they are blamed for males base sexual desire!!!

Answer 5

There are many muslim girls, women who definately choose not to wear the hijab and they are walking very freely all over the Islamic world without any government or religious consequences. Now if Islam cleary states that every Muslim woman must wear the hijab to maintain her modesy, (very easy concept), isn't that sort of like a law or rule that must be followed? Just as in any other kind of religions, rules must be followed. Aren't there consequences for not following rules?

Thou shall not kill. What happens if someone kills? Isn't he sent to jail?
Thou shall not steal. What happens if someone steals? Isn't he sent to jail?

Now a simple thing as not wearing a hijab in all Moslem countries except Saudia, is not punishable. So most woman are certainly not forced to wear hijab.

I would also appreciate that people wouldn't judge others by the way they wear their clothes. That's ignorant.

Answer 6

To answer your question, women wearing the hijab are not considered particularly oppressed, any more than nuns are considered particularly pious. Both groups, however, are subject to male domination, of their lives, and religion, and freedom of movement.

The fact that women mostly voluntarily put themselves in these situations, speaks only to the capacity for foolishness and delusion of a small part of humanity, and need not be a matter of concern for the rest.

Answer 7

I vacationed in Morocco. It's very beautiful. I spent my nights in a bar called the Londoner. Some of the women choose to wear Hijab and some did not. That is not being oppressed. I've also spent time in Saudi Arabia and various other Muslim countries where the women were beaten for the most minor offense. I call that oppressed.

Answer 8

A small number of women become nuns. They have a calling. All other Christian women wear what they want. It seems that in some country's all women have to wear what they are told to wear. Muslim men seem to wear what they want, this seems to be oppressive. I am not a Christian, I do not think that many people are true Christians. I do not think that many people are true Muslims.

Answer 9

Good one.

Edit: From my experience in a Muslim country, women aren't forced into anything like that. It's quite the fashion accessory where i was, Swarovski crystals and all. Of course there are there will be few exceptions where women haven't got a choice. But then again there are some nuns that joined the habit because of the life they would have lived otherwise, think extreme poverty.I would not generalize in either case though....

Answer 10

Women who wear the hijab often do so because they're forced to (some do it by choice). That's oppression.

Nuns choose to become nuns, and they get the attire that comes with that choice.

It's all about choice. A woman who chooses to wear a hijab is not oppressed...if she's forced to, that's different.