My reflection on hijab:

I find it absurd that the world thinks of Muslim women as oppressed due to the way Islam tells us to dress.

Putting religion aside for a moment….what is the definition of oppression?  It is “to burden with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subject to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power.”        (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/oppress)

To imply that hijab or niqab (choosing to cover your body and/or part of your face with loose clothing which doesn’t reveal it’s shape) is oppressing we would need to say that it is cruel or unjust or is a burden on Muslim women and as a collective, we would like to tell you that this is certainly not the case.

Myself, and most (but not all, of course) of the Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab do so because of the way it makes us feel. The hijab gives me and many other women, the confidence to be ourselves, say what we think and actually demand to be taken seriously because it is not our bodies and beauty on display but our mind, our personalities, our intelligence and that which we choose to share with people.

There’s nothing more liberating than being covered. Women in Western (and non-Western) film, music, and media are constantly portrayed as sex objects and women all over the world are paid to be naked or scantily clad! Talented or educated women such as sports stars and even politicians are scrutinized based on their appearance above other things and the (so – called) feminists who claim that liberation comes from removing your clothing only aid this patriarchal society in ensuring that women allow themselves to keep being objectified!

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Dear Feminists,

Please stop. Pretty please with a cherry on top. Stop.

Feminism, in its most simple form, is about achieving economic, social, and political equality. When one looks at feminism on a deeper level, they realize that feminism also encompasses the desire for comprehensive women’s health care. Feminism is about ending the worldwide epidemic of domestic violence. It’s about ending the use of rape as a weapon of war; it’s about ending rape. It’s about women’s voices being heard and respected alongside the voices of their male counterparts. It’s about closing the gender pay gap. It’s about equal representation of women, more specifically, women of color, in the media. It’s about ending the use of the phrase, “stop acting like a girl!” as an insult. It’s about choice.

It is not about rescuing women from hijab. Hijab is about choice, just as feminism is. By attempting to liberate women from the “oppression of the hijab,” you’re actually being counterproductive to your cause. Take some time to educate yourself on the practice of wearing hijab. View the practice from a religious, social, and feminist perspective. Understand that religion, feminism, and societies are not mutually exclusive; they can (and do!) exist in harmony with one another. The next time you see a veiled woman in the grocery store or classroom, dismantle the train of thought running through your mind about her big, bad, Arab husband or father.

Expand your narrow view of feminism to embrace veiled women. Use your voice and your privilege to advocate alongside them for their right to choose. Promote discourse about hijab and put to rest the stereotypes and misconceptions many feminists have about hijab.

Sincerely,

Chelsea Flores

DISCLAIMER:  I, Chelsea Flores,  absolutely identify as a feminist, and the intended audience are those with a narrow, Western view of feminism that lacks diversity and intersectionalism.

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