If I choose to wear a hijab, will you let me?
They call hijabis ‘oppressed’, but aren’t the people judging and mocking her choice the real oppressors?
If feminism did one thing right for women it was to provide us with an abundance of choices. Something the fair gender hadn’t really experienced before. Whether it was the choice to wear pants and throw away those constricting corsets, or the choice to go out and vote and make a difference in the world. We could drive, abort or use contraceptives.
These are the same choices that helped women like you and me get PhDs, work in male-dominated industries and hold top level positions and get equal pay. We could literally be men if we wanted to be!
But if liberties and choices for women were what feminists were fighting for then why are they the first ones to judge, reprimand and rage against the women who choose to don a hijab?
Feminists preach that women must be judged by their mental capabilities and talents and not by their sexuality and physicality. So why do they look down upon a woman who is daring to put that theory into action? In a world that demonises, demoralises and demotes women to mere sexual objects, isn’t wearing a hijab the greatest form of rebellion?
They call hijabis ‘oppressed’, but aren’t the people judging and mocking her choice the real oppressors?
In the same way, women who choose to not wear the hijab are shown the same narrow-mindedness and pettiness when they don’t wear a hijab in a Muslim country like Saudia Arabia or Iran. They are oppressed in the same way with exclusion, torture and even death for that one choice they make.
But aren’t both women only exercising their choices?
Wasn’t the point of the feminist struggle and the resulting empowerment a way to help women exercise their choices? To not be judged?
So in light of Hijab Day, which was September 4 let’s do one small thing from now on. When you see a woman passing by covered from head to toe, show her some compassion and let her exercise that choice. At the same time, when you see a woman wearing something you’d consider skimpy, don’t roll your judgmental eyes at her for she is also only exercising a choice.
Because the point of it all was to not let anyone squander away our choices.
Read more by Saba here.
These are the same choices that helped women like you and me get PhDs, work in male-dominated industries and hold top level positions and get equal pay. We could literally be men if we wanted to be!
But if liberties and choices for women were what feminists were fighting for then why are they the first ones to judge, reprimand and rage against the women who choose to don a hijab?
Feminists preach that women must be judged by their mental capabilities and talents and not by their sexuality and physicality. So why do they look down upon a woman who is daring to put that theory into action? In a world that demonises, demoralises and demotes women to mere sexual objects, isn’t wearing a hijab the greatest form of rebellion?
They call hijabis ‘oppressed’, but aren’t the people judging and mocking her choice the real oppressors?
In the same way, women who choose to not wear the hijab are shown the same narrow-mindedness and pettiness when they don’t wear a hijab in a Muslim country like Saudia Arabia or Iran. They are oppressed in the same way with exclusion, torture and even death for that one choice they make.
But aren’t both women only exercising their choices?
Wasn’t the point of the feminist struggle and the resulting empowerment a way to help women exercise their choices? To not be judged?
So in light of Hijab Day, which was September 4 let’s do one small thing from now on. When you see a woman passing by covered from head to toe, show her some compassion and let her exercise that choice. At the same time, when you see a woman wearing something you’d consider skimpy, don’t roll your judgmental eyes at her for she is also only exercising a choice.
Because the point of it all was to not let anyone squander away our choices.
Read more by Saba here.