[i]
“Among Muslim women, the debate about hijab
takes many forms. Many believe that the veil is a way to secure personal
liberty in a world that objectifies women. Several women have argued that hijab allows them freedom of movement and control of their
bodies. Understood in such terms, hijab protects women
from the male gaze and allows them to become autonomous subjects. Others have
argued that the veil only provides the illusion of protection and serves to
absolve men of the responsibility for controlling their behavior.” [ii]
As the global media has spread, there has
been a clash of cultures and cultural ideals throughout the world. The globalization of cultures through the
media, has allowed people to identify, internalize, and scrutinize varying
aspects of a culture without having to be within the borders of a nation or a
part of that culture. This can be seen through the argument over the hijab and
the rights of women. The front cover of the Time’s magazine from December 3,
2001 shows a woman in a hijab and the title states, “Lifting the Veil: The
shocking story of how the Taliban brutalized the women of Afghanistan. How much
better will their lives be now?” The cover of Time shows the contradiction
between Western values and Arab culture. The justification of Western values
over those of Muslim was prominent in this article. One of the arguments was
that the hijab, to a Western audience, was a prohibiting entity which banned
women from expressing themselves. Although it is undeniable that certain rights
of women were suppressed by the Taliban regime, the fight to abolish the hijab
was met by stark opposition both within the United States and abroad. To many
Arab communities, the fact that many Western women, especially American women wear
revealing clothing is considered oppressive. This cultural difference has come
to a head in France where the government has recently banned the wearing of the hijab.
The simple fact is that whether they are
forced to wear clothing to cover themselves, or not being allowed to wear the
clothing, the rights of these women are being violated and disrespected. When
women are banned from wearing the hijab or forced to veil themselves, they are
being told what they can or cannot do, which is inhibiting their right to
express themselves. The controversy, as the cartoon above demonstrates, is that
there is a cultural misperception of right and wrong. From a Western
perspective the hijab is a clear sign of a male dominated society. On the other
hand, if a woman wants to wear the hijab it is her right to do as she pleases
without scrutiny or assumptions of weakness.
For one woman the hijab may be a symbol of oppression, for another a
symbol of freedom.
[i] Manawatu Standard of January 7, 2011
[ii]
Mernissi, Fatima. Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in a Modern Muslim
Society. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1975.
Thank you for this post, Alex. It touches on a very important aspect - the perception of culture - and the cartoon expresses that very well.
ReplyDeleteAs discussed in class, globalization makes us aware of how we are different from others. The differences that come to light may be met with child-like curiosity ("Why are you wearing this hijab?") or they are automatically put in a box of negative assumptions, jumping to conclusions ("I wouldn't like to cover up like that hence she doesn't like it either = she must be oppressed!")
Especially when it comes to the hijab, I feel like the women wearing them are not part of the discussion at all. There are so many reasons why one would prefer to cover up, oppression being one of them but free choice may be another. The point is that it becomes not an engaging WITH another culture but making assumptions ABOUT another culture. And this is where globalization suddenly turns people into globophobes. People become afraid of other cultures because they don't understand them yet at the same time they lack the opportunity/effort/motivation to engage with the unknown to turn it into a "known".
For me it does feel strange to see a woman with a hijab - but it feels strange because I feel like I cannot read her body language. All I see are her eyes and that's it. That is very different from the daily interactions in my cultural circle that defines my horizon. Yet it is the exposure to new and unknown cultures that carry globalization into each and everyones home. I am sure that eventually, I will be able to "read" a woman with a hijab just as well as a person who is not covered.
Franzi at intlsmalltalk.wordpress.com
Alex,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. While in Morocco last year the hijab and burqa were honestly the most engimatic novelty in the country while I was there. By the end of my stay I found them to create an air of mystery for the women and honestly they were sexy. My perspective about them had originally been that these women were forced to wear them to avoid unwanted advances by their male counterparts, but by the end of my stay I saw them as a source of empowerment as well. The man is forced to get to know the woman before he is given to privilege to "gaze" upon her physical beauty.
I also myself as a Western African American woman experienced a lot of unwanted advances by the African men and took the reality that they could openly gaze upon my body as permission to disrespect me.
Thank you once again!
Vanessa