A Day in the Hijab of Shama

This ban on Muslim women wearing a veil in France is not a precautionary step in thwarting "Terrorism" or "Islamic Extremism” or Innovation. If France were concerned with the humanitarianism aspect of preventing Muslim women from being forced to wear the veil they could implement social organizations and make support groups and safe houses for those women who are truly being persecuted. But instead they are prohibiting women who choose to wear a veil from getting an education, working in government offices, taking public transportation and in retrospect, forbidding them from leaving their homes (which, in all its hypocrisy is tantamount to the same crimes on women of which the Taliban were accused.)

The burqa or veil is worn by Muslim women when they leave their homes to go out in public places. There is no need in Islam to cover one’s body as such when she is at home with her family. So the very places France has banned the veil are ALL of the places a Muslim woman would wear it. Therefore the message France is sending to Muslim women of France is, “If we can’t see your face, we don’t want to see you at all.” And the message France is sending to the world is, “We will not tolerate anything but conformity to our way of life, our culture, and what we dictate as the acceptable societal norms.”

For the majority of Muslim women, to wear a veil is a choice they have made in order to dress more modestly and in turn pleasing The Creator(Allah). The veil for Muslims dates back to the wives of the Prophet Muhammad(peace & blessings be upon him). They all wore the veil. These women were and still are held in the highest esteem and are referred to as the "Mothers of the Believers." Their superior character and righteousness is a desirable thing to be emulated. Therefore many women choose to wear the veil in honor of dressing and behaving as these women had. There is even evidence of the importance of the veil in the Qur’an (although there are differences of opinion on whether it’s voluntary or mandatory so both are accepted). And it is documented in the Hadith (sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad) that the women heard the verses in the Qur’an about covering themselves and they immediately covered their faces as well. They are considered the BEST generation of Muslims with the BEST understanding of Islam. So for a Muslim woman to wear a veil is an exemplary act of worship and not a despicable act of innovation or extremism.

The irony of this is that a woman can walk the streets in a sheer dress, displaying herself for all to see and gawk at, and that is more acceptable in Western society than a woman displaying her modesty by covering her body from public viewing and scrutiny. Some might say the naked woman is the victim of her culture that misleads her to adamantly believe she is free. Yet she is often negatively labeled and categorized by her lifestyle choices. In turn, some might call the Muslim woman a hero for braving a lifestyle with values that are met with hostility, disdain, pity, misunderstanding, judgment, disrespect and discrimination, and often violence, not for the purpose of simply “doing whatever she wants.” But she weathers the opposition all in order to please The Creator(Allah).