Why we should stand against Hijab by Mehdi Mirghaderi
These days the topic of “Burkini" in France has become one of the hot topics of the day. Burkini is an Islamic swimsuit designed for Muslim women that want to swim while covered.
I believe in all humans should be free to choose their outfit. Personally, I do not care if a woman wants to cover herself with hundreds of layers of fabric/clothing and wear a burqa or if she decides to walk the streets totally naked, simply because it doesn’t hurt/harm me personally.
However, my issue with Hijab (veil) is that at this point in time and current world’s situation, some Islamic regimes/governments use their religious beliefs to push their political agendas, using it as a tool to oppress, trample and limit woman’s basic rights in the society and family.
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| Basiji women's education to attack who do not wear hijab |
Here I would like to prove to you, why I believe hijab is a harmful element for democracy :
1. A tool to abuse, crush and oppress by governments: If you have lived in a country such as Iran, you would have seen that after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 wearing hijab has become mandatory, to the degree that if a woman’s hair was showing even partially she would have been arrested, prosecuted, imprisoned and lashed. To enforce this law, special police and militia forces (Basij) have been formed and trained to physically attack or throw acid on that individual who do not respect this law.
Human and woman’s rights activists inside and outside Iran have repeatedly called for an end to such oppression and control. But the Iranian government has not shown any attention to these requests and issues and such violence incidents continue.
Also, the Islamic governments in the Middle East which use hijab inside their own land to oppress woman, deploy and support those who wear hijab to democratic countries to impose their backward thinking into Western societies.
The culture that woman considered a slave and give a half the right of any man which do not even have a right to choose their clothing.
Iran Militia arresting a woman who doesn't want hijab
2. The social and family pressures: For many Muslim women, hijab is a not a personal choice. In many cases, they have been forced to wear it by their family, local community or gov. For example in a very small number of Islamic countries, where hijab is a personal choice and wearing it is not a must, there is still pressure from the girls/woman families to cover themselves otherwise they are considered prostitute and a disgrace. Usually, children who have grown in these traditional families have no right and hijab is being imposed on them from their childhood.
3-Changing nature of hijab from a traditional cover to a symbol of "No to Western Democracy" : If you look closely to Muslim communities in Western countries, hijab is now not only used as a traditional/Religious cover but also as a form of statement and civil disobedience.
Usually, in civil disobedience movement a symbol is being used and now hijab is the symbol of “No to Western Democracy”.
Now the important question is, why Muslims leave their countries, which in terms of hijab and the implementation of Islamic law is an excellent place to practice what they believe and come to western countries that have secular and democracy to impose their Islamic laws?
Finally, I conclude that we can only agree with hijab if:
*All the Islamic states, societies, and families, stop imposing it by law
*All the families stop imposing to their children
*Not being used as a symbol of ‘No to Democracy”
