I’ve just read a story in our local Metro. Shabina Begum was 15 when she got send home from school in Luton. Not because she was rude or bunking school or because she didn’t do any work, but.. because of her Islamic dress. Although the school had its reasons for not allowing her to wear the dress (jilbab) I think as long you are sensibly dressed, who is it hurting?Not only is it programmes and news coverage that portrays the veil and scarf negatively, but also statements from high-profile people. For example, in response to the story MP Boris Johnson said it was “How far militant Islam can go in bullying the mentally spongiform apparatus of the British state”. Which in normal English means - how far extreme Muslims will go into bullying the government. There are a difference between ordinary Muslims and extreme ones. For example it is like treating any white person like someone from the Ku Klux Klan, it’s just not balanced.
In an article published on the Muslim Women’s League website (www.mwlusa.org) ‘An identity reduced to a Burk’ Laila-Marayati comments on documentaries that use Muslim female dress to reflect negative problems. She says “mainstream media have reduced Muslim female identity to an article of clothing”. She talks particularly about the ‘veil’, an item that some Muslim women wear to cover their faces as well as their hair. It seems there are many media stories that use the word and image of the veil to give negative ideas. ‘Beyond the Veil’ for example. What’s going to come next I wonder - The good, the bad and the veil?I decided to make a questionnaire for non Muslims to get their views on the media and the headscarf. I got over 20 interesting replies. One person pointed out that if headscarves were going to be banned in schools, then why not all things to do with any religion? When asked if they could think of a situation where headscarves should not be worn everyone agreed that only if health and safety or practical things, such as swimming, were an issue.Everybody agreed that the media has been playing a big part in causing negative ideas and fear about the headscarf through recent news stories. Although that seems to be true of everything in the news, - as someone pointed out, “bad news and conflict sells” – I feel it is particularly harmful because of recent world events.
I
spoke to some Muslim girls about wearing the headscarf:
As
a Muslim girl it makes me feel sad that this is the case. According
to the teachings of Islam women wear headscarves to feel safe
and protected. They know that when a man is talking to them it
is because of their personality and mind, and not for whether
they are pretty or attractive! In Islam a women is free to be
who she is on the inside. As it says in the Qur’an (book
of Islam). “From an Islamic perspective, to view a woman
as a sex symbol is to denigrate (belittle) her. Islam believes
that a woman is to be judged by her (virtuous) character and
actions rather than by her looks or physical features".
A woman is an equal to a man – both share equal rights.
The women I know wear the headscarf through their own choice
as part of an act of faith. They get respect for wearing it and
if anything the scarf empowers their sense of identity. This
media related negativity could change if we put more time and
effort into getting to know each others identity. I think that
education is a major key in how people view the headscarf. I
think schools could explain the dress of all religions better
as these are the first things people see. I also think that the
media can highlight positive stories and interview more women.
So when you see a Muslim women or girl in a headscarf, don’t
be afraid to smile.Opinion
and research feature by Editor Rosanna Ahmed |
