Friday, February 06, 2009

Some clarifications about Hijab


I'll dwell in speaking about Hijab :
Hijab is not only that piece of cloth put over heads of women as westerns think and even some Muslims think – who just follow without understanding-. It's the appropriate clothes that the woman wears in order to cover the parts of her body to look respectably. Yes, there are women refuse to wear Hijab saying that it's not the fashion of 21st century. And others say it's not a sign of a modern community , and others simply wear it without faith and just following the nature of our (very near) to the backwardness. I know too many women don't wear Hijab and I respect them very much- coz they are not lying neither on themselves nor on God or people, Others wear it and hide behind it.finally  every one is free to chose his/her  way of life! 
Western and secular communities accuse women who wear Hijab of not being with the modern movement toward the uniting of  world .
 with my humble opinion; I'll start talking about it :
 
1- Hijab literally means ( barrier between two places )
2- It's imposed by Allah in the Quran (Surat al nor, verse # 31)

Yes, I think wearing clothes that are decent is better for woman. Since ancient times woman who wears descent clothes is respectable and has her high position in her community. 
There is a great difference between wearing Hijab and believing its purpose. And at the same time it has been a part of our traditions. Par example(for example )  : there are girls here wear it just because they have been forced to wear it or just have seen other girls wearing it. 
As a matter of fact , I think it's one of the most important means which have kept the face of our community . I refuse that my community will be  changed by things that may lead it to the real backwardness even from the west. And at the same time my community need the realizing to such objects. I have seen articles in Internet about Hijab and most  of them were about girls who have recently worn it ( saying that we used to put  makeup and wear heels and know we wear Hijab and Abbayia ). With my deep sorrow , it's not the idea!!! The idea of it ;is to keep the woman by a decent way and protect her and provide a simple-great means beside her against bad people. I'm not saying that women should wear what women in ancient times used to wear EXACTLY .. there is something called civilization , people! And anything can be improved –FOR BETTER- . 



21 comments:

  1. Viola,

    I agree that the choice is yours...although I am very strongly against government-imposed laws forcing women to wear the hijab, like we see in Saudi Arabia and Iran.

    Just the same, I don't like it went westerners attack Muslims over hijab--this is very ignorant, although it is not too common in America. I have been to the city many times and I have seen women from all over the Muslim world who wear hijab. I strongly believe that they should have the right to choose whatever they wish :D

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  2. The Hijab is a religious piece of clothing right? I don't think that Americans understand this. You are right though this should be a choice to wear this or not, and since it is a religious clothing one should understand the reason behind it. Every country has issues. Here in the US a lot of girls have babies before they are married and then struggle to take care of them. They think this is their freedom. But, what they don't realize is this is not freedom, struggling for the rest of their lives to take care of a child while the father go's about his life with no care for the child and no love. The truth is women let themselves get used by these men. If the man wants to have sex then he needs to get married and make sure that he has the means to take care of a family that results from this sex. Otherwise the girl needs to stand up and say no and tell the guy to get lost. He is just using her for his own gratification anyway. Freedom is not being trapped with a child from a man that used you, freedom is telling this guy to get lost if he has no honorable intentions toward you. I think some countries go to extremes to make sure this doens't happen such as Afghanistan (who by the way does give Islam a bad name) and in the west we have the extreme opposite. I guess the bottom line is that women should stand up for themselves and tell these men to buzz off and we should take care of ourselves so that we are not taken advantage of and demand the respect that we deserve. And for all the men out there Islam and Christianity says that sex outside of marriage is WRONG!For men and women!

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  3. i agree with you violet. women should be able to decide for themselves. also, a woman in hijab can look very alluring and mysterious and this is not a bad thing at all it should be completely up to her.

    i am a secular person so i don't make any decisions based on religion, just on what my morals tell me is right. there is nothing wrong or hypocritical in wearing hijab because you feel like it, or it brings comfort or safety. it is a beautiful cultural fashion, but i agree no woman should have to wear it any time she doesn't want to.

    governments should not involve themselves with peoples appearances beyond requiring they wear clothes! i am not a fan of public nudity, except on sculptures.

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  4. Yes!!!! mashallah 3laich, we need more people out there like you violet :D. You put said it wonderfully and I agree with you 100%. There are so many people (especially here in the west) who think people who wear hijab(especially teenagers like us) have either been forced to wear it, brain washed, or something to that extent. Couldn't have said it better myself :).

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  5. Note: my comment doesn't mean I don't respect hijabless women.

    From my modest perspective, hijab and any decent dress a woman wears, if dressed in truly and with full willingness, resembles her to a treasury that nobody should unlock but her life partner. And here lies the secret, people always seek for treasuries and treasuries are always hidden because they are valuable, so are women. And when somebody finds a treasury, he always likes to keep it secret that nobody should know about it but himself. I believe that God has never legislated anything unless in the benefit of humankind but only if we know how to utilize it properly.

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  6. You are just right violet, I liked your post and the idea of writing about such important issue is very smart, we need this, we need to talk about our Islam and show the real image of it, especially after the previous years that destroyed the image of Islam.
    I don't wear Hijab, but I'm not against who wears it, I have friends wear Hijab and I respect them very much.
    but to be honest with you, I don't like to be forced to wear it, wearing Hijab is something comes from the heart, If you realy feel it you can be happy when you wear it.


    God bless you

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  7. C.H,
    right ,every one has a mind and able to choose his/her suitable decision

    --
    Cicily,
    yes,right .. but it's not only that peice of cloth above women's heads as I have said.
    yes, the most affective means to destroy a coomunity without using any weopons is to do the following:
    1- sell drugs at cheap price and make them abundent or make them just part of the every day life.
    2-the social problems that you issued. and I completly with you. Christianity and Islam refuse any relationship out of marriage and that's is completly right. and i think i will diagree with people who think this is part of freedom. with sorrow there is wrong understanding to the following idioms : freedom, democracy, Islam, Hijab and many others. I hope someday ice will melt and the tips of mountains will apear.

    ---
    Annie,
    do you think woman's looking alluring is not bad??!!
    it's one of the most affective ways of destroying a community.

    ---
    Moonlight,
    yes, dear... with sorrow. Islam has been disunderstandable these days .. in fact not only these days.. as prophet Mohammed (God's blessings and prayers be on him) has said" Islam has born as a stange and it'll will stay a strange "..
    ---
    Ali,
    I'm impressed with your comment. that's exactly what i wanted to say!thanks for passing by!
    ---
    Micho,
    it's very important to discuss these matters , otherwise Islam will look diffrently to the world.
    and all the world and the people who hate Islam would testify its failure. which i don't believe there will be a day of it.

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  8. Annie,
    do you think woman's looking alluring is not bad??!!
    it's one of the most affective ways of destroying a community.


    i do not agree w/your assessment that alluring things or people necessarily destroy a community. the definition of allure
    To be highly, often subtly attractive. when something/someone is completely exposed (or revealed), it is no longer alluring.

    beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. what one person finds alluring, another may not. for many people mystery is the most alluring thing. as ali says

    people always seek for treasuries and treasuries are always hidden because they are valuable

    therefor, what is hidden can be very alluring, whereas a woman in a bikini..where is the mystery in this?

    for me personally tho, i do not think the most alluring thing about a woman or a man is their outward appearance. the mind and soul is the most valuable commodity. both of which cannot be possessed with money or power.

    one more thing. if a woman is beautiful inside and out, no amount of clothing will keep her from being an alluring person. (alluring is not always sexual in nature of course) the only way to prevent this would be to keep her from ever stepping outside of the house! better for men to learn how to be gentlemen and control themselves than to expect women to live in fear or shelter. modesty is a very alluring quality in itself.

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  9. Annie,
    What can I say to correspond your philosophy ?!
    I impressed by your thoughts here .. but do you know what is the matter?
    I greatly respect my religion and at the same time I'm one of the most insistent demanders of women's rights. I FULLY refuse nudity in the name of freedom .. and anything that may enter our community in the name of freedom and what is potentially harmful, I refuse it ! .. maybe we can't see its effect now.. but its effect will appear for the next generations ..
    If the woman is a treasure… the best way to protect her(body of course) is decent clothes .. which are the best way to cherish her magnetizing body… and that not necessary can be provided by Hijab especially in western communities.. but, we ..the monotheist believe in religion .. and believe what God imposes is right.. and whatever he has said in Quran is right ….

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  10. Violet,

    You can't seem to decide on a blog layout, lol

    I really like this one :D

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  11. You have a wonderful new blog :)

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  12. Al-salamu Alaikum
    hello Violet, I really loved to speak about hijab, when we dress hijab we don't dress it as a "piece of clothes" but as complement to our soul (as muslim women), hijab is powerful weapon against those wolves in streets, and protect the woman from wrong look , at first time when I wear it I was 14 years old and at that time I realise why we " Should " dress hijab, and I wore it in my full wish ..

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  13. WOWWWWW, laeesh you didn't tell me about your new blog layout! KULLLISH HILWA. :) this post is really philosophical, and i need time to think about it more. :)

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  14. CH,
    hhh. I hate routine in every thing lol !
    --
    S.W,

    wa alaikum alsalaam :)
    yes, i agree with you .. but the west can't understand the nature of the communities in the middle east and vise versa :D
    and welcome to my blog:)

    ---
    Touta...
    hhhh, i don't know if this layout will last .. if it would not be corrupted as the last time .. i will change it for having a new look from time to time..it was a recommending of my sister to choose this layout .. coz she thinks as long as my blog name is VIOLET FOR PEACE; the layout should contain earth and be white lol .. and i agree with her :D
    dear,
    i'm not that philosopher woman though,hhh..
    but I believe my religon and that there is super power which is in the hands of ALLAH.. so my advice which i always repeat : listen.. understand... and then believe ..
    stay safe my dear sis

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  15. Nice layout! It is good to change things from time to time and escape the routine.

    A treasury will exhaust when many people have access to it, and it is not considered treasury anymore when it is disclosed, and it is not as interesting as it was when it was closed. Finally when a treasury is kept closed, it maintains its value as well. (I am talking about women's value within herself and in the eyes of men, not necessarily about physically-oriented things).

    I wonder why people always argue about things that God Has legislated (especially if it is mentioned on a holy book), and keep their mouth shut when their employer (for instance) tell them to do something!!! despite the fact God Has always wanted humankind's benefit. This shows how Merciful God is when HE don't react to objections raised by the people.

    S.W! hijab is not just to protect women from what you called "wolves", there is something beyond that. It is something related to her personality, health, purity...etc ((when it is used truly and willingly)

    Anyway, this topic needs a whole book to discuss.

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  16. miss violet,
    Inshallah it wont be corrupted or i'll hit the person who corrupts it for you. hhhhhh, your ssiter has good taste. :)
    You are a philospher woman-if you are not a philospher woman, then no one is, and its a very good thing, we need more iraqis to think rather than just act without thinking. :)
    Understanding is really the most important.
    Deer baalich ala nafsich,ukhti. :)

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  17. Ali,
    nice!I liked the treasury stuff !:D
    me, myself don't like (for example) to wear what publicly has been worn and this can be similar to your idea...:D
    Allah is the WISE , and this is one of his holy names.. so I don't believe he would legislate any thing wrong or wrongful.
    and about WOLVES , i believe there are gentlemen out there and they REALLY respect woman's personality , cherich her role in the community.. and they don't just consider her as a cheap thing can simply be used in prducts advertisments!
    it's good to discuss this matter in the end.
    BTW, thanks .. it's very imprtant to break routine from time to time .. especially for iraqis life which is full of routine:)
    ---
    Touta,
    I'll depend on you to hit those who will JUST THINK to corrupt it:D...
    laa ani mu philosopher .. tra khajaltini :">..hhhh
    right.. iraqi community and all the middle east communities SHOILD understand western ones and try to get the WORTHY things from them:).
    Thanks dear.. wa anti hm deeri balich alaa nafsich:D

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  18. Hi Violet,
    Me again, now I am free, so I would like to contribute some idea, pertaining to the issue of ‘Hijab’ that you had highlighted in your beautiful blog.. I hope you don’t mind for sharing my opinion.

    As I looked through the comments placed in your blog. I saw that they are indeed very interesting. Especially, thus written by both San Antonio Cicily and Annie.

    It reminds me of my past experience, while I visited some western and secular Muslim’s countries like US, Canada, UK, Turkey and Indonesia etc.

    Having mentioned this, I tend to understand the point of views expressed by San Antonio Cicily and Annie. But please bear in mind; it doesn’t means I have to agree with their philosophy.

    However, they had defined correctly the mentality of the Westerners pertaining to the discussed issue.

    On occasion, some countries banned the uses of Hijab mostly for a security reason and some may be because of inconvenience; or some sort of cultural provocation. No doubt this action had causes protest from Islamic Interest Groups. For example, in French and Turkey, the use of Hijab is banned, I guess.

    From what I heard, there was a big protest in those countries as a result of this banning.
    Actually the moral of my comments; is that the wearing of Hijab is not a personal problem but more to the conveniences displacement to some.

    At last but not least, whatever I had written is purely coming out from my honest opinion. As it is, to me everyone is entitled to their right and opinion.
    Thanks Violets

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  19. SOLYMONE,
    Comments here are interesting indeed as you said coz every body has contributed his/her opinion concerning his/her comuunties and thoughts.
    It's Interesting isuue for me actually and I'm looking for a same one right now.
    Thanks for commenting

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  20. oh my, such an interesting thread and so much to talk about. first from touta: You are a philospher woman-if you are not a philospher woman, then no one is

    totally! you really examine and for a person so young it is clear you have an examining mind. ok, now i have to disagree w/you on something.

    If the woman is a treasure… the best way to protect her(body of course) is decent clothes

    a woman's greatest protection is always her morals, intellect and determination (or willfullness) and power of choice (including her choice to let god or her husband or father to protect her). it does not matter what she wears on her body if her inside is corrupt. i know this may seem like i am splitting hairs, but it is always dangerous to assume anything we wear is more powerful than our inner being.

    we have different languages but i want to reinforce again my idea of what the concept of allure means to me for it is very beautiful. it is what the trees in my garden call out to me when i first wake to their beauty as i gaze thru my window in the early morning light. in the spring when i pass by the star jasmine and the scent captures my attention. allure is all around us, hopefully. it is the magic that propels us and tho one can connect it w/sin, sin is the least of allure. true allure is a natural response to beauty, and in the best of us, this doesn't corrupt society. it calls to the best of us.

    i love your new layout!

    ali: A treasury will exhaust when many people have access to it, and it is not considered treasury anymore when it is disclosed, and it is not as interesting as it was when it was closed.

    i am not certain you can enclose most treasuries into this philosophy, at least i hope not. here are some things i treasure

    peace
    freedom
    the fragrance of flowers
    holding a newborn baby
    breast feeding
    sunrise
    sunset
    the ocean
    inhaling as you walk into a house baking bread

    all of these treasures have much allure, none exhaust when many people have access to it, none are not considered treasury anymore when they are disclosed.

    (I am talking about women's value within herself and in the eyes of men, not necessarily about physically-oriented things)

    hmm. value 'in the eyes of men' is a very broad stroke. the value of women in society is insurmountable. while some men might have a centric focus revolving around a womans chastity, think about her contributions regarding children, the home, making peace and harmony in society, creating balance, appreciating beauty in everyday things. remember not to define women by men's insecurities. we are so much more, our value is very much intertwines w/the survival of the species and our adaption to our environment. these treasures are not always 'physically-oriented'. they are for the protection of our spieces and they must be shared and appreciated even when not acknowledged. these are our greatest treasures and we pass them on, we do not limit the access, we spread this thru every fiber of our being.

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  21. Annie!

    I only gave an example. I know there are some treasuries that are not hidden and people have to share. Knowledge, for instance, has to spread and everybody has to have access to it. We shouldn't monopolize it. Sunset, Sunrise...ect, are all treasuries and gifts that we can/should all have access to and share. From my perspective, women don't need to protect their species unless they choose to get themeselves involed that would endanger their species. I mean: if they choose to make themselves look like men!! that is what will endanger their species. Women don't need to wear something open to show us who they are. As moon stays moon no matter how often sun or earth blocks its light, women stay women no matter how covered they are dressed in.

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