Behind the Veil - Does Islam Really Oppress Women?

Ever since September the 11, Muslims and Islam have become a topic widely covered by the Western Media. Although much of this coverage has been inaccurate, biased and full of anti-Islamic messages, there have been a steadily increasing number of westerners embracing Islam. Within the last decade the percentage of westerners accepting Islam has risen more than 235% and the vast majority (roughly 80%) of these converts have been women, despite the widespread misconceptions and fallacies that the Islamic faith oppresses females. Many rights and freedoms, which have only been recently granted to women in the west, such as the right to vote and own property, were granted to women over 1400 centuries ago with the advent of Islam in Arabia. The history of Islam is rich with women of great achievements from all walks of life from as early as the seventh century (B.C).

Have you ever asked yourself why over 20,000 women convert to Islam each year in America if the Islamic faith really oppresses women and denies them rights? Have you ever pondered over whether or not the information you get from the media is actually reliable and accurate? The western media tends to portray Muslims as bloodthirsty religious fanatics who kill indiscriminately and oppress women when in reality this is far from the truth and Muslim women are cherished and are held in very high status under the Islamic Law. They are encouraged to become educated and to get involved in politics. They are held in high esteem for assuming the important position as mothers and caretakers of society and are given three times the respect and honor than that given to the father. Yet many of these facts are construed and censored out of the news reports. Both in the Qur'an and in Islamic history we find examples of women, who participated in serious discussions and argued even with the Prophet (P) himself, (see Qur'an 58: 14 and 60: 10-12). Muslim women are given the choice and the free will to live their lives the way they like and are not forced to do things which will take a way their freedom or burden them.

Muslim women are in reality are in equal standing to men before God and are free do to anything that they wish in accordance with the divine law. Islamically, there are rules and regulations, which govern a Muslims daily life and although men and women are equal before God, both were created with specific roles and responsibilities. God has created men with certain abilities and strengths and weaknesses and as is the same for women. Allah says in the Quran: "And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them, and men are a degree above them." (Qur'an 2:228). The Muslim women have the right to choose a marriage partner and cannot be forced, as is widely reported, to marry someone to whom they do not wish to be wed. The Muslim women is respected by her husband and she has a rights over him as he has a rights over her and this comprises mutual relationship between the two and shows a fairness of equality which is rarely if ever shown in the western media. The Prophet Muhammad said: "The most perfect believers are the best in conduct and best of you are those who are best to their wives." (Ibn-Hanbal, No. 7396) Muslim women are can choose to work outside house or stay home and her husband is required to support her whether she works or not. She has the right to be supported and keep all the money she earns herself. This is a status unique to only Muslim woman. It was stated in the book The Ideal Muslimah that "Islam does not want to impose an unbearable burden on women by forcing them to marry a man they dislike"(173). This is also another example on how the Muslim women have the right to make here own choices and these rights have been granted to her directly by God. The right of females to seek knowledge is not different from that of males. They are expected and encouraged to become educated just as men are encouraged to do so. This is another evidence that shows the equality between men and women, which is absent from many of western media reports.

The western media picks and choose things that they believe will get the attention of the general public and spark controversy. An example of this is the Hijab. While many people believe that Muslim women are oppressed because they cover themselves, they fail to grasp the incredible wisdom behind it. Muslim women wear the Hijab because Allah has decreed for her to wear it in front of strange men in order to give her honor and protect her from abuse. Allah has said in the Quran: "O Prophet [PBUH] Tell thy wives and daughters and the believing women that they should put on their outer garments; that is most convenient in order that they may be recognized (as Muslims) and not be molested." (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:59). The Hijab is a sign of purity and dignity. It highlights the Muslim woman as a pure, chaste woman and sets her apart from the immoral behavior associated with women who dress immodestly. It is a "screen" between her and the evil that exists in the world. When a woman wears the Hijab she is less likely to be harassed by men with lusty motives and she is less likely to be exploited for her beauty and femininity. The Hijab allows a woman to move about outside the confines of her home with her attention on the tasks she has set out to do. The Muslim woman does not try to impress anyone but her Lord and to fulfill her duty as a Muslim. She is not concerned if men find her attractive, or if people are impressed because she has the latest fashions, or the newest hairstyle and thus it diminishes competition between women. Unlike many western women who are often objectified and exploited in order to sell products, Muslim women cover themselves when out in public and because of this, they walk with confidence, knowing that their beauty is for themselves and not for anyone else to see. In doing so they are judged based on their words and actions and not on the shape of their bodies. In Islam women are appreciated for their knowledge piety and contribution to society and not for superficial physical traits.

How many people in the West sacrifice financial savings and health in order to alter their bodies in a desperate attempt to meet up to an unrealistic standard of beauty? The objectification of women and judgments made based on how they look is an incredible oppression in itself and it is amazing to hear people equating the Hijab with oppression when in fact it is partially due to the lack of covering that there is so much corruption and exploitation of women in western societies. When women try to fit certain standards such as looking a certain way and wearing revealing clothing, they themselves are oppressed and mistreated because of it.

Muslim women only wear the Hijab in order to please their Lord and do not view it as oppression, but rather as a liberation from the objectification and a protection from immorality. Unlike non-Muslim women who are thought to be free by the media and western culture, the Muslim women�â'¬™s modesty actually protects them and they are less likely to be harassed and raped or approach by unrelated men because of it. When women display their beauty to the world they tend to face many repercussions as a result. As much as she may be praise by society it is very likely to harm to her wellbeing. For example if a woman is waiting for the bus late at night she would have a lot of worries due to the fact that she draws attention to herself, while on the other hand if a woman is covered up from head to toe, she will not draw the attention and problems to herself as the former. Hijab protects and screens women from the evils of the world as a fortress protects and screens its people from foreign invaders.