Homework for Monday 2/9

In Middle Eastern countries there is a very controversial fashion choice that many women make. They wear a "Hijab" which is a type of veil which covers the head and chest it is typically worn by post pubescent Muslim females when they are in the company of men who are not of their family. The controversy surrounding this Hijab is that many people believe it represents the cultural domination of women however many of the women who don the veil say otherwise. They state that the veil actually helps them to be free and more comfortable. They say that the veil allows them to practice modesty and that it frees them from the overpowering mindset of the west which is so focused on beauty and the way a woman looks. They get to be judged by their personality and values and all the things that make them a decent human being without having to worry about their looks interfering with their interpersonal relationships. A Muslim writer named Maysan Haydar wrote an article named "Veiled Intentions: Dont Judge a Muslim Woman by her Covering" and another writer, named Lila Abu-Lughod wrote an article titled "The Muslim Woman: The Power of Images and the Danger of Pity". Both of these articles counter our western beliefs concerning the practice of head veiling. As a Muslim woman Haydar has been veiling herself since she was 12 years old and has almost an entirre lifetime of experiences with her veils and it is evident in her writing as she relies heavily upon personal anecdotes throughout her article. Abu-Lugodh however does the opposite. She presents many facts and makes very logical counter arguments to western veil beliefs. 

Haydars' main claim is that most of the women who veil do it as as choice and not because it is forced upon them. Haydar states that "the practice of covering hair and body is a choice for many women" (260). Haydar claims that most of the women who veil do it as a part of their religion. most religions advocate modesty in the way they dress and the Muslim culture just takes it further than most other cultures do. Another claim that Haydar makes is that although their "degree of modesty is high, the value Muslim women place on the bodies underneath [their] veils is higher". she says this as a counterargument towards the western idea that because Muslim Women cover their bodies, they see no sexual value in themselves. Muslim women believe, in fact, that their bodies are so valuable that they should only be shared with their loved ones.

One of Abu-Lugodh's claims is that the images of the oppressed Muslim Women that are broadcast to the world are very misrepresentative of what actually happens in Middle Eastern countries. these women are shown as subjugated to the will of their male overlords, freedomless and powerless to stand up for themselves. As Abu-Lugodh puts it, "Our lives are saturated with images, images that are strangely confined to a very limited set of tropes or themes" (1).