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iTunes ChannelThe Forgotten Hijab Ban: “I just couldn’t take it off another time!”
Tiny Url for this post: http://tinyurl.com/m6lrqs
Sister Muslema Purmel sent the following email to us, talking about the hijab ban and her interactions with French sisters who actually LIVED the ban. The insights of these sisters are invaluable and provide a window into the psychological torment that these “secular”, “free” societies are imposing upon them. What is the difference, I ask, between forcing the hijab ON (as the West constantly whines about) and forcing the hijab OFF the sisters? Where is the freedom of personal choice? Amazingly, these same societies are perfectly fine with a woman aborting her unborn child (its her body, she can do what she pleases, right?), yet this same woman would be scorned, her rights to education stripped, and other indignations imposed, if she puts a piece of cloth on her head. Could there be a better example of morality turned upside-down? [Amad]. Cross-posted @ Streetprophets & SuhaibWebb
Assalamu Alaikum,
I had the opportunity to meet some French sisters who are now here with me in Cairo, and we got to talking about the issue of Islam in Europe.
It was actually really sad, hard to hold the tears as one sister (from Holland, convert to Islam) told her own story of how she would remove her scarf everyday when she entered work, so she would be left to wear only an allowed small headband just covering the front of her hair, until one day she broke down crying, and kept it on. A few days later, her boss asked her to sign some papers. She asked why, and he said “You’re fired.” She replied, “Allahu Akbar” and signed the papers. “Some scholars said it’s ok, I can take it off if it’s a neccessity, but I just couldn’t take it off another time! I just couldn’t!” she said.
Another sister studied and finished law school before the ban happened. She wanted to be a lawyer and defend Muslim Liberties in France, but now after the hardship getting that degree she doesn’t know if she will ever be able to practice law in France, she is now studying Islamic Law at Al-Azhar. I heard stories of sisters who would break down crying outside the gates of their schools. How a sister in a private Christian school was allowed to wear hijab until parents complained and forced her to remove it. Listening to their stories, I felt like they are experiencing a daily sexual harrassment in order to go to school, go to work, and pay bills. “I feel like someone is telling me to take off my clothes, my underwear, my head is also my private part. But if the girl wants to wear a mini-skirt to school and show everything, no one punishes her. I cannot return to France, I cannot support it.”
She told me about a housewife, who just went to the bank to withdraw money and she was asked to leave and remove her scarf. Now, since a month ago, the hijab ban has spread to some public schools in Holland. As we know it is still a struggle in Tunisia, and Turkey. Are other countries in the world waiting to see how the world reacts so they too can implement hijab bans? As Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
I remember there was such an uproar BEFORE the hijab ban became law, and now afterwards, where are those same crowds, those same rallies, and talks? Essentially Muslim women are being deprived of one of their human rights. When does it become OK in the 21st century to require a woman to remove some of her clothes and reveal her body in order to participate in public life? Where are the Muslim men who have gheera (chivalry) towards their women, and want to defend them from such physical harrassment, and psychological humiliation?! One sister compared the non-action with regards to the hijab-ban to the reaction people had toward the cartoons (which understandably upset a lot of people) and some countries excercised boycotts.
What about our sisters in France? How did we forget about this crime that occurs on a daily basis? Where is the body of the ummah that feels pain, when one part of it is hurt?
I’ll be honest, all this time in America, I felt this hijab-ban was a crime, but I never truly felt the pain of these sisters until I heard them tell their stories. The voice that said, “I just couldn’t take it off another time, I just couldn’t.” As a woman who wears hijab, I suddenly felt it- the depth of the crime that has been overlooked. I can’t imagine being in the same situation, my impulses say, “I would rather die first than remove my hijab.”
So I wonder, do any of my French sisters walk around school and work feeling like they’ve been spiritually killed? Are they thinking about ways of “escaping France?” From my conversations with the French sisters, they are struggling to retain their sense of identity and Islamic practice. They had always faced discrimination with hijab before, but this Law has really broken the spirits of many. Some sisters just completely removed the hijab even outside of school because they couldn’t cope with the feelings of living a double-life.
Again where is the heart that aches? Where is the body that rushes to reveal the pain of one of its limbs?
I bear witness as an American Muslim, we have an AMANA because of the freedom and resources that Allah has blessed us with in America, to do something for our sisters in France and elsewhere, where the hijab has been banned. May we not be of those who passed by a people being oppressed, and we could have done something, but instead we just passed by in silence.
Can we do anything for them? Can it be taken to the United Nations? Can we hold a campaign for them? Can we access our media and political leaders? Can we do rallies or lectures? Can we engage this phenomena from an academic level? A civic level? Let’s at least make a duaa, and make the intention to try and help if and when there is an organized effort to help our
forgotten sisters.
What are your ideas?
Post-Script (a followup email from the sister) :
Before I get into the reflection, as an update, there are some responses that occurred from those who recieved the email, that I wanted to share with you as both of you were interested in that:
- A Muslim Professor of Law for AUC’s LLM program will be here in the beginning of the summer and wants to get the French sisters’ testimonies in an affidavit and have this issue pursued legally through his colleagues in the human rights community.
- A second sister is trying to check the possibilities of raising the issue with something called the OIC. She said:
-Organization of the Islamic Conference. The OIC is an international organization that includes reps from the Muslim-majority countries. It’s mission is to represent Muslim causes and it has standing at the UN. Bush recently appointed a Special Envoy to the OIC Sada Cumber, Indo-Pak businessman from TX). I’m not sure if the OIC has much or any influence, but I think it’s worth at least trying to raise this as an issue.
Let me know what you think. In the meantime, I’ll try to find out how issues get raised with the OIC, or how to get ideas to Mr. Cumber. - Some young Muslims in CA posted it on their blog: muslamics.blogspot.com for purposes of spreading awareness.
- Scattered emails of support and concern. The reflection is this:
Initially I was heavily discouraged by some students of knowledge from writing the email on the hijab ban as it would be a “distraction” from my studies. They were right, it is a distraction. But they discouraged because they said , “what can you do from here?” The thoughts that it wouldn’t amount to anything substantial did cross through my mind, but because I was so frustrated with the topic, I still wrote the email, not expecting much response. Subhan Allah, Allah (swt) planned differently.It made me think the role of the Imams and the blogs we have in the 21st century. We hear lots of criticism about blogging as a “waste of time” and trying to effect real change on the ground instead. This experience showed me that your efforts as Imams in the blogging world can go a really long way in effecting change and ARE worth your time. Opening the simple question “What can we do” allows for an e-shurah, and even an e-activism, resulting in e-change. Don’t be discouraged from the voices that shun– you never know what Allah (swt) will allow to result from a simple blog.
Related Posts:
- U! S! A!….U! S! A! (American University in Turkey Defies Hijab Ban)
- Get that Hijab Away… Turkey’s Secularists Traumatized! (2 UPDATES)
- “War Against the Hijab”… Now Playing in Somalia
- I Believe That Hijabs and Soccer Can Coexist Peacefully
- Sarkozy, Muslims, and the New France
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I think sometimes we don’t give credit where credit’s due. Indeed this is a blessing of living in America vs. Europe that we don’t have to make choices on religious attire, or be scorned by society for wearing hijab.
Of course, we are seeing exceptions and the ABC clip recently showed increasing islamophobia is catching on. But NO official or government law has been instituted anywhere in America to outlaw Islamic attire. That is the huge difference.
Comment removed because it is not related to topic. But we did take note of your request to talk about Dr. Sami Arian, a victim of great injustice.
It is such a shame that all that is happening to Muslims around the world. I get a headache just thinking about it.
Muslims everywhere should have made it their priority to discover; What Went So Wrong?
Regarding the subject of this post, the biggest reason I see for this happening is the huge number of feminine males and masculine females we have in our Muslim nation. Fathers, brothers and husbands no longer take real Islamic care of their women. And women are forced to make hard decisions.
As the sister says, our men are lacking in gheera (chivalry).
Allah help us.
I remember posting an idea I found re: checkpoints in Palestine. Basically, the idea was for people to protest by setting up checkpoints on roads in Western countries and seeing how people feel. It hasn’t been done yet but I think it could actually be done quite easily.
A similar project could be in order for this…it would require some massive work but I think we could pull it off if the IDEA is POWERFUL enough. MM has a nice following as well so that could help.
If some of the stuff described could be filmed than it would make things much easier. Not only that but we could get some insight into certain things. Is there anyone on the ground?
(I need to discuss the logistics of activism more one day…)
Here are some ideas. Be harsh and realistic with other thoughts…
1) Purchase as many hijabs as we can and mail them the French government. See this link for their addresses:
http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/en/acteurs/gouvernement/
2) Global Hijab-Day involving non-Muslim (women) and non-hijabi sisters and getting them to wear it. If it catches on in the world than it instantly puts pressure on France to accept hijab.
3) The Palestinian scarf is now a fashion statement–if we can associate it with Islamic fashion rather than just fashion, it could affect things by linking it to a popular thing.
4) Are the brothers in France allowed to wear the keffiya? It has no religious connotation for brothers so if every brother started wearing a “headscarf” it would be an easier leap for the sisters headscarf to being accepted. And this would obviously reflect on the Islamic-style feminism is a Muslim male thing.
“Islamic-style feminism”
There’s an oxymoron
Kinda like “Nazi Judaism”
the two words in each one directly contradict each other.
“‘Islamic-style feminism’
There’s an oxymoron”
Semantics.
wow, i had completely forgotten about the hijab ban. i guess i just assumed that since it wasn’t in the media, it must have stopped. *smacks head*
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8997713663
Muslim Matters on living under the hijab ban in France.
Islam and the west
So no other ideas or thoughts? Maaann I’m disappointed…
It’s something sad seeing muslimah at my country easily wear and take off hijab whenever they like. Obviously, hijab is more than just a piece of Islamic traditional garment.
Salam alaykoum,
I am a convert living in France (Paris) and I would like to help.
SubhanAllah!!!!!!!!!!
How much this reminds me of old Spain. When it was taken over from Muslims, their spirits were gradually broken, until today we dont find many Muslims who claim that their ancesstorial legacy is in Spain. Why????
Because they broke the spirit and self-pride in them slowly. So much so that tailor shops that would tailor “muslim” style dresses were BANNED!!! (according to Yasir Birjas). Speaking Arabic slowly became a crime, then slowly worshipping on Fridays became a crime, until most Muslims lost their identitiy totally. Obviously a process that took 200 or so years.
But the process seems to have started in Europe already!!! Alhamdulillah I am an Muslim American. I am so far free to practice Islam. Of course we lack Muslim arbitration courts and such, but may Allah make it a reality.
Oh! God. Help Us All.
it serves me a great deal of disturbance to listen to the words of our muslim sisters in france…
but we must all remember that alhamdullah, the blessing is still and will always be in the struggle…
hang in there sisters and brothers dealing with unfair circumstances that donya throws at us, for its only doniya
but is there something we can realistically do to help?
and what i noticed is that all the people that are in a position to help, really quite are to selfish or too caught up in their world to help others..
for shame…
alhamdlilah
It seems it is very much like Muslims in China who can’t wear hijaab. once you wear them
Muslimah has either to stay home or work in some private owned business which is muslim-friendly.
especially, at the west part where majority are muslims there is no way you wear hijaab and go to
school. and childern under 18 are banned from entering mosque. which is little know to the outside
world. and those who managed to get out of the country either become secular or live in fear of
losing their identity since they are so few.
Personally, I must do whatever we can to help those sisters! speading the word. posting on blogs.
never give up!
innalhamdolillah. bismillah. may Allah subhanahu wata ala bring relief to the oppressed. and may He awaken in the ummah true Iman.
Iman that knows in every fiber of every sinew and in the marrow of every bone that all evil is dispelled before the Will of Allah, and thus prays steadfastly for that moment. Iman that never flags before the flag of any nation, before the scorn of the ignorant and defiantly disobedient. Iman that clothes the Muslim like no other raiment can.
false are they who say that a woman stripped of her hijab or niqab has been freed from bondage, because those same voices imprison her with their ignorance.
false are they who laud the governments of France or Turkey for “defending women” by shutting women who wear hijab or niqab out of the doors of education or depriving these women of other basic rights. what “defender” of women ever inflicted such senseless harm, other than the much-protesting-abuser?
false, too, are those among women who say that a woman who wears hijab or niqab cannot truly represent the ideal among all women. these voices resent that the woman who wears hijab or niqab strives for a goal that they have eschewed. indeed they resent any reminder of what they have exchanged for this life’s basest pleasures.
may Allah forgive us who have been silent, but could have spoken. and may He Guide us all to what is better. and may He answer the duas of the oppressed Muslimah in every corner of His Creation.
It’s as clear as the day to see France’s main reason behind the “BANING OF THE HIJAB!” A lot of people are “REVERTING to ISLAM” and this is there way to stop it. Only ALLAH (Subhana Wataala) has the power to put one on the straight path and there is no one who can stop that!!!
its realy sad that we r still living in a racist world…be patient..we have to play with our head…not with muscle
Going from country to country in Europe seems like going to state to state in America. I’d just get educated in the UK if they told me to shave.
Hello,
I work for a non-proft, free human rights magazine at my university. We are writing an article on Muslims in France and the human rights abuses associated with racism. Would you mind if we used the above photo with our article?
Thanks for your time!
Eva, we could not identify source of the photo, so with that in mind, you can use it at your own risk.
Could you send us a link to the article? We’d love to see it.
Thanks for stopping by.
Salam
My name is Dena, and I just turned thirteen. I started wearing a hijab last summer, and I now go to a public middle school with it on. It really made me proud to wear it, and I did have some indecision about going to public school, but my twin sister is wearing it too, and it gave me confidence. My mom wore it, too, and she’s a teacher at my school; she got the Rookie of the Year award last year.
This year was the most academically successful year in my entire school life, and I than Allah for it.
I’m going to London, Insha Allah, this summer. I was looking for ladies only gyms on the internet so I could swim somewhere, and while doing so I came upon a link to your website. So I wandered around until I came to a wikipedia article titled “hijab by country.” I read about bans on hijabs in France, Germany, Turkey, and other countries too. It was sad, because my sister, Dema, always wanted to go to France, and was thinking about going there from the U.K. I haven’t told her yet. It would break her heart.
I hope one day I will grow up to make a difference in the world, and then on to make differences.
I thank Allah I live in America, where most see the hijab and are simply curious.
Insh Allah, these bans will be lifted and muslims will be allowed to wear what they like anywhere.
Thank You for reading my post.