Do you think you should follow the law of the land you live in when it comes to how you dress? Or should you protest the law by continuing to dress according to your convictions? Will giving in to the law make non-Muslims feel less threatened by or more accepting of Islam? How far should we go to make non-Muslims comfortable with us? France’s burqa ban has just taken effect and so far two burqa-clad [...]
I was so excited—and nervous—when I went to get my driver’s license renewed because I was going to photographed in my hijab. That might seem like a little thing, but it’s actually not. It means that for the next four years I’m going to be identified as a Muslim whenever someone sees my driver’s license. I was so proud when the license bureau agent asked if I wear the scarf for religious purposes and I [...]
I was sitting in the airport, waiting for my flight, when the lady next to me struck up a conversation. “I hope you don’t mind if I ask you a question about your …” and she pointed to my hijab. “No, of course not. Go ahead, ” I said. “Do you have to wear it all the time, like even when you sleep or take a shower?” I grinned. “No, only when I’m in public [...]
One good thing about wearing hijab is that you are immediately identifiable as a Muslim. That’s also one of the bad things. Because the truth is, sometimes it feels more comfortable to travel incognito. I don’t always want everyone who sees me to know what religion I belong to. And not only what religion I belong to, but also to know that I think enough of it to allow myself to be “branded” as one [...]
As a Muslim woman, even as a convert, I’m well aware that some people pity me for being “oppressed.” My husband isn’t even a Muslim, yet supposedly he is forcing me to “cover.” Or else I am so hung up about men’s lewd thoughts, all I can think of are ways to prevent them from seeing my “charms.” Either way, the implication is that I allow myself to be put in a box that limits [...]
In an imagined essay* by Carrie Bradshaw about her trip to the Middle East, she writes: We felt just awful for those poor Arab women. We saw the way they looked longingly at our glamorous and vibrant couture. The difference between those women and us is that we look fabulous under oppression! We can get through the world of men getting us down because at least we can pick our clothes and drink cocktails by [...]
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