Why She Won't Wear Hijab!
A Discussion by A.Q. Alidost
A convesation for Muslim sisters:
"I'm so tired."
"Tired of what?"
"Of all these people judging me."
"Who judged you?"
"Like that woman, every time I sit with
her, she tells me to wear hijab."
"Oh, hijab and music! The mother of all
topics!"
"Yeah! I listen to music without
hijab…haha!"
"Maybe she was just giving you advice."
"I don't need her advice. I know my
religion. Can`t she mind her own
business?"
"Maybe you misunderstood. She was just
being nice."
"Keeping out of my business, that would
be nice..."
"But it's her duty to encourage you do
to good."
"Trust me. That was no encouragement.
And what do you mean `good` ?"
"Well, wearing hijab, that would be a
good thing to do."
"Says who?"
"It's in the Qur'an, isn't it?"
"Yes. She did quote me something."
"She said Surah Nur, and other places of
the Qur'an."
"Yes, but it's not a big sin anyway.
Helping people and praying is more
important."
"True. But big things start with small
things."
"That's a good point, but what you wear
is not important. What's important
is to have a good healthy heart."
"What you wear is not important?"
"That's what I said."
"Then why do you spend an hour every
morning fixing up?"
"What do you mean?"
"You spend money on cosmetics, not to
mention all the time you spend on
fixing your hair and low-carb dieting."
"So?"
"So, your appearance IS important."
"No. I said wearing hijab is not an
important thing in religion."
"If it's not an important thing in
religion, why is it mentioned in the Holy
Qur'an?"
"You know I can't follow all that's in
Qur'an."
"You mean God tells you something to do,
you disobey and then it's OK?"
"Yes. God is forgiving."
"God is forgiving to those who repent
and do not repeat their mistakes."
"Says who?"
"Says the same book that tells you to
cover."
"But I don't like hijab, it limits my
freedom."
"But the lotions, lipsticks, mascara and
other cosmetics set you free?!
What`s your definition of freedom anyway?"
"Freedom is in doing whatever you like
to do."
"No. Freedom is in doing the right
thing, not in doing whatever we wish to do."
"Look! I've seen so many people who
don't wear hijab and are nice people,
and so many who wear hijab and are bad
people."
"So what? There are people who are nice
to you but are alcoholic. Should we all
be alcoholics? You made a stupid point."
"I don't want to be an extremist or a
fanatic. I'm OK the way I am without hijab."
"Then you are a secular fanatic. An
extremist in disobeying God."
"You don't get it, if I wear hijab, who
would marry me?!"
"So all these people with hijab never
get married?!"
"Okay! What if I get married and my
husband doesn't like it? And wants me to
remove it?"
"What if your husband wants you to go
out with him on a bank robbery?!"
"That's irrelevant, bank robbery is a
crime."
"Disobeying your Creator is not a crime?"
"But then who would hire me?"
"A company that respects people for who
they are."
"Not after 9-11"
"Yes. After 9-11. Don't you know about
Hanan who just got into med school?
And the other one, what was her name,
the girl who always wore a white
hijab…ummm…"
"Yasmeen?"
"Yes. Yasmeen. She just finished her MBA
and is now interning for GE."
"Why do you reduce religion to a piece
of cloth anyway?"
"Why do you reduce womanhood to high
heals and lipstick colors?"
"You didn't answer my question."
"In fact, I did. Hijab is not just a
piece of cloth. It is obeying God in a
difficult environment. It is courage,
faith in action, and true womanhood.
But your short sleeves, tight pants…"
"That's called `fashion`, you live in a
cave or
something? First of all, hijab was
founded by men who wanted to control
women."
"Really? I did not know men could
control women by hijab."
"Yes. That's what it is."
"What about the women who fight their
husbands to wear hijab? And women in
France who are forced to remove their
hijab by men? What do you say about that?"
"Well, that's different."
"What difference? The woman who asked
you to wear hijab…she was a woman, right?"
"Right, but…"
"But fashions that are designed and
promoted by male-dominated corporations,
set you free? Men have no control on
exposing women and using them as a
commodity?! Give me a break!"
"Wait, let me finish, I was saying…"
"Saying what? You think that men control
women by hijab?"
"Yes."
"Specifically how?"
"By telling women how and what to wear,
dummy!"
"Doesn't TV, magazines and movies tell
you what to wear, and how to be
`attractive'?"
"Of course, it's fashion."
"Isn't that control? Pressuring you to
wear what they want you to wear?"
[Silence]
"Not just controlling you, but also
controlling the market."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you are told to look skinny and
anorexic like that woman on the cover of
the magazine, by men who design those
magazines and sell those products."
"I don't get it. What does hijab have to
do with products."
"It has everything to do with that.
Don't you see? Hijab is a threat to
consumerism, women who spend billions of
dollars to look skinny and live by
standards of fashion designed by men…and
then here is Islam, saying trash all
that nonsense and focus on your soul,
not on your looks, and do not worry what
men think of your looks."
"Like I don't have to buy hijab? Isn't
hijab a product?"
"Yes, it is. It is a product that sets
you free from male-dominated consumerism."
"Stop lecturing me! I WILL NOT WEAR HIJAB!
It is awkward, outdated, and totally not
suitable for this society ... Moreover,
I am only 20 and too young to wear hijab!"
"Fine. Say that to your Lord, when you
face Him on Judgment Day."
"Fine."
"Fine."
[Silence]
"Shut up and I don't want to hear more
about hijab niqab schmijab Punjab!"
[Silence]
She stared at the mirror, tired of
arguing with herself all this time.
Successful enough, she managed to shut
the voices in her head, with her own
opinions triumphant in victory on the
matter, and a final modern decision
accepted by the society - but rejected
by the Faith:
"Yes!" - to curls on the hair - "No!" -
to hijab!
"And he (/she) is indeed a failure who
corrupts it [the soul]!"
[Holy Quran 91:10]
Subhana'Allah!!!
"Nay! You prefer the life of this world;
While the hereafter is better and more
lasting."
[Holy Quran: 87:16-17]
"You are the best community (Ummah)
raised up for (the benefit of) humanity;
enjoining what is right and forbidding
what is wrong and believing in Allah."
[Holy Quran: 3:110]
