I woke up from my sleepy slumber to write about something that has been
on my mind. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t this particular subject that
kept me awake, tossing and turning until I gave up, got up and turned on
the computer. More likely it was the contents in the recently topped-up
refrigerator that forced my eyes wide awake and with an impatient sigh I
whisked myself out of my warm room and into the cold kitchen whilst I
logged on. To the Internet, not the refrigerator. Bare with me.
I am not one of those women who look down on or judge women who do not wear the hijab. There, I’ve said what I’ve come for, now I can start on my midnight snack. I know, I should elaborate. You see, previous posts I have written in the past may have indicated that I did not favour those who chose not to cover. I can see how that misunderstanding happened. And that is why I’m here, instead of eating my deliciously prepared meal, clarifying my feelings on the issue.
I don’t think it is fair for anyone to judge a person for their choice on to cover or not to cover. It breaks my heart when I think someone may have thought I was actually one of those people who judged others for not wearing the hijab. I think everyone has a choice and at the end of the day it is between the person and God.
I find it can be hurtful when a woman with a hijab will be totally shocked when a woman without a hijab says she is a Muslim. I know that the hijab is a symbol of faith but we shouldn’t be ignorant to the fact that faith starts with what is within; your testifying that there is no God but one God and not associating any partners with him; your good impeccable character which Islam advocates; your prayers, fasts and alms-giving. While writing a previous post on Yahoo! making the hijab available for Muslim women, I took care not to write that Yahoo! had made the hijab available to all Muslim women. Because that would be implying that all Muslim women were ones who wore the hijab- so where would that leave those who didn’t wear the hijab?
Although I do practice the hijab, I have had my fair share of judging because I do not practice the niqab. It hurt, to be out-casted from my own sisters because of my own free will, my own choice, something God entitled me with. I developed a sensitivity towards certain women with the niqab, thinking that they were all out to judge me and strip away any faith I owned.
But then I met Sarah, a woman who has been wearing the niqab for years yet she treats me on the same level; she doesn’t act like she is more pious or on a higher level than me. When I would ask her questions about the niqab, she wouldn’t lecture or preach, that annoying tone that makes you conclude that all these women are the same. She would just talk about her own personal experience which made me love her and not feel wary towards females wearing the niqab; a perfectly understandable defense mechanism I learned to develop in order to not get hurt and feel my spiritual faith draining away.
Of course it is not right to judge something like the hijab or niqab based on how others are using the thing, but we are human and it happens. And I know quite a few women will relate with my experience, perhaps with the hijab, the niqab or something totally different. Maybe even a few men will relate with the issue of the beard.
Women should really be united and resist creating an ‘us’ and ‘them’ camp. We should be merciful to each other and not label each other so much. It’s exhausting, it creates barriers and intolerance. As women, we should all be role models to each other. That way, we’ll have more of a chance in inspiring someone, changing someones’ life, or at least, changing their views on issues they hold close to their hearts.
I am not one of those women who look down on or judge women who do not wear the hijab. There, I’ve said what I’ve come for, now I can start on my midnight snack. I know, I should elaborate. You see, previous posts I have written in the past may have indicated that I did not favour those who chose not to cover. I can see how that misunderstanding happened. And that is why I’m here, instead of eating my deliciously prepared meal, clarifying my feelings on the issue.
I don’t think it is fair for anyone to judge a person for their choice on to cover or not to cover. It breaks my heart when I think someone may have thought I was actually one of those people who judged others for not wearing the hijab. I think everyone has a choice and at the end of the day it is between the person and God.
I find it can be hurtful when a woman with a hijab will be totally shocked when a woman without a hijab says she is a Muslim. I know that the hijab is a symbol of faith but we shouldn’t be ignorant to the fact that faith starts with what is within; your testifying that there is no God but one God and not associating any partners with him; your good impeccable character which Islam advocates; your prayers, fasts and alms-giving. While writing a previous post on Yahoo! making the hijab available for Muslim women, I took care not to write that Yahoo! had made the hijab available to all Muslim women. Because that would be implying that all Muslim women were ones who wore the hijab- so where would that leave those who didn’t wear the hijab?
Although I do practice the hijab, I have had my fair share of judging because I do not practice the niqab. It hurt, to be out-casted from my own sisters because of my own free will, my own choice, something God entitled me with. I developed a sensitivity towards certain women with the niqab, thinking that they were all out to judge me and strip away any faith I owned.
But then I met Sarah, a woman who has been wearing the niqab for years yet she treats me on the same level; she doesn’t act like she is more pious or on a higher level than me. When I would ask her questions about the niqab, she wouldn’t lecture or preach, that annoying tone that makes you conclude that all these women are the same. She would just talk about her own personal experience which made me love her and not feel wary towards females wearing the niqab; a perfectly understandable defense mechanism I learned to develop in order to not get hurt and feel my spiritual faith draining away.
Of course it is not right to judge something like the hijab or niqab based on how others are using the thing, but we are human and it happens. And I know quite a few women will relate with my experience, perhaps with the hijab, the niqab or something totally different. Maybe even a few men will relate with the issue of the beard.
Women should really be united and resist creating an ‘us’ and ‘them’ camp. We should be merciful to each other and not label each other so much. It’s exhausting, it creates barriers and intolerance. As women, we should all be role models to each other. That way, we’ll have more of a chance in inspiring someone, changing someones’ life, or at least, changing their views on issues they hold close to their hearts.
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