WOMEN, RELIGION, AND FEMINISM
Introduction
Religion is a powerful tool whose practices,
beliefs, and traditions influence the way in
which people live and relate with each other.
Part of the reason why religion enjoys greater
influence and power than any other practice
worldwide derives from such integral
components as the rituals, values and beliefs,
sacred texts and scriptures, symbols, history, as
well as the presence of authority figures, and the
continuous participation in collective meetings,
among many other components.
The greatest influence of Islam, for instance,
among its female believers is the tradition of
wearing veils or head scarves. These veils
commonly referred to as hijabs have, however,
caused many other problems to the Muslim
women, particularly in other regions of the
world, such as North America, where Islam is
relatively a minority religion.
This paper undertakes a research to compare, as
well as contrast the traditions and beliefs of three
major religions in the world, Christianity, Islam,
and Judaism. This research focuses on the
women believers of the three religions and
elaborates on some of the challenges that
Muslim women encounter by virtue of their
belief and tradition.
Quran Sanctioned Dress Code for Women
The Quran is the official holy book used by
Muslims for their respective religious teachings
and guidance. The holy book cites numerous
guidelines that can be summarised into four
basic rules that determine how women are
expected to dress.
The First Rule
The first rule identifies the best garment for
women. It defines the best garment as one that
does not reveal a woman’s body to the others,
but one that is decent.
Muslim women, thus, are expected to cover their
bodies completely to avoid any sections from
being revealed to other people. This gives the
idea of hijab as a perfect dress code that can
cover the entire body of a woman (Bigger,
2006). The hijab is freely designed piece of
cloth, sometimes adorning special designs, that
protects the hair, head, bosom, as well as the
neck of the wearer.
On the other hand, the Bible, which is the holy
book of teachings among the Christians, also
identifies modest dressing as appropriate for
women believers (Piper & Grudem, 2012). In
particular, the Bible calls on women to dress in
a distinctive style that makes it easy to identify
them from men. Nevertheless, the Christian
traditions and practices on women dress code are
not as compelling as those practiced by Muslims
are.
The modern-day Christian woman worshipper is
allowed to go to church with the dress code of
her own choice and worship with others without
any restraint. The Christian tradition appears to
be an evolution as it has failed to retain the
original dress code that was the fashion during
the biblical times.
The Christian tradition mostly adopts modernity,
with women being allowed the free choice of
determining what is effective for them to wear.
Like Islam, the Jewish teachings and laws also
stipulate on a special dress code for women
believers. Women and girls are required by law
to cover their main body, as well as cover up
their legs and arms, particularly when they are in
public or with individuals who are not their
immediate family members (Gurtner, 2006).
The strict law on women dressing does not
provide room for women to change their style
because of prevailing customs or other changes,
such as modernity. This contrasts with the
Christian tradition. Despite having a modest
dress code during the Biblical times, the trend in
Christian tradition has since changed as
worshippers cite modernization and changing
life conditions.
The Second Rule
Muslim traditions and beliefs consider it
mandatory for women to veil their bosom, which
is also regarded as the second dress code rule in
the religion (Ssenyonjo, 2007). The hijab
becomes the most ideal clothing that women can
be used by women in the effort to cover their
bosoms and protect them from being revealed to
the public.
According to the religious teachings of Islam,
exposure of a woman’s body part may turn out
to be the origin of sinning, particularly the sin of
adultery (Ssenyonjo, 2007). Muslims refer to the
fact that the Quran has mentioned about hijab
more than five times to emphasise the fact it is
God’s wish and demand that women have to use
this piece of cloth to cover their bodies as a
measure of protection against falling into sin.
In comparison to the Jewish traditions, women
believers are required to cover their heads and
bosom and protect these parts from being
revealed to others. Jewish religious teachers
insist on women to cover their heads as a way of
perpetuating the traditional practices that were
exercised in the past.
This has prompted Jewish women to continue
with the practise, particularly while in the
synagogues, at religious festivities, or even
while attending weddings (Freziger, 2009).
However, unlike Islam, the Jewish culture of
women covering their bosoms and head is not
one that originated from their religious practise.
It was a society practise that existed before the
founding of Jewish religion and only adopted
later as an acceptable practise among the
women.
It, thus, instructs the reasoning that although
wearing of hijab among Jewish women is a
common practise that continues to date, the
practise has no religious ties and has only been
integrated as part of the dutiful practices.
Several other Christian denominations and
beliefs have their women cover their hair with
headgear to protect them from revealing their
hair to other people. Among the catholic nuns,
for instance, the practise involves covering the
head throughout, whether in attendance of a
religious function or not.
This tradition among the nuns, however, does
not extend to the other women believers who are
not nuns. Catholic women can go to church and
attend other religious functions without
necessarily having their heads covered with a
piece of cloth or headgear.
The Third Rule
The Quran mentions a third rule on the manner
of dressing that Muslim women are required to
observe and adhere. According to the Quran,
God has instructed all women to conceal their
adornments or beauty spots.
This instruction has in turn influenced the use of
hijab among the Muslim women since the piece
of cloth is used to conceal a woman’s beauty,
particularly the face, hair, and neck as per the
instructions of God (Ssenyonjo, 2007). Like in
all instances where women are required to cover
their bodies, the main objective is to minimize
the chances of men getting sexually attracted to
the women, which may in turn lead to adultery.
The greatest adornment in a Jewish woman is
her hair. Thus, Jewish women have to equally
cover their hair in order to protect it from being
revealed to other women (Freziger, 2009). A
hijab is perfectly suggested and won among the
Jewish women as a way of ensuring that their
important adornment remains concealed.
However, as already noted earlier on, the hijab
wearing among the Jews is a practise that has
only been incorporated into religion. This dress
code is traditional among the Jews, and therefore
was easily included as part of a religious
doctrine. The holy Bible mentions about women
veiling their heads during prayers. It also
mentions further about their hair and the need to
keep it concealed.
According to the Bible, failing to cover the head
during prayers is tantamount to dishonouring
one’s own head. It equates such an act to having
one’s head shaven. However, the Bible teachings
appear to provide women with alternatives about
covering their head, where those not willing to
do as per the instructions can still have their
heads shaven. This account is covered in the first
epistle to the Corinthians in Chapter 11, verse 5
and 6.
Although a majority of the Christian
denominations do not emphasise on their
women members to veil their heads when in
church, a section of them follow the teachings to
the latter (Piper & Grudem, 2012).
The Christian traditions and belief appear to
contrast greatly with the strict Islam doctrines
and to an extent even the Jewish teachings on
veiling for women. Although the Bible has
instructed women to cover their heads when
praying or prophesying, these requirements do
not seem to be conservatively applied by
Christian women.
Equally, the church and its leadership, to a
greater extent, do not seem to emphasise on the
need for women to follow the dress code rule
strictly. It is possible that the Bible account itself
introduced this laxity and freedom by giving
women the alternative to either cover their heads
or shave their hair (Piper & Grudem, 2012).
The Fourth Rule
Another critical verse contained in the Quran
instructs Muslim women to lengthen their
garments as a way of gaining recognition and
evading molestation (Ssenyonjo, 2007). The
idea of lengthening women’s garments has
particularly influenced the use of hijab among
Muslims. Religious teachers see it as a way of
adhering to God’s teachings and have over the
ages emphasised on the need for Muslim women
to veil themselves.
The lengthening of garments for female
believers has seen women being required to
cover all parts of their bodies, including their
hands, legs, and feet. Among the Muslims,
women find it agreeable to wrap themselves
totally in huge clothing as they see it as a
religious command that has been issued by God
himself.
It is evident from the Quran accounts that there
have been numerous attempts towards
interpreting the lengthening of garments.
However, Ssenyonjo (2007) indicates that the
use of hijab as an additional clothing to conceal
body parts is acceptable as a Godly practise.
The Islam tradition on wearing hijab, although
cited in the holy Quran, also receives greater
emphasis from religious leaders. Equally, the
greater Muslim community strengthens the
adherence of religious traditions through
emphasising on particular practices (Ssenyonjo,
2007). Thus, it is not easy to see a Muslim
woman attend prayers at the mosque without
veiling her head.
The rest of the worshippers will openly rebuke
such an act, even before the religious teachers
notice. Such strict traditions, however, are not
witnessed among Christians. While the religious
teachers may be responsible for leading their
congregations, their roles do not seem to go
beyond offering teachings and rebuking their
members for failing to adhere to certain
teachings.
This explains why such a practise is not a
common occurrence among Christian women,
despite the Bible mentioning on the need for
women to cover their heads when praying or
prophesying in church (Piper & Grudem, 2012).
The Jewish traditions have a closer resemblance
to the Muslims and their practise, particularly
where emphasis by the religious leaders is
concerned. The religious teachers among the
Jewish emphasise on the need for women to
always use hijabs to cover their head and bosom
and to help avoid sinning via adultery.
This emphasis has helped in creating a strong
and deeply rooted tradition as women feel as
though the practise is part of their responsibility.
They do not need to be reminded about wearing
hijabs because the tradition has been engrained
in them (Freziger, 2009).
Problems and Issues of Hijab
The hijab is the strongest symbol of Islam,
particularly in regions such as North America
and Europe where other religions, apart from
Islam, are practised more (Ameli & Kharazmi,
2013). At a time when global terrorism has
become an issue of great concern, the hijab has
met great resistance in this region of the world
with the Muslim world being considered to be
the greatest source of terrorists (Ameli &
Kharazmi, 2013).
Terrorists, for instance, have targeted the United
States of America in the recent years in what the
dissidents say is an effort to punish the country
for its anti-Islam crusade.
The Al-Qaeda terror network successfully
wrecked havoc in the US in September 11, 2001
when terrorists allied to the group hijacked
passenger aircraft and crash-landed them on
significant landmarks in the country, including
the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, the
US’s military headquarters.
As such, most American’s view Islam as an evil
practice whose main teachings and traditions are
trained on killing and tormenting others, more so
Americans (Bell, 2003). Such negative thoughts
have had far-reaching consequences on Islam
and its traditions, symbols, as well as practices
in the country (Haddad & Smith, 2002). Women
on hijab in the country continue to face open
discrimination and mistreatment.
The hatred that is pegged on stereotype has seen
the non-Muslim communities in America utter
obscenities and other uncomfortable words at
veiled women, and sometimes physically
insulting the women.
Instances of religious discrimination against
Muslim women have been rife in institutions of
learning, with the female staff and students
being denied their right to practice their religion.
The Muslim communities in these institutions
have been agitating for the right to wear hijabs
rather than the official dress codes observed in
the institutions (Gurbuz & Gulsum, 2009).
However, the common reaction from the
administrators of such institutions has been
unwavering, with the Muslim students and
members of staff required to observe the laid-out
dress code rules strictly.
In some instances, as Gurbuz and Gulsum
(2009) note in their article, the affected Muslim
communities have sought for legal redress in
their attempt to compel the administrators of
such institutions to give them the leeway to
wearing the hijab as their religion demands.
Feminist groups in North America have equally
been fighting the hijab, which they see as a form
of discrimination against Islam’s women
believers. The hijab is particularly viewed as a
conservative garb whose main aim is to deny
women the freedom to choose their dress code
without such a choice being compelled by such
forces as religion (Russo, 2006).
The feminist groups are not in disagreement
with the choice of religion that Muslim women
have opted to confess their beliefs too. However,
the main cause of disagreement is on the strict
religious rules and laws, which they say seek to
undermine the rights of women.
The feminist groups demand that women have
beautiful bodies that they need to show off to
others as an appreciation of whom they are
rather than covering the bodies in the hijabs
throughout their lifetime.
The fact that Islam does not allow for women
leadership offers yet another dimension upon
which feminists are taking issue with the hijab.
The religious laws that condemn women into
wearing hijab are particularly fronted and
stressed upon by men, something the women’s
right bodies are taking exceptions over (Russo,
2006).
Racial and religious discrimination has also
been cited by hijab wearing women in North
America when it comes to seeking public
services (American Civil Liberties Union, n.d.).
Visitors entering North American countries
when wearing hijabs, particularly the USA, are
looked at with a lot of suspicions and treated as
second-class citizens.
In the US embassies and consular based in
foreign countries, women on hijab have
reportedly found it difficult to secure visas to the
country. Often, the reason for instituting such
complex barriers for Muslim women seeking to
enter the USA has been supported by the
authorities, who consider it as a security
measure aimed at curbing the spread of terrorism
in the country.
Women and girls who wear hijab are sometimes
denied entry in public places such as shopping
malls, public buildings, and even swimming
pools. According to the American Civil Liberties
Union (n.d.), such women are usually sexually
harassed by being subjected to search by male
guards.
In some other instances, Muslim women
wearing hijabs are given the single option of
removing their headgear before being allowed
access into the facilities.
With the increasing mistreatment and
discrimination that women wearing hijabs
continue to suffer in Northern America, there
has been a growing tendency among Muslim
women to stop wearing their veils when in
public (Reeves & Azam, 2012).
The suffering that the women endure has
prompted quite a majority of them abandon their
veils, albeit against their wishes and beliefs, in
order to reduce their susceptibility in the hands
of a hostile society. However, these decisions go
against the Islam teachings and to an extent
force the women to sin, which is against their
beliefs.
In other words, the hijab, which is a religious
outfit, is being forced into oblivion as the
Muslims in Northern America attempt to dispose
of any physically visible religious symbols in
order to stay safe from heinous acts being
directed at them (Reeves & Azam, 2012).
Conclusion
Different religious beliefs and practices have
varying doctrines, especially on how women are
supposed to dress. While these doctrines may
appear different in certain aspects, there are
several similarities that apply across board.
Islam requires that women cover their bosoms
and heads with hijab as a way of preventing men
from getting attracted to women and ending up
sinning through adultery.
The hijab has been mentioned severally in the
holy Quran, which highlights God’s strong
preference for the garment. A woman’s body is
only supposed to be revealed to her husband and
not any other strangers because that is an avenue
through which sinning can be condoned. The
Jewish religion, on the other hand, equally
prefers the use of hijab particularly among the
women in order to conceal their heads from
strangers.
Unlike in Islam, the Jewish religion does not
have any special mention on the hijab, despite
the religious leaders and teachers emphasising
on its use. The hijab was part of the dressing
code which women used to veil women and
conceal their bodies from being exposed to
strangers in the traditional Jewish culture, prior
to the advent of religion.
The practise among Christians is, nonetheless,
not pronounced as a majority of the women do
not veil themselves when in churches or
attending to religious events. However, Catholic
nuns strictly cover their hair and heads every
time. Hijab’s have been the greatest source of
attacks and discrimination directed towards
Muslim women, particularly in Northern
America.
The spread of global terrorism and its perceived
association with Islam has seen non-Muslim
communities target women on hijab in America.
Muslim women also complain of discrimination,
especially being perpetrated by institutions of
learning. Muslim women accuse these
institutions of refusing to grant them the
permission to wear hijabs.
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