The War of the Veils
Dr.
Mohiuddin Waseem
AbrahamicFaiths@hotmail.com
Generally speaking, Muslim women's veil (face covering)
is seen as a symbol of oppression and servitude in the Western world. But for many
Muslim women veiling oneself is an act of righteousness which brings them
closer to the teachings of Islam. This self-righteousness at times is boastful
and assertive enough to generate a division even within the Muslim communities.
The recent effort by the French government to impose a ban on the veil in the
public sphere has stirred emotions in the Muslim world. However, many Western
countries are expected to follow France’s example in the coming days and one
could expect more charged discourses on this topic.
Though many contend that the choice of wearing a veil or
not should be left to an individual, by imposing restrictions the French
government is likely to violate women’s right of freedom. It also appears to
overlook that many Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and
Taliban-controlled Afghanistan rigidly impose the practice of wearing veil and
burqa (cloak) on their female subjects. I once witnessed the enforcement of
such harsh practices when a Muslim family was threatened by religious policemen
“Mutawwa” in a market place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to either use a veil or go
back to their country of origin. In the heat of the argument they asked the
shop owner not to do business with the family, thus enforcing a kind of a
social boycott!
Before we jump to the religiosity of veiling it will be
enlightening to my readers to review the culture of the ancient Middle East
which the Saudi Mutawwas proudly pointed to. History tells us that veiling of
women is not an Islamic innovation which many mistakenly believe to be but was
part of the prevailing culture of the ancient Middle East during the times of
Prophet Mohammad. Islam too had to confront this issue in due course of time.
The earliest reference to the veil culture can be cited
from Hammurabi’s Code. King Hammurabi of Babylon (Iraq) promulgated his laws
about 1800 years before Christ which successfully institutionalized
patriarchal control in the family. His laws contain examples of early attempt
to regulate and control the activities of the women in Mesopotamia. In
subsequent centuries the state became the authoritative force in dictating who among
its female subjects must, and must not wear the veil. By the 13th century B.C in Mesopotamia,
the law required that only the elite and free married women should wear a veil; whereas prostitutes and slave women were forbidden to cover their
identities. Scholars believe that in those societies veil was a symbol of
respectability and signified that wearer was not available for sexual
relationships (Elizabeth Meier. Women, Crime & Punishment in Ancient Law
& Society: The Near East. p130). It is
superfluous to say that these laws related to veiling had far
reaching implications, especially for subsequent Arab, Persian and Byzantine
civilizations which practiced it widely. There is mention of this practice in
Christian writings: Saint Paul wrote to the people of Corinth thus: “Any woman
who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head
(husband), for it is one and the same thing as if she had had her head
shaved…she should wear a veil” (Holy Bible 1 Corinthians 11: 3-10). Precisely
for this reason we see all depictions of Mary in ancient Christian paintings
with her head covered (Hijab). Similarly, ancient Jews who evolved from the
same Middle Eastern stock encouraged veiling by the women, some Rabbis even
suggested that only one eye should remain exposed, which in their opinion, was
sufficient for looking at things or people! A recent Fatwa (religious ruling)
by Saudi clerics seeks similar practice of the veil. It is a common sight in
Saudi Arabia that veiled female faces - even on advertisement billboards - have
one eye painted black with graffiti.
During my student life I was always puzzled to see a
difference in the outlook of religious prayers and practices between the
followers of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, even though they originated from
the same divine source. I now realize that the answer lies in the difference in
culture and traditions of ancient Israelites of Sinai desert, Christians of
Byzantium and Rome, and Muslims of Arabia which ultimately shaped the persona
and outward appearance of these religions. Under cultural pressures all these
religions had to make permissible certain norms of one period which in a
subsequent era became unacceptable and repugnant. Take for example the issue of
slavery which was allowed in almost all ancient cultures and religions at one
time or another, but in today’s world it is rightly considered the most
devilish act. The same is true for female circumcision which ancient cultures
in certain parts of the world practiced with religiosity but in today’s world
it is considered nothing more than a disgustful act of mutilation.
Keeping these facts in mind one should ask exactly what
the circumstance in Medina were when the Qur’anic verses relating to the veil
were revealed, in other words, what went wrong should be the focus of our
attention to understand this issue. Two references from Sahih Bukhari are worth
citing at this juncture and both are self-explanatory.
1. Narrated Hazrat Umar: “I said to Allah's Apostle! Good
and bad persons visit you, so I suggest that you order the mothers of the
believers (i.e. your wives) to observe veils". Then Allah revealed the
verses of Al-Hijab (Sahih Bukhari, Vol 6, number 313).
2. Narrated Hazrat Ayesha (the wife of the Prophet) “Umar
bin Al-Khattab used to say to Allah's Apostle ‘Let your wives be veiled’ but he
did not do so. The wives of the Prophet used to go out to answer the call of
nature at night only at Al-Manasi (a wilderness outside Madina). Once Sauda
(one of the wives of the Prophet), daughter of Zama, went out. She was a tall
woman. Umar bin Al-Khattab saw her while he was in a gathering and said,
"I have recognized you, O Sauda”! He (Umar) said so as he was anxious for
some divine orders regarding the veil (the veiling of women.)”. So Allah
revealed the verses of veiling (Sahih Bukhari, Vol 8, number 257).
It should be clear to readers that the
prophet-hood of Hazrat Mohammad (SAW) created a channel of communication and
negotiation between God and the Arabian society of his time and here Hazrat
Umar’s suggestion found divine favor as his intention was to protect the
Prophet’s family and the early Muslim community. When the Qur’anic verses were
finally revealed, veil and seclusion was specifically ordained for Prophet’s
wives to emphasize their special status. In Chapter Al-Ahzab, veil (Hijab) is a
curtain behind which the wives were told to talk to men that were forbidden for
them (Holy Qur’an 33:53). It was emphasized that they were not like any other
women (Holy Qur’an 33:32) and should not be treated as such. They were asked
not to walk around but stay in their houses (Holy Qur’an 33:33). The rest of
the Muslim women were neither ordained to veil nor were asked to seclude
themselves; only to dress modestly, and wrap themselves in their mantles when
they walked outdoors, in order to be “recognized” as Muslim women and not
“harassed” (Holy Qur’an 33: 59, 24:31).
In conclusion, veiling was prescribed
and practiced in early Islam as a method of protecting noble ladies from prying
eyes and verbal assault: it served as a solution to a social problem of that
time and should not be confused as a religious requirement. Modern-day Muslim
scholars who see it as a religious obligation should revisit their position.
I believe the veil, instead of exposing the full potential of Islam for
the entire humanity, is seriously restricting it.
Editor's Note: This
article is rewritten to clarify a few points. It was originally published at www.PakistanLink.com,
you can access the article at
http://pakistanlink.org/Opinion/2010/Mar10/12/04.HTM