The message of hijab...
What is the message behind a woman’s covered-attire/tesettur/ hijab?
I believe it is an extremely personal preference, which should not be
written about. Yet, asserting a perspective seemed essential since there has
been many speculations going on about it.
The comments of Kerim Ture, who is the CEO of a leading online sales website (www.modanisa.com) specialized on tesettur and serves to muslim woman, is being
discussed:
‘No need to open up or reveal to be sexy. Sexiness is possible even with
eyes only. Should a Muslim woman believe that she needs covered-attire, she
could achieve that with silk and turquoise as well.’
Why do women cover (clothing)? Answers within our geography:
Familial pressure, to avoid male harassment, fear of creator, due to
religious reasoning, spousal pressure… What about head-covering? Why would it
be asked for? Not to seduce other men, not to disturb the peace in the family,
to sustain the peace in the family by not drawing other men’s attention. Today,
existence of men who were raised by a pitiful perception that view women with
bawdy dress as available (can be easily picked up), is a reality.
****
So, what is the role of fashion in that?
Can a covered woman be called sexy, also when she dons in decency and
harmony? So, is it a futile
effort for a covered woman to dress like that?
The reason behind
referring to these is either to offend tesettur
with secular approach or to confine women in a second prison that is concepted by
the oppressive what-others–might-say mentality which is even not content with
the extent of her coverage.
A covered woman, who is characterized to be of low
moral by some because of colorful clothing choices, is actually an individual as much as the next woman, is a God’s
creature as much as a Muslim man, and is to blame as much as any Muslim man at
fault. Woman’s cover is not the only aspect of religion.
A man claiming to be a
Muslim will spoil the Muslim image by not wearing a beard and not carrying related
symbols and will comfortably steal, asperse and rape, yet he will expect religion
symbol Muslim woman to be perfect. This includes ‘looking-sexy’ accusations,
too.
****
In Islamic faith, actions are based on intentions.
If a woman is making an effort
for not-looking sexy while covering herself up and intending to obey the
creator’s commands, trying to dress stylish to look lady-like or on business dress code would not handicap
her intention. Yet, the intention is questionable if her dress of choice is tesettur but sexy.
Those who criticize the ones
in tesettur and have the tendency of
not harmonizing the eye catching colors with the reasoning of tesettur, misses the point:
A woman can be so attractive
in black. Another can turn heads while being in red. So, consequently, drawing-attention
factor is subjective. It does not always necessarily mean that drawing
attention is nice and sexy. A woman who is wearing a tesettur-appropriate evening gown for a wedding might draw
attention in public transportation but not in the wedding. And sometimes that
attention is out of mockery; in other words, it is not fun.
****
I totally
agree with Kerim Ture. Secular or religious fundamentalists, who accuse
covered-women of drawing attention because of her color of choice or things like that, do not
regard the issue as a personal matter to begin with. They are free to apply in
the fashion they interpret.
Accusing a woman, who is
dressed elegantly with sincere intention of tesettur,
is the work of either an elitist community or the spouse that does not want his
wife to be stylish, elegant and blending in the milieu she is at. Secular minds
object to the oppression to women; they cannot understand women who cover at their
own free will and they support the freedom for uneducated, pious family-woman
suffering from spousal oppression only the way they consider right.
Recently, some secularity
supporters have commented on the news of ‘Ikbal Gurpinar: famous TV presenter in
tesettur’ sustained spousal abuse’; suggesting
that she must keep her silence because she had already covered-up her head and
moreover Islam permits male violence. However, in Islamic commentaries, male
violence in Islam is described in different forms. And it is the own choice of
a covered woman what and not to accept. So claiming she deserved anything she said she faced just because of her hijab choice is not fair.
I think this is similar to
peeping-tom, gossipmonger and pseudo-pious mentality which accuses of a woman
in bikini on a beach where everyone is in bikini.
****
Just like that every uncovered
woman has a different story, every covered woman has her own story and
conditions different than her peer. Someone’s tesettur relays a message on how she interacts with men as a
female, within religious boundaries. This does not affect her interaction or
friendship much.
Another woman percepts tesettur as a message of ‘absolutely no
communication with opposite sex’.
This safeguard of the covered
woman varies from person to person just like the variation of messages relayed
to opposite sex by an uncovered woman, with certain behavioral patterns.
It will be different when a
woman, who is trying to pick a significant other from the opposite sex, cracks her
safety door open. Not-talking is not of significance; the important thing is being
able to explain the description of future expectation to the male correctly.
Otherwise, men won’t be able
to tell apart covered, uncovered, pious or atheist woman from one another.
****
In Turkey, we had even
witnessed a doctor questioning my hijabi female medical student sister in unmatching
clothes 'is good enough for our children to be entrusted to her as a MD’. I was the patient. If we mentioned
that, their answer would be “criticizing not because she was in tesettur” and they would just wriggle out free…. The existence of
the patient’s acquaintances has been ignored and her being a student was
forgotten; and on top of that, the possibility of her getting medical education
is construed surprising and obviously deemed unmatching with her looks. Would
that pro-secular mentality blame my sister in tesettur for being sexy by questioning her ‘covered-look’ if she
dressed stylish?
****
Another nuisance is the people
who label covered women as decent and the rest as indecent. They keep on being
the sharp tips of the double edged arrow.
Kerim Tur is accused of his
intention, which is claimed to be turning covered women into ‘sexy’. It looks like all Tur asks for is renewing the
notion of sexiness in a society where there are men who step over their wives
and have spouses that admire self confident women who stand on their own two
feet. He may only mean “do not feel lesser because you are covered”. He may wants to say
that you should not be afraid of your choice of color or fabric as long as it
is not see-through and/or too tight. He says “do not be afraid of criticism’' In spite of the people who
want to make a meek out of you. I did not get his thoughts as commercial or marketing advises on his interest.
Once again, we should underscore that we have utmost
respect for those who choose to be meek/a nobody, with their free will and those
who live their faith in accordance with that devotion. Yet, the important thing
for the individual is being the way he believes he should be. You could just
tell him/her your opinion politely rather than emotional extortion. A person’s
attire defines him/her. Turkish community’s relaxed attitude in regards to
criticisms and comments on this matter, is nothing but stepping out of line. This
is something that can only be done carefully by one’s inner circle. ‘How to interpret religious philosophy’ is up
to one’s free will.
****
Ture says that looking sexy is
even possible with a simple glance. While some men consider a covered woman as
a mother-like figure due to social influence, there are also some others
who might entertain sexual fantasies about them. The type of covered women that
these men encountered cannot be considered as sufficient number of examples to
make a satisfactory generalization. Cover, being related to personal
experiences, conveys a social or religious message. Even though all the
messages cross path at a certain point, everyone’s message is different due to
their stories. Therefore, it is entirely the mindset of the beholder which
determines whether you are sexy or not.
The one with the veil which only leaves
the eyes in the open or the jew with a wig or head-scarf, who wears thick
stocking underneath below-knee-skirt, or the dressy Muslim, are all women. She
cares about looking beautiful to her spouse if she has one. Also, they dress
accordingly when they go out. Which one really pious is, is certainly disputable.
What really matter is ‘judging your own faith and propensity before judging
others’.
