Symbolizing Roles: Behind the Veil

“Symbolizing Roles: Behind the Veil” is a very interesting article that focuses on an issue that has become a major focal point in the past decade or so: that is the laws requiring Islamic women to wear veils, or a hijab, that covers most, or sometimes all of their body.  The West overwhelmingly feels that this is a huge impingement on women’s rights in that society.  The veil to Westerners symbolizes oppression on a personal level, as well as symbolizing oppression in other aspects of their lives including laws that make it more difficult for them to acquire the same education as men, being able to divorce as easily, and in same cases forbidding them to even drive.  In all reality, the hijab is not necessarily something that the average Muslim woman despises.  They are very practical for a number of reasons ranging from easily hiding their identity and symbolizing they are not free to be had by any man who may desire them, especially for all the wrong reasons, to providing easy protection from the sun, dust, and mud from getting on their clothing.  After reading this article, it seems that Muslim women are not entirely against wearing the hijab, because it is in many cases a very practical and religiously significant article of clothing, and that is something that Westerners are too lazy or naïve to research.