s_huseinah
Friday, 8:46 AM EST
I was inspired by the film to talk about Islam and Gender. As a Muslim woman, I sometimes feel compelled to explain my religion to non-Muslims. A lot of people think that Islam is a religion which subjugates women. The truth is if that was the fact, I wouldn't be in the religion. But I am! In fact, I was never pressured to wear the veil- the piece of cloth that is considered to be oppressive. I decided last year out of my own feeling devotion towards God that I should wear the veil. I am not denying that it is used as a form of male possession over female in several countries but I feel that one should see that there are multiple reasons why one wears a veil.

In addition, Islam is not a religion that encourages passsivity for its women. The first Islamic convert was in fact a woman, a lady that so influenced the Prophet's life and encouraged him to propagate the religion- that was his wife Khadijah- a rich businesswoman, who proposed marriage to him mind you. Moreover, a woman was trusted to be the guardian of the holy Islamic text- the Qur'an. Aish'ah the youngest wife of the Prophet was vital in the passing of Islamic scholarship and the much of the hadith is based on her accounts. In addition, she was also a warrior fighting and leading men in the Camel Wars. Is this passive?

I doubt it.

linin
Friday, 1:01 PM EST
I think that it is possible that we will have possibly certain false impressions of Islam as a religion when it concerns gender, though I am not very sure about anything now. Probably the documentary itself has certain political intent that could give us false impressions of Islam and the Islamic culture.

Certainly, your own personal decision to wear a veil is probably a decision shared as much as any other Muslim woman (that there is great degree of agency and autonomy on your part). Since this is a sociological class though, I think we must think of the structural/ macro forces that come into play as well. I do not think that anybody would want to partake in a system that undermines them: still, it is a whole large system so abstract and so concerns a whole operating machine consisting of so many components essential to social life.

I think gender plays an important role in Islam though (just as it plays an important role in many other religion and cultures). The veil is symbolic of devotion to God but this wearing of the veil somehow only applies for the women. The men have a separate symbol of head-dress(do you call it that?), the songkok i presume? Nevertheless, there is this whole notion of a separate procedures designated for men and for women.

Also, I think this is also another issue for other religions as well: that of differing interpretations of religious texts. The texts itself could propagate egalitarian relations between Women and Men but the interpretations are mostly done by the men. Not very sure about this, but there is no female muslim clergies that I know of??


Shemy
Monday, 9:11 AM EDT
I am glad that you dont feel compelled to wear the veil.

I would like to point out that the issue of veiling women is used by some state government on how women should be confined to the private sphere and how their sexuality can be threatening to men ( ie they would distract men). ---and thus to regulate their movements.

The issue of interpretation of religion text is often argued upon- that the texts are interpreted by men (male scholars) and were for men.

Ghurlfren
Saturday, 03:28 PM EDT

In my point of view, Islam has been misinterpreted by many especially when it's stereotypically linked to extremism and submission of women in a highly patriarchal society.

This might be valid in the context of other parts of the world such as the Middle East where women's freedom are totally restricted and some are even banned from getting a job as the society feared that women being in a workforce would give them extrinsic power to overrule the current patriarchal conditions which are still tolerated by many. However in the context of Singapore, the situation is much more diluted than what it is in the Middle East. Women are not being perceived as impure and dirty when she does not wear a veil albeit being strongly encouraged to do so by their families.

However, if we were to trace back the roots of Islam, i do believe it's more slanted towards patriarchal tendencies. There is a law in the Q'uran which states that a wife must listen to a husband regardless of what he orders and must be faithful to him till the end. Men on the other hand are actually given polygamy rights to marry up to 4 wives if he's financially stable with extenuating circumstances, or if the wife fails to satisfy him. These factors point out as to how the patriarchal tendencies are subtly reflected in these rules which one might just regard as "natural".

To talk further about the veil which was seen during lecture, it is essential to find out the reasons as to why veiling was imposed on Muslim women.
As mentioned by Hanna Papanek in her book entitled Comparative Studies in Society and History, she discusses about how the veil has "depersonalizes women and constrains their powers in a wider world." This can be seen even in Singapore society today whereby some women are not being hired in a particular company as they were not willing to take out their veil during work hours. The veil is hence a symbol of heightened consciousness towards the fundamentals of Islam.

In essence, I feel that Islam is traditionally patriarchal but efforts have been made and changes have been done in recent decades to close the gender gap and to allow women to achieve further equality.

s_huseinah

I find it interesting that you brought up the point on the veil as depersonalizing and constraining and states that some people are not hired because they are not willing to take off their veils as if it is their fault that they are not getting any jobs. Perhaps it is because of this discrimination, perhaps the institution criminalizes Islamic veil wearing yet does not show as much contempt towards other forms of veil wearing. I am not saying that Islam is not patriarchal. I am just saying that Islam is not as patriarchal as some people might think. I think we should understand the idea of agency that people have agency to do what they want. If not why would French Muslims and Turkish Muslims now demand acceptance for veil wearing- a choice for them. Yes some people are forced to wear the veil. But some people WANT to wear the veil. Sometimes institutions that restrict this women from gaining hierarchy should be questioned too, why is it when women given a choice to wear a veil is FORCED to remove it. Isn't that a double standard too?

Also about the issue of women scholars brought up by linin. There has been powerful men and women who interpret the Quranic text and Islam through either a gender neutral or Feminist paradigm, an example is Amina Wadud and one of the most famous Muslim feminist in the world who happens to be a man Qassim Amin. Also much of the Hadith knowledge that Muslims follow to do would not be possible if not for the knowledge of one of the Prophet's wife Aishah, who is known to be a vocal lady who speaks her mind and who actually led an army of men in a war. The first convert of Islam was a successful rich independent woman who was not told by Prophet Muhammad to convert but actually urged and helped the Prophet to spread his religion. This was his first wife... who, who in our context would be at least seen as liberal in the marriage sense as she proposed to the Prophet for his hand in marriage. Also the individual who safeguarded the Quranic text before it was compiled into a book was a woman not a man. She was entrusted with safeguarding the most holiest book in Islam.

Please do not equate Islam to Muslim men. I think that is what we all think of when we see the taliban etc. But Islam is not a religion of Muslim men. Listen to the voice of Islam during the Prophet's time who told women they have a choice to choose whoever they want to marry and not be forced into marriage.... who told parents to be proud of having girls as children and not bury them alive. Listen to the voice of Islam from the Women's perspective too. I am sorry if this sounds emotional but I hope one should not just look at Islam just based on the news one watches. One should really study the history based on what Muslims themselves have to say. Especially that of muslim women and groups such as that of feminijtihad in singapore.

Hey guys,
Muslim women have fun wearing the veil/hijab too. Just check out the hijab fashion online.
here are some pictures I really like

from spain


on the runway


on brides

I think this illustrates huseinah's point on the veil NOT being depersonalising, because here it is a platform for creativity and self expression. Of course, wearing the veil itself is also an act of self-expression.
You can say that these women are still conforming to patriarchy, but they are also exercising their perosnal agency within the patriarchal structure, and I think that counts for something.