Burka - Modesty or Oppression

There are seven types of veils worn by women of Islam culture; The Hijab, Al-Amira, Shayla, Khimar, Chador, Niqab and the Burka.

Most often, we are told it is worn by Muslim women as a symbol of modesty and privacy. According to the Encyclopedia of Islam and Muslim World, modesty in the Quran concerns both men's and women’s "gaze, gait, garments, and genitalia." The Qur'an admonishes Muslim women to dress modestly. In the United States and in other countries, you can dress modestly without the necessity of covering up your identity. It is an expression of identity, beauty and non-conformity.

The Muslim community will tell you that the Hijab is not a symbol of oppression. Women are oppressed because of socio-economic reasons even in countries where women have never heard about hijab. On the contrary, the practice of displaying pictures of almost naked women in the commercials, billboards, and in the entertainment industry in the west is a true symbol of oppression.

Neither does the hijab prevent a woman from acquiring knowledge or from contributing to the betterment of human society. Historically women have also greatly contributed to Islam. Lady Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet, played a significant role in the early history of Islam. A successful businesswoman in her own right, she was the first person to accept the message of Prophet Muhammad. Her acceptance and faith were a great source of emotional support for the Prophet. She stood by her husband in the difficult days of early Islam, and spent her wealth for the promotion of the new religion.

The first Muslim person to be martyred in Muslim history was a woman by the name of Sumayya, the wife of Yasir and the mother of ‘Ammar. She was killed along with her husband for refusing to renounce Islam.

Lady Falimatu ’z-Zahra’, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, was a beacon of light and a source of guidance for the women of her time. She faithfully stood by her husband, Imam ‘Ali, in his struggle for his right of caliphate, and strongly protested against the first violation of the right of inheritance for daughters in Islam.

One of the most important events in the early history of Islam was the event of Karbala, which was a protest led by Imam Husayn against the tyranny of Yazid. In that protest, the soldiers of Yazid massacred Husayn and seventy-two of his supporters. It was Husayn’s sister, Zaynab, who continued the social protest and was very influential in bringing about the awakening among the people to stand up against the tyranny of the rulers. Zaynab greatly contributed to the factors that eventually brought about the downfall of the Umayyads. To this author, this brought upon the number of virgins Allah supported would waiting in the kingdom of heaven for all matyrs.

According to Islam, all men, whether they confess it or not, are slaves of lust and desire.

• Hijabprotects women from such men; it symbolizes that she has been sanctified to one man only and is off-limit to all others.
• Hijabcontributes to the stability and preservation of marriage and family by eliminating the chances of extramarital affairs.
• Finally, it compels men to focus on the real personality of the woman and de-emphasizes her physical beauty. It puts the woman in control of strangers’ reaction to her.

The Islamic world is experiencing a rise in women wearing the burqa claiming it to be part of the Islamic dress code. Whether it is worn by choice or force is open to debate as very few women are able to, or prefer not to voice an opinion on the matter. Those who have, generally argue against the compulsory (by law as in Afghanistan) wearing of this garment with a minority claiming the right to wear it citing Quranic and prophetic instruction.

A Burqa is an outer garment worn by women in Islamic societies for the purpose of concealing their bodies and/or face. It is mostly worn when a woman leaves her home and is compelled to wear it until she returns.

 The burqa is worn throughout Middle Eastern nations and most Muslim nations around the world, with a few liberal or democratic governments being less strict about its use. One such famous example is Turkey, where secular ideas prevail and give people the freedom to choose. Meanwhile, in stricter nations, women are forced to wear the burqa; failure to do so can result in beatings, harassment or worse.

 Obviously a woman wears a burqa but more specifically, conservative practicing Muslims wear it. Girls are not mandated to wear a burqa until she reaches puberty but this notion is not practiced, as girls as young as six are made to wear the burqa to physically and mentally prepare them for adult life.

 Burqa falls under the category of Hijab. This is an Arabic word which means to veil or cover and refers to a woman’s head and body covering. In Saudi Arabia, women wear a loose robe called abaya and a face veil called niqab, while in nations like Tunisia or Turkey; Muslim women tend to wear only a headscarf. In Iran, they take a step further and the “fashion police” mandate all women to wear loose clothing – preferably a black or white robe – when going out, women are also supposed to wear either a full face veil or scarf.

 One of the extremes of burqa is the Afghan burqa, which was enforced by the Taliban. This burqa covers the entire body in loose clothing with the face (including eyes) being covered with only a grille for the women to look through.

 The seven levels of veils starting with the Hijab to the Burka are not by choice as choice is not followed by punishment. In America and elsewhere, it is called freedom of choice. In Afghanistan where women are forced to wear a Burka, women are stripped of their identity and are merely slaves by a barbaric religion and those that interpret it.

About the author: Scott Bernstein is the CEO of Global Security International LLC headquartered in NYC.  He has extensive experience as an Counter terrorist Consultant, International Apprehension Operative, Human & Sex Trafficking Expert and a Military and Law Enforcement Trainer. He is available as a Consultant and as a Speaker. In addition to his LinkedIn profile, you can also interact with Scott on his LinkedIn group http://bit.ly/1LMp2hj.