After last classes discussion about the hijab and how some women may choose to wear it because it makes them feel more comfortable or more pious, I wanted to explore this article of clothing more. The hijab often becomes a symbol of all Muslim women, but there was a lot that I did not know about this symbol. The Washington Post wrote an article about five myths that center around the hijab. The first myth was that the hijab means headscarf, when it actually means “partition” or “curtain.” The actual practice of hijab has many more rules than just attire it can be behavior and interactions focused on modesty. In the United States, hijab has become synonymous with a headscarf which is actually incorrect, and this belief actually undermining the more complex beliefs of Islam. Another interesting myth to me was about the idea that wearing the hijab is oppressive because the articles goes on to explain situations where Muslim women were forced to remove their hijabs, and that is actually more oppressive than their own choice to wear it. Another myth is that all Muslim women wear the hijab. This is actually not true and does not measure a woman’s religiosity. It is an indication of a woman’s belief not of how religious she is or how faithful. It is similar to Christian women who dress very modestly and those who do not. The biggest myth that was debunked for me was that that hijab is only for women. Hijab also applies to men in rules such as dressing modestly and not wearing tight clothing. It also involves not being promiscuous or staring at women. Overall, I realized that our culture perpetuates many myths about the hijab that are insensitive and uneducated.
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