OF ISLAMAPHOBES, NIQAB HATERS AND GENDER CHANGE
My dear Muslim brothers and sister... it's official: Islamaphobes are pathetic jokers. Here's the most recent example:
Hilarious, isn’t it? Apparently she was hell bent on trying to prove that the Niqab was oppressive and we kept saying that it was freedom in every aspect. It looks like she couldn't stomach the thought that we Muslim women really do love our Niqab and take our modesty seriously and from what we see, they are probably envious about us and our modesty. So here's what she does- she does a gender change! Rather convenient for her… tut, tut, such appalling behavior.. (And we NEVER said anything about "faces are immodest". That's another convenient assumption she made).
May Allah guide her and all other Islamophobes and may Allah make them all see the real beauty of the Niqab and Islam and come to realize the freedom and happiness we Muslim women enjoy.
Aameen Aameen Ya Rabbal 'Aalameen!
And for those who are interested, you can look up on our blog post Why they hate our Niqab
If you can, do make Dua for those people who are against Islam. May Allah really guide them!
NIQAB OPPRESSES WOMEN: AN IGNORANT ASSUMPTION
So, people assume our Niqab to be oppression. Why? Because it covers our faces and oppression- according to them- is probably restricted to not showing the face and being modest.For everyone who think the Niqab oppresses us, I'd like to ask you'll a few questions. If you think it's covering the face that make us oppressed, what would you call this:
This motorist has his face covered as well and if covering of the face is considered oppression, would you call him oppressed too?
That's one example. Here's another one:
She's a surgeon an as you can see, she's wearing a surgical mask- which isn't much different from the Niqab actually. If a surgeon can perform the most delicate of tasks while wearing the mask, why should a Muslim woman's sight or hearing or even breathing be obstructed with the Niqab? If you say covering the face is oppression, would you call a surgeon with a surgical mask oppressed too?
If an entire nation can go around wearing masks to prevent them from catching viral flus and the like, why can't Muslim women do so to save themselves in a different way? Why?
I know that by now, so many questions may be popping up in some of your minds anyway. Let me answer them as well in advance In Sha Allah. You might argue that:
1) The motorist wears the helmet to protect himself from accidents, injuries, etc
Protection is the reason why motorists wear their helmets, right? Well, it's no different for Niqabis too. While they might wear their helmets to protect them from physical harm, we wear our Niqab to protect ourselves and our bodies. We wear the Niqab because the more you cover, the more protected you are and the more respect you demand for yourself. Our protection is a different kind of protection- not of the body but of our dignity, rights and respect. And this is a far greater and admirable form of protection!
2) They don't wear the helmet or the surgical masks all the time
Well, neither do we wear the Niqab all the time. I know that some people think we cover our faces right throughout the day, but they ought to know that we only wear our Niqab when we go out of our houses or when we're in the presence of strange men. If you take it from a surgeon's point of view, they probably cover their faces with the mask more than I do. Does that mean they're oppressed as well?
3) They wear the helmet and the mask because they have to
So do we! We don't wear the Niqab forcibly- get that clear. We wear the Niqab because we have to and because most importantly- because we want to. Just like the motorists and surgeons are asked to wear the helmet and mask, I believe that Muslim women need to wear it as well. And if we want to wear it, no one can question it.
For all those who live under the cloud of assumption that the Niqab oppresses us, please educate yourself on what oppression really is and think twice before calling a Niqabi oppressed.
Note: I'm in no way comparing the Niqab to the helmet or the surgical mask, but I just took it up as examples. And more often, when we portray things as examples, it tends to make things clearer :)
I AM FREE MUSLIM NIQABI
I know that a LOT
of people out there immediately associate a modest women in her Hijab or
Niqab as limited, oppressed, subjugated and uneducated. Well, people
who think that way ought to know that they are the ones who are
limited, oppressed, subjugated and uneducated so much to the extent that
they fail to realize that we Muslims women wear what we want and they
have absolutely no right to question what we are doing out of love.
For those who live under the wrong impression that the Niqab limits my freedom, take my word on what freedom really is.
I don't have to enlighten anyone on the time and effort women make to beautify themselves. How many hours do women spend in front of the mirror, applying make-up, choosing the best dress, the best shoes, the best hair-do, the best hairpins, etc, etc, etc? But for whom do they do all this? Are they so insecure with the way they look, that they have to spend hours in front of the mirror beautifying themselves so they look appealing in the eyes of others?
Well, I certainly don't. I'm perfectly secure with the way I am and when I go out with my Niqab, I don't have to spend hours before the mirror beautifying myself for people to see.
No.
I dress for myself. I'm free to dress the way I want. I am free to cover up. I am free to walk outside, knowing fully well that I don't have to impress people to make myself feel secure.
In other words, I am free. So much more free than all those Niqab haters can ever perceive. To them my Niqab might appear to oppress me, but they'll never understand how liberating it is for me and all those countless Niqabis out there.
You know why? Because I don't dress for people or the world. I don't have to follow the latest fashion trends to be beautiful. I don't have to apply make-up to make myself beautiful. I don't have to spend hours before the mirror before going out just so I look presentable to the world.
I wear what I want, for myself and for pleasing Allah. Because only in doing so do am I free. I feel free. I know deep inside of me that I am free.
For those who live under the wrong impression that the Niqab limits my freedom, take my word on what freedom really is.
I don't have to enlighten anyone on the time and effort women make to beautify themselves. How many hours do women spend in front of the mirror, applying make-up, choosing the best dress, the best shoes, the best hair-do, the best hairpins, etc, etc, etc? But for whom do they do all this? Are they so insecure with the way they look, that they have to spend hours in front of the mirror beautifying themselves so they look appealing in the eyes of others?
Well, I certainly don't. I'm perfectly secure with the way I am and when I go out with my Niqab, I don't have to spend hours before the mirror beautifying myself for people to see.
No.
I dress for myself. I'm free to dress the way I want. I am free to cover up. I am free to walk outside, knowing fully well that I don't have to impress people to make myself feel secure.
In other words, I am free. So much more free than all those Niqab haters can ever perceive. To them my Niqab might appear to oppress me, but they'll never understand how liberating it is for me and all those countless Niqabis out there.
You know why? Because I don't dress for people or the world. I don't have to follow the latest fashion trends to be beautiful. I don't have to apply make-up to make myself beautiful. I don't have to spend hours before the mirror before going out just so I look presentable to the world.
I wear what I want, for myself and for pleasing Allah. Because only in doing so do am I free. I feel free. I know deep inside of me that I am free.
WHY THEY HATE OUR NIQAB
When
I first started wearing the Niqab, I felt very awkward when people threw rude
comments at me. Later, when the comments started to increase, my awkwardness
converted to anger, and there were times when I stared hard and straight at
those who offended my Niqab and let them know how angry I was. I know some
people who take these comments coolly, but some others, really tend to lose
their temper.
Now,
thankfully, not many people abuse Niqabis in my country Alhamdulillah. Apart
from the occasional ‘ninja’ there’s really nothing much. But at times when they
do or when they stare at us as though we are dirt, I’ve learnt to control my
anger. I’m no longer intimidated by any comments people throw at my Niqab,
because deep down, I know that the only reason they hate my Niqab so much is
because they find something undeniably beautiful about it.
Let’s
face
the fact: Would any of us approach and throw rude comments at a woman
who
is semi-naked? As Muslims, all of us hate the sight of women dressed
that way,
because it’s nothing short of a disgusting sight. But would we insult
her for
her clothing? Obviously not, because we just don’t care about what or
how they dress. We might hate it in our hearts, but we would never go to
the extent of humiliating them. So long as we are covered,
Alhamdulillah, we are happy. And that’s what
matters.
But why is that people are so very concerned about our Niqab? Why are
they fighting so hard to ban it? If they don’t like it, fine, they can keep it
to themselves, but why abuse Niqabis?
As
far as I’m concerned, it’s because they are intimidated with our Niqab. They
probably find it hard to accept the reality that there are women out there who
have the strength to cover up despite the demands of the society, despite the
demands of fashion and despite the lure of this sex-crazed world. In short, all
this hatred probably stems from jealousy.
So,
for
us, all these comments, all these Niqab bashing and all the tosh about
Niqabis being oppressed and subjugated, only makes us stronger because
our Niqab probably threatens people who are so bent of slaving behind
fashion and
their desires. You know what? I think people who call the Niqab oppression are
the ones really oppressed.
There
is always a reason behind hatred. It’s either:
#1 Someone has done something that has harmed
you in some way
#2 Jealousy
I
really can’t find any other reason for hatred. So lets put the Niqab ban and Niqab
hate into this perspective.
The
Niqab was banned because those officials concerned hated the Niqab. Yeah, they brought
forward some baseless reasons, but it all comes down to their hatred for the
Niqab. So, now, which category does their hate for the Niqab fall in to? I
don’t know of any instance where any Niqabi has ever harmed any person in any
way. So it most certainly cannot fall into that category. This makes it automatically
fall into the next: Jealousy.
You
must be wondering why. Just take this example. You’re a man whose wife is
wearing a low-cut, skimpy, short dress and all men are gaping openly at her. Another
man, whose wife is covered up, is not getting any kind of (bad) attention from
men. Put yourself in this man’s shoe. Wouldn’t you be jealous of the woman all
covered up and her husband? Wouldn’t you envy the protection and privacy this
woman and her husband enjoys?
So, I my opinion, Niqab haters’ hatred is really
stemmed from jealousy and of course, to humiliate Muslims as much as they
possibly can.
Niqabis,
don’t you ever, ever worry about people humiliating your Niqab. They probably envy
you and your strength, that’s all! So hold you head high because you are one of
those strong and rare women who can dress to please only Allah. Stay strong!
So
now, I’m not afraid of any comments haters throw at me. I just remind myself
that these people have been imprisoned by others, but me-I’m free. Free to
dress as I please-not to please others, but only my Lord. And at the end of the
day, that’s all what counts!
Note: These are my very personal opinions and it doesn’t apply
for all Niqabis. We are all entitled to our own opinions and this is mine.
A NIQABI'S MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
Money
can buy many, many material things for us, but it can never buy dignity,
respect or honour. My Niqab is my modesty, and in it lies my dignity
because in wearing my Niqab, I’m dignifying myself and my body. No man
will ever be seduced by a woman who refuses to expose her beauty and no
man will ever try and exploit a woman who is covered up.
In my
Niqab lies my respect because the best kind of respect comes when you
respect your own self and it is only when you respect yourself, that
people will start respecting you.
In my
Niqab lies my honour as a Muslimah, and it shows that I don’t bow down
to the demands of this world nor to fashion: I only bow down to my Lord
and only strive to attain His Pleasure, not the pleasure of this
short-lived world.
My
Niqab is my dignity, my respect and my honour and I will never ever
trade it for this temporary world. I would never dream of removing my
Niqab for all the attention of this world, for money, beauty or
transient love. Money can never buy me pride, nor can any worldly
attention make me feel dignified and most importantly, exposing my
beauty can never gain for me any honour.
I know
that my Niqab will get for me Allah’s attention, innumerable rewards
from Him, and the supreme Love of Allah, the Ever-Loving. All Niqabis
are beautiful, because when they choose to cover up for Allah, they
naturally become beautiful. And although this beauty is not seen by the
world, it is most definitely felt by each and every person, whether they
accept it or not.
WHY ARE MUSLIMS AGAINST MY NIQAB?
I can take any
amount of insult from a non-Muslim towards my Niqab because they don't
understand how beautiful it truly is. But when it's a Muslim who does
it, that's a totally different story. I really don't get it. When they
should in fact be backing us up for wearing the Niqab (okay, no
need encouragement, remaining silent about it would do), they go about
looking down on the Niqab, calling it 'cultural' and 'not necessary' in
Islam. Personally, I believe that wearing the Niqab is obligatory as do
many Scholars in Islam, so why don't them leave me to do what I want?
I've had Muslims call me a 'ninja' for my Niqab and I've seen many Muslims laugh at it. It really hurts to see your own Muslim brother or sister ridiculing something that is encouraged in Islam. Just one word here: If you call me a Ninja or whatever other names you do for my Niqab, you're in fact saying nearly the same thing to the wives of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam), his daughters and other Sahabi women. So, weigh your words (insults in this case) before throwing them at Niqabis.
You may not like the Niqab- leave it at that. Don't go about discouraging, insulting or hurting a Niqabi for wearing it. If Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) saw it right for his wives and daughters to wear the Niqab, so do I and so should every true follower of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam). And remember that whether I wear the Niqab or not, I'm still your sister in Islam. Don't change Islam to support your opinion; change your opinions so that it doesn't contradict Islam.
I'm not saying this just for myself- I'm talking here on behalf of all the Niqabis who have to put up with insults from their very own Muslim brothers and sisters.
Underneath the Niqab, is a woman, and that woman is a human being, and every human being has a heart, and every heart has feelings. Please respect that.
I've had Muslims call me a 'ninja' for my Niqab and I've seen many Muslims laugh at it. It really hurts to see your own Muslim brother or sister ridiculing something that is encouraged in Islam. Just one word here: If you call me a Ninja or whatever other names you do for my Niqab, you're in fact saying nearly the same thing to the wives of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam), his daughters and other Sahabi women. So, weigh your words (insults in this case) before throwing them at Niqabis.
You may not like the Niqab- leave it at that. Don't go about discouraging, insulting or hurting a Niqabi for wearing it. If Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) saw it right for his wives and daughters to wear the Niqab, so do I and so should every true follower of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam). And remember that whether I wear the Niqab or not, I'm still your sister in Islam. Don't change Islam to support your opinion; change your opinions so that it doesn't contradict Islam.
I'm not saying this just for myself- I'm talking here on behalf of all the Niqabis who have to put up with insults from their very own Muslim brothers and sisters.
Underneath the Niqab, is a woman, and that woman is a human being, and every human being has a heart, and every heart has feelings. Please respect that.
WHY I WEAR THE NIQAB
Many people have asked me what made me wear the Niqab. To be honest,
there was nothing in particular that made me wear the Niqab. My mother
and older sisters were already wearing the Niqab, and I felt it was only
right that I did the same. I've always have an incredible awe for the
Niqab, and even before I started wearing it, I used to put my mother's
Niqab, just to see if it would look good on me. Alhamdulillah, Allah
blessed me with the opportunity of wearing the Niqab. Everyday since
then, has been a tremendous journey towards being prouder of my identity
as a Muslim and a prouder slave of Allah. I've never looked back since!
Thankfully, my family never objected to my choice of wearing the Niqab.
In fact, they only encouraged it, so my Niqab journey has been very
smooth, Alhamdulillah, apart from a few relatives who thought that I was
too young for the Niqab and that it wasn't necessary, and of course, a
few insults I get from non-Muslims. Although I live in a Muslim minority
country, the non-Muslims have never done anything more than laugh,
snigger or call me a 'ninja' for wearing the Niqab. So a huge
Alhamdulillah for that!
What inspired me to wear the Niqab? For one thing, I stick to the opinion that Wearing the Niqab is compulsory. The other thing is that the wives and daughters of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wassalam) all wore the Niqab, as did the other Sahaba women. These are the women we should be following, and to be among those who follow in their footsteps... I feel so privileged, Alhamdulillah!
Even if the Niqab isn't obligatory, there is no doubt that it's highly recommended in Islam, and Wallahi, I fear the Day of Judgement when I'll be standing before Allah and He'll question me for not wearing the Niqab when I knew that it was either Fardh or highly recommended in Islam. What would I ever answer to Him?
The other reason, which is probably my strongest and proudest reason for wearing the Niqab, is that I know deep down (as I'm sure all other Muslimahs do as well), that the more you sacrifice for the sake of Allah, the more you'll be rewarded and the more Allah will love you. And of course, the Niqab comes with a lot of sacrifices, so I know that if I'm prepared to take that step, Allah will reward me for it and He'll love me for it (hopefully), and this reason in itself is a more than sufficient reason for me to wear the Niqab.
The Niqab acts like a huge shield for me. No, it doesn't cut me away from the world or the society. It's just that when there is so much of corruption in the world now, I feel so very protected with my Niqab on. It's tough to explain how it feels. It's just the sort of thing that can only be felt, not said. If there are thousands of Niqabis out there who say that the Niqab has liberated them, it's because it really has. Wallahi is does. And I can walk freely knowing that I'm covered and I'm protected- just as Islam wants me to be.
What inspired me to wear the Niqab? For one thing, I stick to the opinion that Wearing the Niqab is compulsory. The other thing is that the wives and daughters of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wassalam) all wore the Niqab, as did the other Sahaba women. These are the women we should be following, and to be among those who follow in their footsteps... I feel so privileged, Alhamdulillah!
Even if the Niqab isn't obligatory, there is no doubt that it's highly recommended in Islam, and Wallahi, I fear the Day of Judgement when I'll be standing before Allah and He'll question me for not wearing the Niqab when I knew that it was either Fardh or highly recommended in Islam. What would I ever answer to Him?
The other reason, which is probably my strongest and proudest reason for wearing the Niqab, is that I know deep down (as I'm sure all other Muslimahs do as well), that the more you sacrifice for the sake of Allah, the more you'll be rewarded and the more Allah will love you. And of course, the Niqab comes with a lot of sacrifices, so I know that if I'm prepared to take that step, Allah will reward me for it and He'll love me for it (hopefully), and this reason in itself is a more than sufficient reason for me to wear the Niqab.
The Niqab acts like a huge shield for me. No, it doesn't cut me away from the world or the society. It's just that when there is so much of corruption in the world now, I feel so very protected with my Niqab on. It's tough to explain how it feels. It's just the sort of thing that can only be felt, not said. If there are thousands of Niqabis out there who say that the Niqab has liberated them, it's because it really has. Wallahi is does. And I can walk freely knowing that I'm covered and I'm protected- just as Islam wants me to be.
*copyng from http://niqablovers.blogspot.com/
I am white British Muslimah in my early 40's, I converted to Islam shortly before Ramadan. During Ramadan I donated all my western clothes to charity for recycling as I felt they were indecent to wear. I now wear Hijab of Jilbab, Khimar and also more often than occasionally Niqab (when in really busy places I cover my face and veil my blue eyes when necessary which some Muslims find distracting); Since converting to Islam I have been stopped and searched for explosives, had people following me down streets aggressively shouting in disrespect of my Hijab. been denounced by racists as a "Poo Bag" or mocked in reference to "Darth Vader", Most of my family are dead and I've lost a lot of my friends who feel they can no longer socially function around me. During Ramadan I broke fast alone on every sundown, prayed alone; I don't have any Islamic friends where I live. Feel as though God has invited me onto a raft and cast adrift completely alone but I feel a connection to the Ummah and Allah draws close inside Hijab where through mercy I am protected from prolific abuses I go through everyday.