It is one of the great ironies of our world today that the very same headscarf is revered as a sign of ‘holiness’ when worn by Catholic Nuns, and is reviled as a sign of ‘oppression’ when worn for protection by Muslim women. The Islamic veil is not a sign of man’s authority over woman nor is it a sign of woman’s subjection to man. It is only a sign of modesty with the purpose of protecting women. Some people, especially in the West, tend to ridicule the whole argument of modesty for protection stating that the best protection is the spread of education, civilised behaviour, and self restraint. If this is the case, then why is it that women in so many developed countries dare not walk alone in a dark street. If self restraint is the answer, then why are cases of sexual harassment in the workplace reported in the news media every day? Nicolas Sarkozy, by incorrectly commenting that the veil is a sign of subservience has truly exhibited his lack of knowledge and aversion to Islam. In fact true subservience is the show of nudity by women when they vie with one another as models to get lucrative offers from the ad agencies, as actors to get big time movie roles and as beauty queens to get awards from the judges at the beauty pageants.
Safiya Sameena
Vijayawada, A.P.