Hijab in US

What is Hijab?

The literal meaning of Hijab is curtain. In Arabic the word Hijab means barrier or

partition. In Islam Hijab is considered as the symbol of Modesty.

The most noticeable practice of hijab is, women covers her head by wearing it. According

to one prevalent school of Islamic thought, Hijab is not limited to only hair covering, it also refers

to casing of everything excluding hands, face and feet. Women wear loose and non-see-through

outfits. Woman who practice hijab is called Muhaajaba. Hijab is also known by different names

like abaya, buqa, lithma, dishdasha and many others.

In western world, for evading these complex naming issues they denote Muslim women

dressing as by Veil. Nowadays, hijab or veil generally denotes to a piece of dressing women wear

to hide her hairs and neck part. They also wear traditional clothing such as long sleeves, loose

pants and long shirt.

Hijab in US

After the tragic incident of 9/11 terrorist assaults, the lives of Muslims become hard, hijab

have develops the sign of Muslim uniqueness and identity, and the disgrace connected with

Muslim individuality in America. Complaints regarding Civil rights goes to its peak, cases

regarding harassment, profiling in airports, violence, rejection to hire, debriefings of Muslims, and

negation of religious exercise in schools, offices, and penitentiaries, have amplified. Mostly

complaints were associated with the women who wears hijab. Muslim women were easily

recognized as they cover her hairs and head thus leaded to public disgrace and stigmatization.

Women wearing hijabs were degraded and suspect of being extremists due to their hijabs. Because
of mortification, Muslim women enunciated feelings for example anger, anxiety, seclusion, and

despondency. All of these miserable experiences adversely affected the lives of women. Women

were frightened to leave their places or to go for shopping. In short, women were impotent to turn

out to be a part of the American culture.

The incident completely changed the lives of women, they were forced to remove their

hijabs, fired from occupations, denied entrance to public places. Women who wear hijabs were

beaten, they were thought to be a symbol of terror and disgrace. People of US started to hate the

religion of Islam after the incident of world Trade Centre. This incident highly affected the lives

of Muslims living in the United States.

Although the nation has set some of the laws that protect minorities and Muslim Women.

The laws permit Muslim women to live their lives according to their religion and their will. Some

of the laws are given below which protect and allows women to wear Hijab.

Laws Protecting Women Who Wear Hijab

The 1st and 14th Amendments of United States from creating laws or regulations that

precisely forbid women from wearing hijab. In some situations, conversely, the Constitution

permits neutral guidelines that apply to each person, for example a law excepting all head

coverings, no matter from which religion you belong.

The 14th Amendment and various federal civil rights rules bar federal and government

executives along with some private performers from discerning in contradiction of women who

were hijab.

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) offers further defense at federal level by

barring the federal government from constraining women's capability to wear hijab, unless
government can reveal that its act was "least constricting means" for attaining a "convincing

governmental attentiveness." Though RFRA does not relate to national governments, numerous

countries have embraced their own "small RFRAs" or construed their national constitutions to

deliver the same intensified defenses.

RLUIPA (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act) bars government

representatives from constraining women's aptitude to wear hijab when they are restrained to any

association that obtains federal aid, except the government can validate that its act was the "least

restraining means" for attaining a "persuasive governmental concern."

Civil Rights Act of 1964 titles VII is one of federal civil rights law, forbids an owner from

firing, denying to hire, or penalizing a woman on the basis of its religion or practice of hijab.

EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) precisely states that negating to hire

somebody due to a concern that clients may be "bumpy" with hijab is unlawful. Many countries

and metropolises have additional rules defending workers from discernment, intimidations, and

pestering.

Supreme Court also declared rights of job claimants who entail a religious lodging, ruling

in courtesy of candidate who wear hijab that would go counter to Abercrombie and Fitchs Look

Policy. (aclu.org)
References:

Discrimination against Muslim Women - Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2017, from

https://www.aclu.org/other/discrimination-against-muslim-women-fact-sheet

Hidden Victims of International Terrorism: Muslim Women in the USA. (n.d.). Retrieved

April 23, 2017, from http://www.e-ir.info/2016/10/31/hidden-victims-of-international-

terrorism-muslim-women-in-the-usa/

Tariq-Munir, E. (2014). The dynamics of wearing hijab for Muslim American women in

the United States.

BBC - Religions - Islam: Hijab. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2017, from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/hijab_1.shtml