Proud of Hijab The Beauty of a
Woman Vol. 2 Issue 37
You look at me and call me oppressed,
Simply because of the way I’m
dressed,
You know me not for what’s inside,
Thursday, November 8, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 36
You judge the clothing I wear with
pride,
My body’s not for your eyes to hold,
You must speak to my mind, not my
feminine mold,
I’m an individual, I’m no mans slave,
It’s God’s pleasure that I only crave,
I have a voice so I will be heard,
For in my heart I carry His word,
« O ye women, wrap close your cloak,
So you won’t be bothered by
ignorant folk»,
Man doesn’t tell me to dress this way,
It’s a Law from God that I obey,
Oppressed is something I’m truly
NOT,
For liberation is what I’ve got,
It was given to me many years ago,
With the right to prosper, the right to
grow,
I can climb mountains or cross the
seas,
Expand my mind in all degrees,
For God Himself gave us LIB-ER-TY,
When He sent Islam,
To You and Me!
8 The Truth
Thu. Nov 15, 2007
The beauty of a woman:
Is not in the clothes she wears,
the figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair,
or the style she does make up.
The beauty of a woman:
must be seen in her Hijab, and
her eyes,
because that is the doorway to
her heart,
the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman:
is not in a facial mole,
but true beauty in a woman,
is reflected in her soul.
The beauty of woman is in her
modesty.
And the real glamour of her is
her honesty.
It is the caring that she lovingly
gives,
the passion that she shows.
And the beauty of a woman,
with passing years - only grows!
The Truth
I probably do not fit into the preconceived notion
ab - My Vi of a “rebel.” I have no visible tattoos and minimal
ij e piercing. I do not possess a leather jacket. In fact,
when most people look at me, their first thought
w
usually is something along the lines of “oppressed
female.”
The brave individuals who have mustered the
courage to ask me about the way I dress usually
have questions like: “Do your parents make you
wear that?” Or “Don’t you find that really unfair?”
A while back, a couple of girls in Montreal were
kicked out of school for dressing like I do. It
seems strange that a little piece of cloth would
make for such controversy. Perhaps the fear is that
I am harbouring an Uzi underneath it.
CONT’D ON PAGE 2
By Sultana Yusufali
Hijabed Like Me
A Non Muslim Woman Experiments with Hijab
I walked down the street in my long white dress
and inch-long, black hair one afternoon, and truck
drivers whistled and shouted obscenities at me.
I felt defeated. I had just stepped out of a hair salon. I had cut my
hair short, telling the hairdresser to trim it as she would a guy’s.
I sat numbly as my hairdresser skillfully sheared into my
shoulder-length hair with her scissors, asking me with every
inch she cut off if I was freaking out yet. I wasn’t freaking
out, but I felt self-mutilated.
By Kathy Chin CONT’D ON PAGE 3
The Virtues of Hijab
1. An act of obedience.
The Hijab is an act of obedience to God and to his Prophet (May Allah’s Peace
and Blessings be upon him and his Progeny). God says in the Qur’an: `It is not
for a believer, man or woman, when God and His messenger have decreed
a matter that they should have an option in their decision. And whoever
disobeys God and His Messenger has indeed strayed in a plain error.’
(Holy Quran 33:36). CONT’D ON PAGE 7
 Hijab - My View
IF YOU WANT TO From PAGE 1
RECEIVE YOUR WEEKLY
You never can tell with those
DIGITAL COPY Muslim fundamentalists.
(PDF FORMAT) Of course, the issue at hand is
more than a mere piece of cloth.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE I am a Muslim woman who, like
millions of other Muslim women
TO THE TRUTH’S across the globe, chooses to wear
the Hijab. There are many different
MAILING LIST @ ways to wear it, but in essence,
what we do is cover our entire
HTTP://GROUPS.GOOGLE. bodies except for our hands and
faces. If you’re the kind of person
COM/GROUP/THET- who has watched a lot of popular
movies, you’d probably think of
RUTH110 harem girls and belly-dancers,
women who are kept in seclusion
except for the private pleasure
of their male masters. In the true
Islamic faith, nothing could be
further from the truth. And the
concept of the Hijab, contrary to
IF YOU WANT ANY popular opinion, is actually one
of the most fundamental aspects
of body image is “in” or “out.”
And if you have the “wrong” body
type, well, then, you’re just going
to have to change it, aren’t you?
After all, there is no way that you
can be overweight and still be
beautiful.
Look at any advertisement. Is
a woman being used to sell the
product? How old is she? How
attractive is she? What is she
wearing? More often than not, that
woman will be no older than her
early 20s, taller, slimmer and more
attractive than average, dressed
in skimpy clothing. Why do we
allow ourselves to be manipulated
like this? Whether the ‘90s woman
wishes to believe it or not, she is
being forced into a mould. She is
being coerced into selling herself,
into compromising herself. This
is why we have 13-year-old girls
The Virtues of Hijab
From PAGE 1
God also said: ‘And tell the he in whose heart is a disease
believing women to lower (of hypocrisy or evil desire
their gaze (from looking for adultery, etc.) should be
at forbidden things) and moved with desire, but speak
protect their private parts in an honorable manner.’
(from illegal sexual acts, etc) (Holy Quran 33:32)
and not to show off their 4. The Hijab is a Shield
adornment except what Prophet Muhammed (M) said
must (ordinarily) appear that God, Most High loves
thereof, that they should Haya’ (Bashfulness) and Sitr
draw their veils over their (Shielding; Covering). The
bosoms.’(Holy Quran 24:31). Prophet (M) also said: “Any
2. The Hijab is IFFAH woman who takes off her
(Modesty). clothes in other than her
God made the adherence to husband’s house (to show
the Hijab a manifestation for chastity and off for unlawful purposes), has broken

Thursday, November 15, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 37

Thursday, November 15, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 37

MATERIAL TO BE of female empowerment. When I

cover myself, I make it virtually
PUBLISHED PLEASE impossible for people to judge
me according to the way I look. I
SEND US AN E-MAIL. cannot be categorized because of
my attractiveness or lack thereof.
Compare this to life in today’s
society: We are constantly sizing
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE one another up on the basis of
our clothing, jewellery, hair and
HAVE THE RIGHT make-up. What kind of depth can
TO ACCEPT, there be in a world like this?
Yes, I have a body, a physical
EDIT OR REFUSE manifestation upon
Earth. But it is the vessel of an
this
ANY CONTENT. intelligent mind and a strong
spirit. It is not for the beholder to
leer at or to use in advertisements
to sell everything from beer to
EDITOR IN CHIEF: cars. Because of the superficiality
of the world in which we live,
HASSAN TABATABAI external appearances are so
stressed that the value of the
EDITOR: individual counts for almost
nothing. It is a myth that women
AHMAD AL NAJJAR in today’s society are liberated.
What kind of freedom can there
DESIGNED BY: be when a woman cannot walk
NAGI GIRGUIS down the street without every
aspect of her physical self being
“checked out”? When I wear
the Hijab I feel safe from all
PLEASE SEND US of this. I can rest assured that no
one is looking at me and making
YOUR FEEDBACKS, assumptions about my character
from the length of my skirt. There
COMMENTS, is a barrier between me and those
who would exploit me. I am first
AND SUGGESTIONS and foremost a human being, equal
to any man, and not vulnerable
TO THE FOLLOWING because of my sexuality. One of
the saddest truths of our time is
E-MAIL: the question of the beauty myth
and female self-image. Reading
thetruth110@gmail.com popular teenage magazines, you
can instantly find out what kind
sticking their fingers down their
throats and overweight adolescents modesty. God says: ‘O Prophet! Tell your God’s shield upon her.” The Hadith (Saying)
hanging themselves.
When people ask me if I feel
wives and your daughters and the women demonstrates that depending upon the kind of
oppressed, I can honestly say of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) actions committed, there will be either reward
no. I made this decision out of over their bodies (when outdoors). That (if good) or punishment (if bad).
my own free will. I like the fact
that I am taking control of the way is most convenient that they should be 5. The Hijab is Taqwah (Righteousness)
other people perceive me. I enjoy known and not molested.’ (Holy Quran God says in the Qur’an: `O children of Adam!
the fact that I don’t give anyone
anything to look at and that I have
33:59). In the above Verse there is evidence We have bestowed garments upon you to
that the recognition of the apparent beauty of cover yourselves (screen your private parts,
released myself from the bondage
of the swinging pendulum of the woman is harmful to her. When the cause etc) and as an adornment. But the garment
the fashion industry and other
institutions that exploit females. of attraction ends, the restriction is removed. of righteousness, that is better.’(Holy Quran
My body is my own business.
Nobody can tell me how I should
This is illustrated in the case of elderly women 7:26). The widespread forms of dresses in the
look or whether or not I am who may have lost every aspect of attraction. world today are mostly for show off and hardly
beautiful. I know that there is more God made it permissible for them to lay aside taken as a cover and shield of the woman’s
to me than that. I am also able to
say no comfortably when people
their outer garments and expose their faces and body. To the believing women, however the
ask me if I feel as though my hands reminding. However, that is still better purpose is to safeguard their bodies and cover
sexuality is being repressed. I have for them to keep their modesty. their private parts as a manifestation of the order
taken control of my sexuality.
3. The Hijab is Tahara (Purity) of God. It is an act of Taqwah (righteousness).
I am thankful I will never have to
suffer the fate of trying to lose/gain God had shown us the wisdom behind the 6. The Hijab is Eeman (Belief or Faith)
weight or trying to find the exact
lipstick shade that will go with my legislation of the Hijab: `And when you ask God did not address His words about the
them (the Prophet’s wives) for anything you Hijab except to the believing women, Al-
skin colour. I have made choices
about what my priorities are and want, ask them from behind a screen that Mo’minat. In many cases in the Qur’an
these are not among them.
So next time you see me, don’t is purer for your hearts and their hearts.’ God refers to the “the believing women”.
look at me sympathetically.
I am not under duress or a
(Holy Quran 33:53).
The Hijab makes for greater purity for the 7. The Hijab is Haya’ (Bashfulness)
male-worshipping
captive from those barbarous
female
hearts of believing men and women because it There are two authentic sayings which state:
Arabic deserts. I’ve been
liberated. I am a W O M A
screens against the desires of the heart. Without “Each religion has a morality and the morality
N.....Yes a MUSLIM WOMAN. the Hijab, the heart may or may not desire. That of Islam is Haya’” and “Bashfulness is from
A True follower of Lady Fatima is why the heart is more pure when the sight belief, and belief is in Al-Jannah (paradise)”.
Al-Zahra (P) & Lady Zainab
is blocked (by Hijab) and thus the prevention The Hijab fits the natural bashfulness which is
(P).
Source: http://www.qaem.org of Fitna (evil actions is very much manifested). a part of the nature of women.
Footnote: (P) Peace be upon Him /
Refers to Angels, Prophets, Imams, and
The Hijab cuts off the ill thoughts and the greed Footnote:
(M) May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him and
Infallible Ladies. of the sick hearts: `Be not soft in speech, lest
his Progeny / Refers to Prophet Muhammed

2 The Truth The Truth 7


I am a Muslim woman
By: Jenn Zaghloul
I am a Muslim woman
Feel free to ask me why
When I walk,
I walk with dignity
When I speak
I do not lie
I am a Muslim woman
Not all of me you’ll see
But what you should appreciate
Is that the choice I make is free
Thursday, November 15, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 37
I’m not plagued with depression
I’m neither cheated nor abused
I don’t envy other women
And I’m certainly not confused
Note, I speak perfect English
Et un petit peu de Francais aussi
I’m majoring in Linguistics
So you need not speak slowly
I run my own small business
Every cent I earn is mine
I drive my Chevy to school & work
And no, that’s not a crime!
You often stare as I walk by
You don’t understand my veil
But peace and power I have found
As I am equal to any male!
I am a Muslim woman
So please don’t pity me
For God has guided me to truth
And now I’m finally free!
6 The Truth
A Non Muslim Woman Experiments with Hijab
From PAGE 1
I WAS OBLITERATING MY FEMININITY
It wasn’t just another haircut. It meant so much more.
I was trying to appear androgynous by
cutting my hair. I wanted to obliterate by
femininity.
Yet that did not prevent some men from
treating me as a sex object. I was mistaken.
It was not my femininity that was
problematic, but my sexuality, or rather
the sexuality that some men had ascribed
to me based on my biological sex.
They reacted to me as they
saw me and not as I truly am.
Why should it even matter how they see
me, as long as I know who I am? But it does.
I believe that men who see women as
only sexual beings often commit violence
against them, such as rape and battery.
Sexual abuse and assault are not only my
fears, but my reality.
I was molested and raped. My
experiences with men who violated me
have made me angry and frustrated.
How do I stop the violence? How do
I prevent men from seeing me as an
object rather than a female? How do
I stop them from equating the two?
How do I proceed with life after
experiencing what others only dread?
The experiences have left me with questions about my
identity.
Am I just another Chinese-American female? I used to
think that I have to arrive at a conclusion about who I am,
but now I realize that my identity is constantly evolving.
MY EXPERIENCE OF BEING “HIJABED”
One experience that was particularly educational was
when I “dressed up” as a Muslim woman for a drive
along Crenshaw Boulevard with three Muslim men as
part of a newsmagazine project.
I wore a white, long-sleeved cotton shirt, jeans,
tennis shoes, and a flowery silk scarf that covered
my head, which I borrowed from a Muslim woman.
Not only did I look the part, I believed I felt
the part. Of course, I wouldn’t really know
what it feels like to be Hijabed-I coined this
word for the lack of a better term-everyday,
because I was not raised with Islamic teachings.
However, people perceived me as a Muslim woman and
did not treat me as a sexual being by making cruel remarks.
I noticed that men’s eyes did not glide over my
body as has happened when I wasn’t Hijabed.
I was fully clothed, exposing only my face.
I remembered walking into an Islamic center and an
African-American gentleman inside addressed me as
“sister” and asked where I came from. I told him I
was originally from China. That didn’t seem to matter.
There was a sense of closeness between us because he
The Truth
assumed I was Muslim. I didn’t know how to break
the news to him because I wasn’t sure if I was or not.
I walked into the store that sold
African jewelry and furniture and
another gentleman asked me as I was
walking out if I was Muslim. I looked
at him and smiled, not knowing how
to respond. I chose not to answer.
BEING HIJABED CHANGED
OTHERS’ PERCEPTION OF ME
Outside the store, I asked one of
the Muslim men I was with, “Am I
Muslim?” He explained that everything
that breathes and submits, is.
I have concluded that I may be and just
don’t know it. I haven’t labeled myself
as such yet. I don’t know enough about
Islam to assert that I am a Muslim.
Though I don’t pray five times a day,
go to a mosque, fast, nor cover my head
Thursday, November 15, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 37
with a scarf daily, this does not mean that
I am not Muslim. These seem to be the
natural manifestations of what is within.
How I am inside does not directly
change whether I am Hijabed or not.
It is others’ perception of me that was
changed. Repeated experiences with
others in turn create a self-image.
HIJAB AS OPPRESSION:
A SUPERFICIAL AND MISGUIDED VIEW
I consciously chose to be Hijabed because I was
searching for respect from men.
Initially, as both Women’s Studies major and
a thinking female, I bought into the Western
view that the wearing of a scarf is oppressive.
After this experience and much reflection, I
have arrived at the conclusion that such a view
is superficial and misguided: It is not if the act
is motivated by conviction and understanding.
THE MOST LIBERATING EXPERIENCE OF
MY LIFE
I covered up that day out of choice, and it was the
most liberating experience of my life.
I now see alternatives to being a woman.
I discovered that the way I dress dictated others’
reaction towards me. It saddens me that this is a
reality.
It is a reality that I have accepted, and chose to conquer
rather than be conquered by it.
It was my sexuality that I covered, not my femininity. The
covering of the former allowed the liberation of the latter.
This article was originally published in Al-Talib, the
newsmagazine of the Muslim Students’ Association of the
University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) in October
1994. At the time of its publication, Kathy Chin was a senior at
UCLA majoring in Psychobiology and Women’s Studies.
3
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The dress code of Hijab is the most
sensitive part of the entire concept. It is
mistakenly understood that it is only for
women, when in fact it is for both men
and women but with some differences.
Let us look at how they are expected to
appear in public and then discuss the
differences. For men, they are expected
Thursday, November 15, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 37
to practice certain limits in their dress
when in mixed company; they should
cover at the minimum their lower halves
down to below the knees. It is also highly
>>>>
recommended that they cover as much
of their torso and arms as possible. Also,
their clothing can not be tight so as to
show the figure and shape of the body.
As for women, their dress should
basically cover all body parts except
for the face, hands, and feet (below the
ankle). The hair and head (except face)
should be covered with a veil, and this
is the most pinpointed part of the dress.
So after knowing how men and women
should appear in public, let’s ask about
the obvious difference, why don’t men
put on a veil too or cover as their body
4
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
‘Hijab” – A Dress Code
for Men and Women
as much as women do? To answer this
question, it should be noted that men
and women are equal in terms of rights,
but different in their nature. The desire
to show off and display one’s self is a
particular trait of women. She preys
on the hearts of men and man preys
on the beauty of women. Science has
confirmed that visual stimulation plays
a predominant role in the physiology of
men compared to women. Therefore, men
are not asked to put on a veil or cover
as much as women because the effect
of stimulation on women is less than
that on men when having the contrary
situation. Islam respects this difference
and thus asks women to have veils, not
to imprison them or make them inferior;
instead, it is for their benefit as it aims to
avoid the previously mentioned immoral
behaviors. A woman respecting the dress
code attains her status in society based
on her achievements as opposed to her
looks. It increases her respect and dignity
since she would never be looked at as an
object from which to gain economically
or sexually. For example, we often see
women barely covered, in commercials
to promote the sales of certain products.
Is this not a use of women for economical
reasons? Also, in other places, women are
used as an object from which to gain sexual
pleasure and economic benefits such as
strip clubs. Furthermore, with the dress
code, emphasis is not put on the external
beauty of a woman, rather the internal.
Beauty is something desired by everyone,
however, the ever-lasting beauty is the
The Truth
internal one which has a potential to grow
with time, and its growth is dependent on
one’s attitude, care, love and respect. On
the other hand, external beauty fades with
age or accidents. It is a form of justice
for men and women who, without their
control, are not as physically beautiful
as others; because they have the chance
of increasing their internal
beauty which is more
valuable. It is important to
understand that this applies
to both men and women
since real examples occur
with both genders.
Also, as mentioned
above, respecting the dress
code prevents visual sexual
stimulation. Also described
was the vocal stimulation
and how dangerous it can
be. Well, visual effects
have the same effects and
even stronger in terms of danger.
Another unethical conduct that, the
dress code aims to prevent is sexual
harassment that might arise due to
incomplete covering of the body. There
are numerous cases of sexual harassment
that women experience in common
places such as schools, work, or society
in general. Such examples are readily
available from the Internet. An example;
is the story of a woman who complained
about continuous sexual harassment
because of the size of some part of her
body. She says that she is only recognized
for that and people at work treat her
The Truth
>>>>
as a sexual object from which they all
desire to attain pleasure, even though
her intentions are not to cause any sexual
stimulation. This might seem to be more
of a woman problem because we don’t
often hear about women harassing men.
Therefore, the visible Hijab is a means
of protection for women, as opposed to
a means of imprisoning
women or devalorizing
them. In fact, it is a
Thursday, November 15, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 37
liberation for women
who get to acquire more
respect and achieve
their goals based on
who they are, in terms
of their capabilities
and knowledge, as
opposed to looks and
sex appeal.
Clearly, despite the
differences in dress
of men and women,
both genders have rules to respect when
>>>>
appearing in public. Here, Islam and
Muslims today are not always equivalent.
More specifically, if Islam talks about a
certain dress code to be respected by
men and women, and we observe that
women often respect it more, it doesn’t
mean that they are inferior to men. Those
men who choose not to respect the dress
code are making a personal choice and
do not represent Islam. The same goes
for other Islamic laws, if men or women
fail to apply them correctly, then that is
nothing but a personal choice and not
representative of Islam.
5