How covering up is liberating

How covering up is liberating
Tamanna Rahman

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/features/hijaab/ (4 Jan 06)

As a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf, I am now, more so than ever, regarded as an object of suspicion, a potential traitor to Britain and all it stands for.



But most people probably think I'm stupid too. What self-respecting girl brought up in the Land of Choice would choose to wear the get-up of an Afghan under Taliban rule? They think I'm either forced into wearing what is technically called hijaab, or I am completely brainwashed by a barbaric ideology of yesteryear. I am neither of these. I chose to wear the hijaab without parental consent, and Islam is more a part of this society today than it was 1400 years ago.
There are of course, the benefits. Namely the weather - have you noticed how most heat is lost through the head? The headscarf is able to reduce that significantly - and in such a country as Britain where the weather is invariably cold and windy, not to mention wet, this is a great blessing, for which headscarf wearers all over the country are eternally grateful to a most foresighted God.
Sometimes, and this is between you and me, I think perhaps if I wear something intentionally revealing, maybe the dashing young man who joins me daily on my commute to work will notice me. But then my rational brain exerts itself, and once more overpowers the scheming one. Do I want some random guy, who probably has awful eating habits and never picks up the tab, to make a move on me? Chances are he's okay for the odd night out until you start to mention something about commitment and cautiously ask 'where is this going?' at which he disappears. And I am a very lazy person - I don't want the hassle of having to dress up over and over again to attract countless men on the off chance that one of them might be Mr Right.
I would much rather be appreciated for who I am beneath the skin, and be valued for my intellectual prowess rather than the size of whatever body part happens to be coveted at that moment. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that even though my body does not in the least resemble Kate Moss's, and my face is nowhere near as gorgeous as Claudia Schiffer's, it doesn't matter.
Perhaps if people placed less importance on physical appearance and more on perfecting character and personality, the world would be a better place, and the very real and depressing problems of bulimia and anorexia would be less commo n. The hijaab is more than a symbol of being a Muslim woman, it is more than an observance of religious practise - it has a wider purpose. Many women might believe that the hijaab is actually there to subjugate women, and to keep us in the background, when in fact its purpose and its effect is the exact opposite.
When women plaster their faces in make-up, spend hundreds of pounds on the perfect hairstyle, or spend hours just deciding what to wear to bring in the milk, one has to question motives. Women are better than this. Self worth and esteem ought not to be boosted simply because a hair-style is by Toni and Guy rather than a local independent. Women shouldn't be made to feel that unless they are size 8 and have perfect legs they are not worth considering for love and companionship. Any society that dictates these rules, surely it is their women who are chained and subjugated to a male ideal of the perfect woman? As a Muslim, I am taught to believe that being neat, t idy and clean is important when it comes to appearance.
Growing up with two cultures at my disposal, I believe I have a unique window to view both rather more accurately than your average woman on the street. Being a witness to both, and living both, I believe that I would not change who I am even if the Kurt Geiger label were placed in my left hand and the Bobby Brown label in my right. My appearance is only as important to me as much as it allows me to carry on being me, and only me.
The BBC's Social Affairs Correspondent, Razia Iqbal, talked to women and girls in the UK to find out why wearing the hijaab has become such a contentious issue across Europe. (First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme)
Listen (4m 56s)