hijab in egypt

In the last couple of decades the hijab phenomenon has became very popular but does that mean that the people are getting more religious? The hijab is supposed to be worn for religious and conservative reasons, but women choose the veil for highly individual reasons; some are pressured by their families, and do not really feel a desire to veil. Others are wearing the veil as a fashion statement. A significant percentage of women wearing the hijab wear it for religious reasons because it was mentioned as an obligation in the holy Qur’an. But not all the veiled women wear it out of religious devotion. For some women, because of the pressure of family or peers, wear the hijab to fit in socially. In Egypt’s poorer areas, all Muslim women are veiled, yet some of them might not even know how to pray. They wear it to feel that sense of belonging to their community. If they are not veiled they feel oppressed, undermined and even disrespected by other people in their community. In such a case, the hijab becomes simply a symbol of membership to a group and not a result of a deep, spiritual belief. Other women wear the hijab to feel ‘’free,’’ meaning that they can then pursue a professional and public social life. Wearing the hijab allows them the free movement outside their house, they can go to schools and universities, work, and travel without the constant fear of them being harassed or disrespected. They feel that they are taken in a more serious way than those who are unveiled. For those women the veil becomes an icon representing physical safety. On the far extreme, women from the upper classes of Egyptian society wear hijab a fashion trend because of peer pressure; they feel that everyone else is doing it and they don’t wish to be left out. The beautiful designer scarves and new trends of wearing it make headscarves very appealing. Young women in Egypt can wear the hijab and still look appealing and sophisticated, especially when they also wear very tight clothing, which undermines the essence for wearing the hijab. If one wears a stunning headscarf to stand out and be noticed, one is not dressing modestly. This type of woman is more likely to take the scarf off when she is tired of wearing it, or when the trend is not longer so popular. Her commitment is fueled by her social life and not her spiritual values. Therefore the motives that drive Egyptian to cover their heads are different according to her social class which determines her role in society. It is this role which defines her behavior. However even lower class women who veil for supposedly religious reasons may not be entirely informed as to why the Quran asks women to cover their heads, and how a woman who covers her head should behave. If a woman who covers her head is also lying, gossiping, stealing or cheating, she is a hypocrite. Likewise women who choose expensive headscarves in an effort to attract attention are also not following the true path of Islam. Overall, there is reason to believe that the masses who veil are doing so out of ignorance or vanity. Therefore there is no evidence that Egypt is truly growing more religious, but only more fanatica

Advertisement