2 comments

• Haitham Sabbah Contributor profile »

  This is a very shallow description and research on the issue of Hijab. Miss understanding some verses of the Qur’an intentionally or un intentionally is not good excuses to claim that the writer has the truth which no body else discovered before.

  History of Hijab and evidences of it as a Must or a Choice was always a controversially topic in the world. I wrote a very long essay few months ago which attracted a very healthy debate, ended with a poll.

  Please have a look at this post for more enlighten about the subject.

  http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2005/06/26/hijab%e2%80%a6-a-must-or-a-choice/

  7 November 2005, 6:24 am

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• Neha Viswanathan Contributor profile »

  Haitham:

  I think it will have to begin with a dialogue. South Asia (largely in the Northern parts of the subcontinent) also has the custom of Hindu women wearing a ghoonghat. It isn’t much different from a hijab, except that it is romanticized in Indian movies, and made out to be “sexy” because it is mysterious.

  But one cannot help but be a bit concerned when Muslim communities in more liberal parts of India – say such as South India, where Hijab is less common have become more convervative in their diktats. Further, there are instances where girls in colleges cannot wear Jeans and only wear outfits that are in-line with tradition. (What tradition – NOBODY knows!)

  The matter of choice is a pricky one. Choice is extremely limiting when one of the two is more likely going to get you kicked out of the community. And it’s true for Hindu and Muslim women – especially those belonging to less liberal communities. The choices they make are out of fear for personal safety and the fear of being disowned – and not so much out of their “personal” choice.

  Unless we have blogs that take one extreme opinion, it is unlikely that other opinions will emerge. And somewhere in between a balance will have to emerge.

  7 November 2005, 6:37 am

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