THE BURQA: ERASING A WOMAN OR SIMPLY A PIECE OF CLOTHING?

The burqa brings with it a set of issues, which present a challenge to modern societies. Divides exist not only among common people or political leaders, but even among Muslim women themselves. The debate is more among the educated Muslim women though, on whether their counterparts ought wear the burqa or not, while the illiterate Muslim woman in say Afghanistan, donning her burqa each morning is a matter of habit than anything else.

An interesting argument took place between a young Muslim journalist and another lady on the Cairo subway. The woman wore a burqa, while the girl only donned a headscarf. On being asked why she didn’t wear a burqa, the girl asked back as to whether the headscarf was insufficient. To this the woman asked: “Would you choose an unwrapped piece of candy or one that came in a wrapper?” The girl shot back: “Women are not candy!”

This is one of the principal arguments against the burqa, of how it strips a woman off her identity and it is a ‘prison.’ While the orthodox view portrays the woman as a ‘precious stone’ that must be hidden in order to prove its worth, in accordance with Islam, a growing section now believe that there is nothing in Islam that requires turning females into shapeless, faceless zombies. This emerging view realizes that the burqa turns the woman into a mere object, without a human identity. Medically as well, the use of a burqa has been seen to be harmful as burqa-wearing women lack sufficient amounts of Vitamin D and are at serious risk of rickets.

It is true that good sense calls for modesty itself to be modest. But every woman should espouse her own ideas of modesty. The burqa is often a choice for many women. In Afghanistan, even after the Taliban has been removed many educated women continue to wear the burqa. For them it is a means of protection that provides a sense of security in dangerous times. A woman on the street without a burqa is seen as fair game for any sort of male overtures, and may be cursed, assaulted or even kidnapped. Until the security situation improves, women feel that hiding behind a burqa is the safest bet. Another reason it is still worn their by choice is because it affords a measure of privacy. Women who have been reduced to begging or washing clothes or other such jobs can hide themselves from their relatives etc. As far as suppression of sexuality is concerned, it is clear that sensuality is not alien to Muslim women and even the women who hides behind a burqa in public, possesses sensuous clothing etc. which she uses within her marital abode. It is hence argued that the burqa is only to ensure that pleasure and sexuality, are not be displayed promiscuously for all to see. The question of suppression of women’s voice is also contended when one sees burqa-clad Iranian women protesting against their countries political state on the streets. Whether these arguments hold true for all Muslim women is however still a matter of debate.

Another issue is whether a burqa is an indication of the woman not wanting to interact with people, or wanting to be different from others. But writers find these claims unfounded as well. They argue that persons can communicate over the internet or over the telephone without seeing the face of the other person and so invisibility of the face is not a sign of unwillingness to talk. Similarly people like Punks, Goths, Cross-Dressers etc. pride themselves on being different, but are not felt to be unapproachable. This is hence more of a stereotype of the woman behind the veil, and is often cited as being part of a larger Islamophobia in the 21^st century.

The strongest claim today against the Burqa is certainly its place as a security threat. When even Michael Jackson donned a burqa to escape being seen, there is no doubt that this is an effective way for wanted men to escape detection. Also it is not possible to have proper identifications of women wearing burqas unless they remove them and allow themselves to be photographed. Again the argument before the Michigan Supreme Court that a burqa-clad woman cannot be properly judged while deposing in Court, if veiled, is also a valid concern.

Thus there are valid arguments on both sides of the debate. It is clear that when enforced, as by the Taliban, the burqa can become a terrible tool for subjugating women. At the same time, its advent as part of Islamic religious insignia is established and there are several women world-over who wish to wear it. The essential element is the freedom of choice, for the woman will choose based on her own assessment of benefits and harms, whether they be physical, social or spiritual. Else the burqa always remains as the erasing of a woman for some and a piece of clothing for others.