Maryam Amir – Pious women wear hijab only
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses several examples of women wearing incorrect clothing, including wearing it as a protection from trauma and a desire to be fit for their role as leaders. They emphasize the importance of acknowledging the community's responsibility to teach the message of love and women should not be treated as fit for their clothing. The speaker also mentions a woman who was taught to wear hesitantly by her parents and is now finding it difficult to fit in.
AI: Summary ©
I had a friend who was very active
in the Muslim community, always wore very large
hijabs and jibabs, organized Quran programs, attended every
lecture. At one point, she was sexually assaulted
by a community member, a community elder. She
spent years working to process the trauma, and
she also attempted suicide. She removed her hijab,
and one of the reasons is the next
story that I'm gonna share with you inshallah.
I had another friend who we used to
wear together. She used to fast every other
day and would pray to Hajjul, like, every
night. She also was a victim and a
survivor.
After a suicide attempt, she was hospitalized. And
when she was hospitalized,
the hospital refused to allow her to wear
hijab because
they said that it could be used as
a tool. When she left the hospital, she
removed her hijab. And it wasn't because she
was obsessed with the dunya or because she
was worried about what people would think about
her as she was walking down the street
and judging her. She was worried about herself
and her own safety
when it came to having
hijab on. The third example is of a
young woman who started wearing hijab in middle
school because her parents told her that hijab
is a protection from men.
I want you to consider what her feelings
towards hijab may have been when
form of protection
from assault
did not protect her. She was not taught
that abuse
is about
power and control. She was taught that abuse
is about her dress and that messaging is
one that I have heard 100 of times.
There are lots of reasons why women do
not wear hijab. This is simply a few
examples
of ones related to trauma. And we could
say that it's so sad that these sisters
were taught to center men when it came
to hijab instead of centering Allah
That had they been taught that hijab is
this, you know, deeply connected form of worship
to Allah,
maybe their navigation
of that trauma may have been different. But
if we are going to make that statement,
then we should also
look at the community
that is responsible for teaching that message. And
when we don't
bring that conversation in to the conversation on
hijab, we perpetuate this idea that women who
do not wear
not pious. When we don't even understand the
also, I realized I should have said this.
This is obviously not encouragement to remove hijab
when someone is processing trauma. I'm just sharing
with you the reality
that maybe many people are not aware of,
which is why we continue to perpetuate these
ideas of piety being tied to hijab. Of
course, hijab is a beautiful obligation, and we
should look right now especially to the woman
of Gaza who wear hijab. Women who wear
hijab and Gaza are wearing it 247
because they do not want to be martyred
without their hijabs on. Looking at that framework
of hijab as an act of worship to
Allah and building that connection, but also accountability
as a community,
providing access and mentorship and support without the
stigma and the taboo and the guilt. Helping
women see themselves
as who Allah
created them to be instead of constantly forcing
down our throats the idea that women are
fit now for just existing are all parts
of the conversation that need to happen before
we make blanket statements like pious women always
wear hijab.