prejudice..... discrimination...anyone???

STIGMA TOWARDS HEADSCARF WHEN WILL IT ENDS

Coming from a multiethnic country like Malaysia, I was taught to learn to accept the varieties of religions and beliefs that are freely practiced here. Being a Muslim, a Christian, Buddhist, or even Hindu doesn’t make you a deviant. Living in a free country like Malaysia, where once is free to express their believe… I choose to wear a headscarf as my humble attempt to follow the teaching of my religion, and it’s not in my judgment to tell the non headscarf Muslim women  they are less Muslim if she isn’t cover up, more importantly  it is the heart that counts.

The journey in my life begins, when I went to a country that was once was ruled by the ottoman caliphs. Grew up in Malaysia, I just couldn’t understand why is that Muslim women in Turkey have to fight for their right to wear a headscarf. I mean I have many close friends in Malaysia who choose not to cover up, and we in Malaysia are totally cool with that and I personally respect their decision and being a head scarf women I’m not defy to go to any universities or to work in any field that I have a flair for, so it works for me.

The question is why it is a provocative thing to wear a head scarf? Anyway it doesn’t took me long to realize and understand what these women have been trough for them to put a headscarf. For many of this woman it is a proud declaration of being a Muslim. This situation is so alienated to me, where in my country women with head scarf are not ban in public sphere. During my stay there, I was lucky to have met with many women from other country (not only Turkish) and whenever I see them, I took it as an opportunity to feed in my curiosity by asking them how it is likes to be a headscarf woman in a very secular country. In a way I admired they strong will. 

During a time like this, even though I believe in Allah and his order, I also believe that Islam is not a religion of forcing their adherent to do something that they doesn’t want to do, and believe me, most of the Muslim know about the need to wear a head scarf and cover up. In the Holy Quran, Allah mentions that “O prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their veils all over their bodies” it means to cover their private part as not to be seen by the non muhrim. However, I’m in no place to judge them, let the judging be the work of god.

If it has stated in the holy Quran, what rights any governments does have to ask a believing woman to put off or to take out her head scarf? It’s really sad to see the Discrimination and banning towards the head scarf women happening for quiet sometimes, even with group and individual who are against this situation, it’s still continue and happening in some country.

For zeynep Kilic, a Turkish woman, who is now working in one of a media organization in Istanbul, she said that this organization is one of the places in the private sector where women with head scarf are accepted. This is since there is no opportunity for women with headscarf in the public sector. After all she decided to put on a head scarf when she is 25 and according to her there are only two people in her family wearing a headscarf it’s her mother and zeynep herself. Her reason to wear a headscarf is merely to follow what Allah has asked women to do which she decided on her spiritual journey to Germany. For Zeynep it is because of my understanding about Islam which asked the believing women to be covered and this is my attempt to be a good Muslim and good person in general trying to avoid the things which Allah doesn’t want us to make”.

Her decision to wear a headscarf has cost her social life, where her friend doesn’t want to involve her in any of their gathering. “I lose some of my old friends in University, maybe they have different perceptive about me and my lifestyles, they have this prejudice towards women with headscarf as symbol of backwards and are not intellectual” she add. To be a headscarf women here you need to be strong physically and also mentally, because there will be others that will try to put you down by telling you that you look ugly and old. “I was told that I look ugly because of the headscarf that I wear”, explain zeynep but she choose not to response, and as the saying goes it takes two to dance so “there is no use in arguing with ignorance” she added.

Zeynep is fortunate to have her diploma and a job, but from my observation there are many women in Turkey who have been ripped their right to education for years, and although there have recently been some signs that this breach to this elimination may be eliminated on a de facto basis. It still brings me to an old life theme that was taught to me in kindergarten, about accepting others and differences. Isn’t this what we were all taught when we were children, is accepting each other is merely childish concept. Why is that women with headscarf are not treated equally. Why do other people have to degrade these women? Headscarf or not it doesn’t make them less competent than women who have the same qualification and doesn’t wear a headscarf.

The discrimination to the headscarf women doesn’t only happen to Turkish women it’s also affected foreigner who have been working in the same media organization for more than 5 years in Istanbul. Pinar Vurucu has live in Canada for 28 years when she chooses to works and lives here. For her wearing a headscarf is something that is more internal than external and it can be put as a declaration that reflects her personality. She also feels that the headscarf does not have to be a uniform that is identical across the board. However she insists that wearing a headscarf doesn’t makes her more of a Muslim than her non-hijabi sisters.

Even though she has had bad experiences but with Allah willingness she wouldn’t change her choice for the world.  She said being a head scarf in Turkey is not that easy and with banning on hijab in certain places really restricts a movement in one’s life choices. When she recalls her first day of being a headscarf woman pinar said that it was though, because she had to go back to school with friends who knew her pre-hijab and didn’t know much about the meaning of the hijab and that is when she felt the responsibility of representing the hijab and Islam.

As a woman who has live in a nation that is banning the wearing of a headscarf in a public sphere, she feels it is truly an infringement of rights. According to Pinar, dictating how a woman should dress is wrong; For example, forcing people to cover is also not logical as the case in Iran. Religion is something that needs to be espoused from one’s heart; and if one’s heart isn’t convinced, you can’t ask to them to appear a certain way. Similarly, telling women they can’t cover is oppressive.

 If Turkey or other nations choose to oppress the women with a headscarf, they will not only have bad reputation of a human right but also a loss to economically factor, it will result to their human capitals not fully utilized. I’m sure there are a lot of headscarf women who are genius and are as good as the women without the headscarf. Worse come to worse when these women decided to migrate and using their potential and expertise to help countries that are welcoming them.

 Extremism does not bring any good to the people, deciding a women right to a headscarf is another act of an extremist. A good decision is the golden mean where it will bring good in either way. And let me ask  you a very basic question,  how does is it fair to dictate someone and telling them that they chose to dress is unacceptable, when their dress code has no effect on others and it is indeed a personal matter.

zeynep standing on the left ( the one who wear a red hijab) and the other malaysian girl