The Hijab.

I have had frank discussions with many of my Muslim friends about the necessity or lack of necessity of wearing a hijab. {In Cairo, we pronounce it, higab.} Last night I walked around the city with a friend for four hours. We picked up some handmade earrings I bought in Zamalek, ate some of the fresh prickly pears and then walked over through random neighborhoods and over the bridge brushing the edge of central Cairo. We walked for about ten minutes and reached a huge tea and sheesha restaurant full of carpets draped over each other on the floor, dingy lights, huge metallic fans and men sitting puffing away, forgetting the problems of the day. I asked my friend about his expectations for his wife and what she will wears. He said, of course a hijab. He then turned to me and asked my opinion on women in the Middle East wearing hijabs. I did an eyebrow raise, subtly seeing if he really wanted my opinion. He told me 'yes, I want to know.' Alright then, I said. There are two important things.
First, I understand the religious factor. A hijab is in some ways, the Islamic equivalent to a promise ring in America. The hijab or burqqa or any other means of covering yourself is a beautiful outward pronouncement of your inner beliefs. There is definitely something to be said for keeping a part or your body special for your husband. In America, it was once and in some cases still is saving yourself, but this is now the exception rather than the rule. Here, wearing a hijab can be a symbol of your desire to keep something special for your husband and only your husband.
My friend said, 'our women, in the Middle East are treasured beyond all else and we want to protect them. A hijab also protects women from other men looking at her.'
My response was, 'that 'protection' is the key that has led to oppression and not protection. Which brings me to my second point. Hijabs also represent female oppression in the Middle East. The very idea that it is a veil of safety from impure thoughts of other men puts women into the category of a thing to protect without ever giving them the tools or education to protect themselves. Women here are extremely dependent on their husbands, both socially and financially. Maybe this isn't a bad thing, but it is certainly different. 'The basic question', he asked me, 'is if you think there is an inherent difference in women and men.' Of course there are differences. Both anatomical and otherwise. But the question is not if the difference exists but whether we can live in a world where the opinions and opportunities are provided for both sexes.

Lastly, a friend from New York and I sat the other night over coffee and discussed similar issues. She is a Muslim raised in California, a world traveler and lives in NY. She said she sometimes wears a higab in the states for several reasons. One, it is really cold and it keeps her warm. Second, she feels that at times a hijab levels the playing field. The way she explained it,-- it makes me feel like I am expressing myself as a being as opposed to a gender. It downplays the femininity factor and forces the focus to be on her as a person instead of a medium of sexuality. Interesting, eh?