European governments believe that by banning the hijab, they are saving Muslim women from repression and backwards religious practices. But in reality, they are taking away their freedom of expression. The hijab, a head covering worn in public by Muslim women, is not a sign of how much power men have over females, nor is there any “compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:257). Muslim women can’t be forced to cover, it’s a choice they make.
According to American Muslim Poll 2018: Pride and Prejudice, only 1% of Muslim women said they wore the hijab because a family member or a spouse required it of them, while 12% said they wore it for modesty, 21% to be identified as a Muslim, and 54% for piety or to please God. A poll by World Hijab Day 2019 from various Asian and African countries discovered that 6% of women said their father, brother, or husband forced them to wear the hijab. Modesty is not supposed to be forced onto anyone; it is a choice and a representation of modesty and dignity, allowing Muslim women to keep their beauty to themselves and their close family: their fathers, brothers, sons, husbands, uncles, as well as other women, and children who are not yet aware of modesty (Quran 24:32).
If someone had a diamond, they would keep it hidden from strangers to protect it, but allow their family to see its beauty, since they would know how to value and respect it. Likewise, modesty and the hijab protect women’s dignity from the broader world, but not from those closest to her.
The hijab prevents women from being dependent on how others perceive them, not allowing them to be objectified by others’ opinions. Muslim women don’t put on makeup to show off their looks, and they don’t need to style their hair to impress anyone. The hijab allows them to be free and independent, unlike the majority of women in today’s time. My own experience is that I am treated differently due to how I dress. I find that people speak to me with more respect and don’t put me in awkward situations.
The hijab is a choice, and women should be able to decide how they dress – not the government telling them how and what through legislation. There are some places where it is mandatory to wear the hijab, such as Iran and Afghanistan, but this is not true Islam. The Quran clearly states, “There shall be no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:257), showing that these countries are in the wrong, as well as the legislature that dictates what people can wear. Women should be able to choose whether to cover themselves or not.
Some European nations find it “their mission to help emancipate Muslim women and girls from a particular type of patriarchy tied to Islam,” (Diallo). And “the media portrays the stereotypical Muslim woman as fully covered and dominated by her husband, with little more status than a slave” (Pathway to Paradise). This image is not true Islam. Islam requires moderation in every aspect of life, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stressed the importance of educating women and not keeping them confined to the house. The hijab is not something that Muslim women need to be saved from. “It is a means of protecting women, [providing] them with freedom from many social ills” (Id.).
This “savior” mindset mirrors a much older pattern throughout history when European nations colonized undeveloped countries in hopes of civilizing them. When the first pilgrims came to America, they tried to convert the Native Americans into their religion and way of life. Edward Said explained in his book Covering Islam that especially in the nineteenth century, there was a “widely shared view that Muslim colonies were meant to remain under European tutelage” because they were “profitable” as well as “in need of Western discipline,” (Said 14). But discipline does not mean banning headscarves as France is doing. Restricting women from practicing their faith is not giving them freedom. Laws like these are creating a society of intolerance and exclusion, as well as taking away a woman’s right to wear what she wants.
“In 2023 the Macron government added a ban on the abaya (a long-sleeved dress of Middle Eastern origin) in state schools, without defining it.” But how can one tell the difference between a long dress sold in regular retail stores or an abaya? If a Muslim girl wears a long dress it can be deemed religious, but it’s neutral if worn by a non-Muslim? “What is this if not racial profiling?” (Diallo). Banning veils and headscarves is about Islamophobia. “During the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, Islam was a problem for Christian thinkers,” (Said 13). For centuries, Islam had been a military and religious threat to Europeans, and even today, that fear lives on, expressing itself through laws banning traditional Islamic garments such as the hijab.
Every culture has its own practices, and none should be “civilized” or “disciplined” by another culture. No one should be allowed to decide if another culture needs liberation. And who is permitted to determine that liberation takes the form of showing more skin by banning face and head coverings?
The hijab is a representation of respect and a barrier, letting others see that Muslim women do not align themselves with the values of the rest of society. Freedom does not lie in prohibiting religious garments. Freedom and development mean giving women the right to wear what they wish. Islam gives choice; bans remove it.