A young Muslim woman was interviewed on CTV last night. She was very attractive, personable and well spoken.
The object of the interview, it appeared, was to explain why Muslims are not a threat to our country/society; why it is unfair to single Muslims out as 'undesirables'.
She related incidents when she was confronted by individuals with fear and hostility in public places. She and her husband had been planning a trip to Paris but have reconsidered in fear that they will not be well received.
My husband commented to me, "It would help if she took that regalia off her head". My husband was right and I will explain why.
It is true that she has a legal right to wear whatever she pleases. It is true that it is nobody's business what she wears. But consider this: Young girls like to dress in short shorts and skimpy tops in the hot weather. They wear tight, revealing clothing as a matter of course. If they ventured into a Muslim community so dressed how would they be received? Chances are that they would be met with disapproving stares and hostility.
Likewise, a woman who openly breast fed her baby while in a Muslim community or (Heaven forbid!) ventured there topless would not be well received.
Those women also have a legal right to do as they do and it is nobody's business their appearance/actions within a Muslim community would undoubtedly be offensive.
My point is, if we want to be well received we must conform to the norm of the venue in which we find ourselves. To do otherwise is to invite negative attention. It would be confrontational and foolhardy. Just as the skimpy revealing dress and unpopular actions of the women who bare their breasts publicly is offensive to Muslims and unnecessarily disrespectful in a Muslim community, so is the wearing of the head dress in a milieu where it is not common and offensive to a large number of people.
It is commonly understood that the wearing of a head dress is not a religious requirement of Islam, but a cultural and traditional practise. If that is indeed so, it would seem reasonable that it be discontinued IF one wants to discourage negative reactions.
When we go against tradition and culture of any society just because we can there is going to be negativity. It is not reasonable to expect a society to change itself quickly to accommodate our individual preferences. We have the choice of adapting or continuing to draw attention to ourselves unnecessarily. If we choose the latter, do we have a right to complain when we are not well received? I think not.
It takes two to compromise. In both cases, of the head dress and the more lax habits of the western women, it is only reasonable and fair to adjust oneself to the mores of the majority in which we find ourselves.
This view that I am presenting is not intended as a criticism of either side of the coin. It is a suggestion to both sides that they could dramatically reduce the possibility of negative reactions if they showed respect for the population among which they find themselves by making an effort to conform.
Just as many men feel uncomfortable in a suit and tie, yet wear them when they attend a social function, we are all, at times, wise to conform to tradition. Likewise, a woman visiting a Muslim country would be wise to don a head dress. To do otherwise is to invite negative reaction.
Comments welcome!