Taking Back the Caliphate: The Role of Muslim Women as Agents of Progress, Social Justice and Equity

Whenever we talk of Muslim women, two dominant discourses reach our ears. The first is about women of the past who may serve as role models, such as Aisha, Fatima, and Khadija (ra). This perspective, which I call the historical approach, presents an ideal woman with qualities we should strive to develop, values that make life possible with more comfort and a deepening of our imam (faith). These values include wisdom, loyalty, courage, justice, perseverance, faith, independence, and generosity.

The second discourse is based on stereotypes and presents Muslim women as passive and without initiative. I call this the objectification approach, which says that Muslim women are oppressed and sees us as objects without voice or power, subject to the tyranny of the hijab(headscarf), and in need of someone to save us from the bondage of religion and from men, who, incidentally, are all terrorists.

I will not write today about the second approach because there is a lot already written and I think every Muslim woman like me has felt the pernicious effect of this prejudice in her life. Instead, I want to write about the historical approach and why is important to reinforce the recovery spaces that we have historically occupied and which lead to the obstacles we face today.

The historical approach gives fair honor to Muslim women of the past. Without them, and thousands of Muslim women in recorded history who are rarely named, it would have been impossible to develop Islamic civilization and expand our faith. Muslim women have been active agents of progress, social justice, and equity for the Islamic community. For example, Asma Bint Abu Bakr and Umm ad-Darda are highlighted as scholars. Belkis, the Queen of Sheba, is mentioned as an example of good government in the Qur’an, as are Radiya in India, Safiyya Jatun in Syria, and Amina bint Ismail in Malaysia, who were excellent leaders for their peoples. We cannot forget Rabia of Basra, who was the first mystic Muslim woman who gave up everything to seek Allah (her only love), reason, and truth.

But I have a question: what about Muslim women today? Where are we? How is Islam honoring us as women today? When I say “Islam,” I do not mean what the Qur’an says, but the practice of the Muslim lifestyle in daily life; our daily deen. How are we ensuring that today’s Aisha, Fatima, Rabia, and Belkis are participating in building the future of the ummah (community)?

Our Share of the Caliphate

We believe that Allah (SWT)* gave each member of humankind a part of the caliphate on earth, a share of responsibility and leadership to make the creation fruitful. Allah says to the angels in the Qur’an, “I’ll put a successor,” and without distinction, He has created humankind with the same freedom and duties. Therefore, the role of women in the Muslim community is not only an issue to reflect historically, but it should be done without delay.

This notion of caliphate, the core in the management of the world as described in the Qur’an implies equality between man and woman. It is involvement in public space, equal freedom. It is the responsibility to choose, manage, and participate in society. It is not easy today for women to take our place on earth as caliphs. Although worship is a duty and a right of every Muslim, there are limits in our access to the mosque. We face reduced participation in community meetings and decisions, even though the Qur’an gives women the power to participate in the government of the community.

There is also gender bias in education in religious matters, even though knowledge is a duty and the right of every Muslim. In general, Muslim women are not trusted to be educators, counselors, mediators, or leaders; even though Allah (SWT) and the Prophet trusted us to hold these roles. When our sisters point this situation, the answer is always the same. Why you complain? The Qur’an came to improve the status of women. There are many traditions (hadith) that show that women could ask questions directly and offer their opinions in matters of religion, economic and social issues, which makes it clear that it is not Islam, but patriarchy that is preventing us from taking the place we deserve by right and filling our roles as Muslims. Limiting the contribution of women in the community and/or remaining indifferent and doing nothing to facilitate our inclusion as caliphs is ignoring the basic teachings of the Qur’an: social justice, freedom, and reason.

What Can We Do?

First, in spite of the numerous cultural forces to which we are subjected, Muslims should engage in self-criticism. If today’s image of Islam and Muslims is negative, this is largely because of Muslims themselves. Second, we must recognize the contribution of Muslim women to the Islamic community and humankind as a whole, not only in the history of Islam, but in our present and future as mothers, workers, professionals, scholars, sisters, wives, leaders, and activists as bearers of a message with unique voices. Third, we must recognize the diversity of Muslim women and humanity.  While not all of us have the same talents, tastes, and abilities, all are called to contribute. This recognition must start with ourselves. As Muslim women, we must empower ourselves and each other around this caliphate we have been given. No one will do it for us.

To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, we must be the change we want to see and at the same time recognize the legacy of our sisters from the past. We must acknowledge that our role in history is being written today as we are taking back our caliphate without hesitation. Islam has honored women, and women have honored Islam. It’s in our hands to create a new legacy for the future.

Published in Feminism and Religion

“I Wasn´t Always Dressed Like This”: Documentary Shows Experiences of Muslim Women with The Veil

The Islamic veil is an object that tends to incite deep feelings and diverse. Its practice and meaning has been much abused throughout history. In the context of the West, the question one might ask is: “In a free country, why women choose the veil?”

In a very intimate and thoughtful approach, three Muslim women living in UK talk about their experiences around issues of cultural memory, identity, self-censorship, feminism, politics and the media. In assessing the personal side of the veil, this documentary is able to articulate criticism and reflection while challenging popular perceptions and stereotypes.

Betty Martins, Brazilian director resident in the UK, has released an invaluable historical and communicative material, with music composed especially for the film by the Iranian-born composer Sanatian Noura. Giving to the veil a reflexive value, appreciating its experiential quality while excluding the popular discourse, this documentary presents the beauty and the complexities of the contemporary Muslim women who veils in the UK.

The Islamic Veil in an Intimate Perspective

“I Wasn´t Always Dressed Like This “is a documentary based on the personal stories with a poetic approach, of three Muslim women from different backgrounds living in the UK. The film focuses on the wearing of the veil as an active process, giving the veil a critical and intimate sight. Muslim women who choose to wear any form of veil (hijab, niqab) are part of a growing phenomenon. The implications of wearing a veil vary from nation to nation and from one culture to another. What the documentary does is put women interviewed as the narrative center around the use of the hijab or niqab. This breaks the traditional axis of stories about Muslim women, in which we are always the “other silent” explained from the imagination of the media, european feminism and patriarchy.

A Matter of Personal Agency

Betty Martins’s work is a valuable contribution to the work that from Islam and women’s movements is being done to change the discourse about Muslim women. This documentary breaks the construction of Muslim women as objects and the veil as a symbol of oppression, foregrounding what is really important when it comes to women: Subjectivity.

Consequently, this frees the veil and women who wear it, of ideological burdens that have been placed on them throughout the world and history, revealing what covering means to the individual woman, as an expression of her personal experience, recognizing the appropriation ofn the hijab or niqab, as a decision regarding a process of empowerment on identity, faith, body, spirituality and personal history.

Why are there so many Muslim Women upset with FEMEN?

It’s easy to Understand.

Everything started with a girl who took a photo of herself in Tunisia, showing her bare breasts and a man said she should be punished for that.

Although man’s opinions have no force of law, a group of naked women from Europe, who claim they can save all women in the world, called on their followers to unite against Muslims.

Not against the misogynistic man who thinks women should be punished for owning their bodies, against Muslims.

Not against all men in the world who think they own the bodies of women and therefore they can punish them, rape them and kill them. Against Muslims.

Because people believed that Amina would be sentenced to death, although in Tunisia there is no death penalty.

Because people believed that Amina would be stoned, even though in Tunisia there’s no  Stoning.

Because people believed that Amina would be punished, even though there are civil courts in Tunisia and is one the most progressive countries in North Africa. Although Amina was never arrested by the police, was never prosecuted for any crime nor any court has ordered her capture.

Because people chose to go with their prejudices, Islamophobia, racism and the instantaneous visual pleasure of stereotyped naked bodies, instead of using Google to confirm the information. It was not difficult.

Because when Bochra Bel Haj Hamida, the most prominent activist for women’s rights and against religious fundamentalism in Tunisia, took counsel of Amina, FEMEN defamed her everywhere.

Because Femen said they cared Amina’s life but never got a lawyer for her, nor called Amnesty or Human Rights Watch, or contacted  feminists organizations in Tunisia. It was not hard to do, they have the means and money to.

Many Muslim women are angry with the stupidity of people who chose to attack before asking. Because stupidity became violence, threats, intimidation and insults against Muslims, including Muslim women Femen say are here want to save.

It was not hard. Ignorance is not an excuse for violence in the Internet era.

Problem is not Nudity, but what it disguises

Femen leader has publicly said that Muslim Women are idiots and slaves. Those were the words of founder Inna at Huffington Post: “The slaves always deny their slavery.” and with this statement  has revealed the deep contempt and arrogance behind the actions of the alleged liberation movement but also, has shown what a large majority of people living in the West think about Muslim women.

FEMEN is just a sample of a cultural construction that uses Muslim women used as excuse to justify actions and policies that favor anyone but us.

Many Muslims Women are angry at the stupidity of people. Because that stupidity became violence, threats, bullying and insults against Muslims, including those Muslim women who FEMEN claims they’re here to save.

There are Muslims women worldwide, many of us are westerners; we have been born or live here and we share the same society; however, despite our geographical proximity we are still seen as foreigners by our choices. Wherever you can find a mosquee you will find women to talk to. But FEMEN and other women movements inspired for the “We will save you” slogan, are not interested in our voices but to steel them in behalf of a higher media coverage, prestige, financiation, particular agenda, etc.

Colonialist Feminism, whether is dressed or naked, has always spoken in our behalf behind our backs, without including us and from the stereotyped knowledge about Islam and Muslim Women that we have been struggling hard to debunk.

I wonder: What kind of fallacy is that FEMINISM? When does fighting against patriarchy involves DENIGRATING other women? How much SORORITY you can find on DENYING OTHER WOMEN’S FREEDOM TO CHOOSE How they want to be in this world?

And they expect we were grateful (Maybe a parade too)?

For Gender Fascism that does not see beyond its own navel, which are the motheship where all stereotypes about other humans are built, any Muslim woman is subjugated and if she wants to empower herlsef rejecting the burden of colonialism, is because there is a man who controls her.

FEMEN  is only consistent with this FASCISM: You have to be very naive and have your mind very colonized to believe trampling other women’s subjectivities to impose your idea about them, is Feminism: Aren’t we supposed to be able to empower ourselves based on our experiences and contexts? Isn’t or not empowerment a process available for every woman?

Some suggestions for new strategies

Maybe FEMEN and their supporters  wish to join their “Activism for Freedom” with some of the following ideas:

1.-Empowering Indigenous women breaking their crafts and burning their typical clothes.
2.-Defending Victims of Domestic Violence and Rape telling them “It’s their fault and they deserved it”
3.-Freeing Buddhist nuns forcing them to grow their hair and tearing down their monasteries.
4.-Exorcising nuns for their religion – including Teresa Laforcades, the most popular feminist nun in Europe -burning them for being believers.
5.-Increase the self-esteem of big women writing them on their stomachs, “You do not meet our ideal of beauty”
6.-Yelling to Prostitutes “Go F… k yourselves” , since the only “constructive” proposal of FEMEN for the world is F…K!
7.-Speak out in behalf of Black Women denying them their voices, because  ”slaves always deny their slavery”.

If FEMEN would be really interested in the empowering of Muslim Women’s voices and struggling against religious fundamentalism:

Where were they when Samira Ibrahim denounced the Egyptian militars involved in virginity tests? Where were they when Farida Afridim founder of SAWERA project for women empowerment was shot death for talibans? Where were they when Saudi women came out in their cars to claim their rights and were throwing like dogs in prisons? Where were they when Nadia Sediqqi promoted the rights of women in Afghanistan without international support just to be killed for it? Where are they now while Sakina Yacoobi is maintaining a school for girls in Afghanistan and has risked her life during the last 20 years running that initiative in a Taliban area? NOWHERE

Are they supporting Tawakul Karman, Sirin Ebadi, Nasreen Soutudeh, Amina Wadud and Fatman Eman – only to mention a few- against Fundamentalism in Middle east and North Africa? NO

FEMEN action “in behalf” of Muslim women has shown the zero interest for dialogue from the “Feminist” approach they represent. FEMEN  is Fast Food Activism and a Junk version of  Feminism. They are not interested in Muslim women. Any of us.  If they were interested in our voices, they would be working with us and not against us. They would hear our voices instead of silencing them. Such efforts to empower us without recognizing our agency on ourselves, make us as invisible as the fundamentalism we’re struggling against does.

If the slaves deny their slavery, How can we be sure that Femen are not slaves themselves? Maybe we muslim women should join together to LIBERATE THEM!

More info:
My thoughts on Femen & feminism
Why I, As a Muslim Woman, Don’t Support FEMEN
An open letter to FEMEN 
Pics: Muslim Women against FEMEN Facebook Page

Hey Femen! Muslim Women Have Something to Show You

Hey FEMEN, 

We understand that it’s really hard for a lot of you white colonial “feminists” to believe, but-SHOCKER! – Muslim women and women of colour can come with their own autonomy, and fight back as well! And speak out for themselves! Who knew?

We are proud Muslimahs, and we’re sick of your colonial, racist bulls**t guised as “women’s liberation”!

BECAUSE we are fed-up and tired of hearing from women of privilege perpetuating the stereotype that Muslim women, women of colour and women from the Global South are submissive, helpless and in need of western “progress”.

BECAUSE it is these kinds of colonial attitudes that commit more harm than good, so stop trying to kid us.

BECAUSE we are sick of the appropriation of our terms and our customs, done without our permission for whatever reason people see fit.

BECAUSE we don’t have to conform to your customs of protest to emancipate ourselves. Our religion does that for us already, thank you very much.

BECAUSE rubbing shoulders with far-right, racist and Islamophobic groups is just ANTI-FEMINIST beyond bounds, not to mention EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

BECAUSE you don’t really care about violence and harm being inflicted upon women, you only care about that when it is perpetrated by brown men with long beards who pray five times a day.

BECAUSE not all of us are white, skinny, physically non-disabled and willing to whip off our tops merely for press attention. Check yourselves before you go into the streets again.

BECAUSE we live in a f**ked up world, what with heteronormativity, white supremacy, empire, the class system and capitalism, but FEMEN are concerned most about contributing more to a climate of rampant Islamophobia instead. Your priorities are f**ked up.

So, next time you decide to take the crusade for global women’s liberation into your own hands, JUST REMEMBER that before FEMEN came along, there have been and will continue to be women all over the world dreaming and fighting for their own emancipation, and WE DON’T NEED YOU!

POWER TO THE MUSLIMAHS!

Join us: muslim women against Femen

Pakistani elites’ Queen Bee Syndrome

Pakistan is a class based society, be it under a democratic regime, dictatorship or a somewhat-theocratic regime. We have ministers, who come from feudal or industrial backgrounds most of the time. And our system is made in such a way, where power remains concentrated in the hands of the people, who have been born within certain families, that help them maintain their imperial status intellectually, as well as economically. It creates a system where the privileged feel threatened even by the slight questioning of their ‘rights’ that they have been accustomed to.

One might encounter several such people on the Pakistan social media sites. Men and women flaunting their political, economic and social status on every occasion they get. Among these, there are certain quasi-empathetic ones. They criticise the elite themselves, but raise up their cudgels and contacts as soon as some middle class person states the obvious, trying to maintain a monopoly even in the virtual world.

Here is a perfect example of one such incident. Where Ayesha Sultana was cyber lynched along with several of her friends and supporters, who dared to talk back to the Pakistani ‘elite’.

The story starts two months ago, when Ayesha, a Pakistani middle class woman living in Canada, received an SOS email from H*, a woman based in Lahore on January 14, 2013. The following is an extract:

After receiving the SOS message, the email was forwarded to several ‘vocal’ feminists on social media, especially in Lahore. From asking Ayesha to ignore the email as spam to sending her information about some shelter, the ‘online feminist’ crowd turned out to be disappointing. One of the ‘famous twitteratti’ her words, not mine, was contacted as well. The lady has claimed to have helped several people in her life most of them tend to be ‘former’ acquaintances of hers.

Moving back to the incident that triggered the hashtag CyberBullyAyesha, by the atheist, feminist high school mentality elite crowd, suffering severely from munchausen syndrome (no pun intended). After getting disappointing answers from one of Women’s Action Forum member and the bunch that claims to be radical feminist, custodians of the Pakistan Feminist Watch lynch mob and the high and mighty cyber witch hunters. The said activist sent several messages to people who actually do not brag about what they do for women in real or virtual life.

However, angry and hurt Ayesha chose to use her right to freedom of speech, thankfully provided by Social Media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, to rant against the over-all lack of empathy when it comes to women’s issues. This is what she wrote:

3 days ago, I got an email from this girl in Lahore about abuse that she faced from her teachers at Punjab University. She was scared, she wanted to file the complaint but she didnt know how it would affect her. She was scared of her family as to how they would react. She was completely distressed and distoreted while we communicated further.

I promised her that I will try to find someone in Lahore who can actually help her as I am not aware of the vicinity.

On my search for resources, this is what I observed; The so-called feminists and elites women of Pakistan who have TIME to be indulged in intellectual masturbation all day on theories of feminism & “Oppression Olympics” were TOO BUSY to lend in their contacts for help. They were of the view that we should just throw someone to a “shelter” or be “ignored” not recognizing that shelters are NOT really the greatest option and we can provide better resources of advocacy.

I just fucking sick and tired of these “elite” & “feminist” women for whom “feminism” is an elite badge which they borrowed from middle class white women of the West & who have never done fucking ground work in their sorry ass privileged life except talk about with their “Che Guevara” caps wearing males, how life sucks!!!

#RantOfTheDay

The general statement did come out as a shocker for our ‘Feminist Queen Bees’. Ayesha, without taking any names had hit the heart of the problem, unleashing on herself the wrath of the privileged section of our society, who have far more access to internet and a lot more time due to their, ummm ‘non-worker’ status? The following are the screenshots of the insults and exchanges:

If the fiasco has stopped right there and then, things might have been hunky dory. But unfortunately (for the Pakistani privileged lot), Ayesha was not alone. She was supported by several local as well as international activists who chose to counter the personal attacks being carried out by the ‘disgruntled Queen Bees’ of the Pakistani twitter world; for whom telling Ayesha to go for psyche evaluation came as naturally as crying comes to a newborn baby. They continued to target not only Ayesha, Maleeha and I (not just for supporting her and being anti-class-system, but also for having some mental health problems) but several international activists, including Leila Zahra, Nasreen Amina and Ram Narayan.

Apparently saying cunt, bitch, and invalidating someone for having a mental disability makes the said lady a very good feminist. If the same had been done by someone, who was not friends with the ‘elite’ crowd, s/he would have been lynched. Here’s an example from someone who refused to take any step against the lady above, for it was a personal matter.

Tweets referring to people as Ayesha’s minions can be viewed here:

Maleeha Mengal has been told off by one of the Queen Bee crowd as being a ‘nobody’. In support of Ayesh she said, “We are all here to understand without interacting face to face. Words matter, if you create a hybrid of follies, you will end up making a mock out of yourself. We were there for Ayesha because, we saw, how everyone started calling her a bully when she only questioned their statuses. If they are so keen on their class, so are we, we are not privileged to automatic drifts, we get everything manually, and we go ahead of them. So why hide? Everyone can talk here online, not just the famous or elites. This is the only place where they cannot control the crowd; and we can all follow what we believe in.”

Ram Narayan from India, who works on rights of women prisoners, asked a very valid question, “Why are thy so insistent on putting people in shelters? Cause, THEY run a few and thrive. Seriously… Dumping women in shelters fuels their own NGO business. And wearing the NGO tag as just that.. A tag.”

The internet has created a fissure within the social fabric. In the past due to lack of access to communication devices and means, many people were unable to criticize or directly take to task the people who are the haves in our society. Even today, with 15 percent penetration of internet usage in Pakistan, a large majority does not have a voice to disagree with the decision makers, or even to ask for help against them. Hardly 12 percent of the total population actively use internet and even lesser use it for activism and grassroots movements. To be frank, there are no ‘grassroots’ online.

For anybody who is wondering who Ayesha Sultana is? She’s an activist and blogger, who is studying forensic chemistry in Canada. She recently was nominated for the BlogHer International Activist Scholarship and will be presenting her work before a wider audience.

For details: http://www.blogher.com/announcing-recipients-blogher-13-international-activist-scholarship

You can also check : http://storify.com/ashsultana/queen-bee-minions-and-elite-feminism

For reading the whole thread where Ayesha was attacked: https://www.facebook.com/goddess.chaos/posts/10151493527635817

Information about the shelter that was recommended for H*: http://aghsblog.wordpress.com/

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy who won an Oscar filming acid burn victims, was accused of not doing what she promised Rukhsana. The case will remain obscured by conflicting accounts. For in Pakistan, media, judiciary and politicians are all for sale if one can pay the right price: http://criticalppp.com/archives/tag/sharmeen-obaid-chinoy

PS: Before anybody starts jumping the gun. All the screenshots have been made from public posts and were contributed by several people.

Source: From the Blog of Andaleeb Rizvi

No Ladies, Hiyabis Are Not Asking For It

I’m a member – at least while I write this- of a group in facebook called Progressive Muslim Voices; but yesterday I think more than one bigot hides in it. I am a progressive muslim and since I started in Islam, I have developed great links with Muslim For Progressive Values USA and other groups that work for an inclusive Islam for everyone.

As a muslim and feminist I believe in the right of every women to express her personality and be herself without suffering exclusion or belittling for that. I wrote an article where I exposed my concern about some cases of discrimination that affected muslims in my coutry, Chile, and I wondered if it was hiyab the factor that was banning some muslims women to be respected as citizens with full rights in Chile. In my opinion, hiyab shouldn’t be a problem because in our country there exists freedom to chose and express religion and in any case clothing is a part of the right to expression and identity, both granted in our constitution.

But yesterday I had a great surprise to discover that not all people who alleged to be progressist believe this. There are women who believe an hiyabi should take off the hiyab if she doesn’ want to be discriminated. So, if she suffer exclusion is her fault and not the fault of people who mistreat her. Yes, people who alleged to defend freedom think people are free to discriminate you if you’re an hiyabi and you don’t have right to claim respect because you’re asking for it.

This a pure rethoric of opression. Is the same argument that can be used to justify rape and gender violence. Women “ask for it” with their clothing. That’s what Patriarchy says about : A woman raped “ask for it” with miniskirt; a battered wife “ask for it” with her challenging attitude; an hiyabi “ask for it” going out to the street in hiyab. And no, I am not being exagerated because discrimination is also violence and one of the most difficult form of violence to control because it leaves no visible bruises.

Rethoric of Opression: Hiyabis should take off hyab if they don’t want to be discriminated.

They apply on muslim women who use the hiyab the argument of Victim blaming that occurs when the victim(s) of a crime, an accident, or any type of abusive maltreatment are held entirely or partially responsible for the transgressions committed against them (regardless of whether the victim actually had any responsibility for the incident). Blaming the victim has traditionally emerged especially in racist, sexist, and classist forms. I don’t understand why if  these so called liberal and humanist  women agree that a miniskirt is not a call to be raped, they take the side of opressor saying a headscarf is a call to be discriminated.

People has the right to adopt the dress code they want without this means they have to be considered second class citizens or suffer a lack of their rights before law. I can’t believe in a group that pose to defend civil rights, some members, women, were saying  the respect to rights must be conditioned to the way people dress, especially if those people are women.

I know perfectly that in some countries hiyab is forced for women. And as a feminist who has lived in some of those countries I think that’s wrong and hiyab must be always decision of the woman. Noone should be put under conditions to have their rights.  Give the chance to that possibility is opressive and is a punishment on women for something they don’t have the burden to control.  It’s not acceptable, no woman should change nothing from her to avoid being mistreated.

If they’re are so concerned about the destiny of muslim women in the world: What are they doing to improve our chances to gain more respect, to break stereotypes and raise awareness about peaceful living in multicultural societies? Nothing in fact, just belittling other women thinking they’re so free and superior to “those opressed hiyabis”.

What so alleged islamic countries do is using the religious structures to opress women but that’s not a reason to opress hiyabis telling them they do wrong. Laws that force the use of hiyabs, forgetting there’s no compulsion in religion, are different from what every muslim woman think about the hiyab, her spiritual experiences and the reason she has to use it or not.

Problem is muslim women are always judged from politics analysis, forgetting they are individuals. Arrogant people like “progressive privileged ladies” make no difference between politics and subjectivity when it comes to Muslim women. Their prejudices punish women who wear hijab because what so called Islamic countries do to women. They don’t recognize that Muslim women can decide about it. They just recognize themselves as able to decide.  They say hiyab represents opression but they forget to ask what hiyab represent for every woman who uses it.

They are women judging other women like objects and pretending to have a progressive approach to the matter, falling in the same they criticize: To reproduce oppression of human beings.

True. Hiyab doesn’t protect from rape.. or bigotry

No ladies, Hiyabis, are not “asking for it”. They do not like being discriminated for expressing religious identity. They don’t have to take off the hijab to avoid being battered by the prejudices of the people. No. They are not “asking for” discrimination. No burden falls on them to avoid discrimination. Is people who must learn not to discriminate and coexist. And even when some of our “liberal saviors” say we can’t expect to be respected in our particularities, fact is we don’t have to expect less than this. We have the right to be respected and we are worthy to be; not because we use or not a headscarf but because we are human beings.

Many liberals don’t seem to fathom this. They feel like they are superior because they have suddenly “seen the light” through their various LIBERAL Islamic “interpretations,” so they feel like it’s their duty to tell every single hijabi that they are oppressed. There are many like this.  So-called “liberal” Muslim who has these really strong views about banning the hijab, banning the burqa, etc.; but they doesn’t realize that banning is NOT the solution.

You can’t just tell a woman, who grew up wearing the hijab or chose to use the hiyab because she adopted Islam, that she should suddenly stop wearing it because that’s freedom and, of course, her opinion is not important. That’s so undemocratic and demeaning. These self-proclaimed liberals  need to take a chill pill and stop making it seem like they know everything there is to know about Islam and what it entails. It just makes them look like fucking morons .

¿Is Hiyab Preventing Chileans From Accepting Muslims?

In recent years, Islam has become the religion by choice for many Chileans. Migration flows from countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and the presence of Palestinian refugees and from some West African countries, has made the presence of Muslims is winning, slowly, visibility in Chilean society.

However, the inclusion of Chileans and immigrants of Muslim faith is not free of problems. During the past two years, reports of discrimination against the Muslim population have become frequent in the press. Discrimination affects mostly women and girls, as it is they who become an easy target for mocking and exclusion because of the using of hiyab or islamic headscarf.

In October 2010, the authorities of  ”Pequeño Mozart” school in Santiago, banned Yasmin Elsayed, a Muslim girl of 8 years old, from attending to school because she wore the hijab. She was told that if she did not remove the hijab, she would be expelled from school. The girl’s parents appealed to the Ministry of Education. The Minister Joaquin Lavin gave his full support to Elsayed family because “In our schools there can be no religious discrimination: we must respect multiculturalism and diversity in Chile ‘.

Finally, Yasmin was again admitted to the school under the condition that she wear a hijab to match the colors of the uniform that the institution requires. However, media sources reported that this is not the first case of discrimination against Muslim girls in this school “Pequeño Mozart” and there are four unreported situations kept in silence.

Another case of discrimination in which the use of hijab is the problem, took place in August 2010. Fabiola Palominos, Chilean converted to Islam, was forced to take off the hijab in order to cash a check at the State Bank in Santiago, Chile. Currently, she has an ongoing lawsuit against the Chilean government before the Inter-American Human Rights  Court.

The last case of discrimination against a Muslim woman occurred in February 2013. Maya Nura, Chilean converted to Islam, was stolen by criminals on the streets of downtown Santiago, in broad daylight. She lost all documents, money, transportation cards, identification, etc.When she went to a police officer – in chile “Carabinero” – which is usually patrolling the streets and asked for help to report the theft, the policeman laughed at her for her headscarf and  refused to give appropriate assistance. Instead, he went to ask if she was a foreigner, if she understood Spanish and to look up and down her clothes (jeans, thigh-length tunic and headscarf). Despite Maya’s insistence, the police officer didn’t pay  help or wanted to support her in this emergency and Maya finally had to resort to help from the manager of a store who left her use a phone and walked her to the police station.

The Problem is Not The Headscarf

At first glance, the problem seems to be the hijab and is very easy to reach the conclusion that if a girl or a Muslim woman does not want to have problems into society, must give up the use of the headscarf. But this is not so. The real problem is the ignorance and prejudice that exist in Latin American societies in general and in particular in Chilean society towards Muslims. If  Muslim women stop wearing the hijab, still persists the prejudice against women who use it in the collective imagination of people.

Hiding the elements of religious identity is to kick the problem of discrimination under the carpet. Also, Why we Muslim women would have to hide our religious identity? Hiyab does not prevent people from see our faces so the alleged obstacle that hiyab would be to be identified is not true. No calls to the same to Catholic nuns nor Christian believers. All they are free to wear veils, headdresses, necklaces with crosses, rosaries in their necks and bracelets with images of saints.

It is true that Islam is a newly religion in Chile, but constitutional rights and the duty of officials to assist citizens are not. It is the duty of the state to ensure respect for the right to self-image, in the form of choice for some cultural-religious symbols. The right to equality certainly includes those aspects that are part of personal space.

However, at this point it is up to the Muslims themselves to be proactive and make islamic authorities take accountability. Is not possible that, in one hand, women are encouraged to use the headscarf, they are told they must not be afraid and must feel proud about their choices but there’s no further support for them if they suffer discrimination for this.

Authorities of mosques and Islamic centers in the country must share knowledge and lead the integration of Muslims and Islam in the Chilean community; set instances of consultation and legal support for Muslims, especially on issues of discrimination; Planning conferences and spaces for dialogue with media, journalists and opinion leaders in order to achieve a greater understanding of our religion and avoid the reproduction of harmful stereotypes and encourage networking with government agencies to avoid vulnerability of our brothers and sisters in this type of situation.