I am a Muslim, but when I travel to the “Muslim world,” I certainly do not feel like one. I wish to neither disrespect the culture nor my sense of self, so I would never dress like a typical tourist in denim shorts, but at the same time wearing a headscarf has never felt right for me. I wear traditional attire for individual prayer, but my faith has always left me comfortable to leave it at that. In various parts of the Arab world, however, uncovered hair is equated with promiscuity. Such dress is responded to with catcalls, suggestive glares, and not-so-subtle propositions. If I cover my hair, I feel as though I am submitting to the notion that a woman’s presence should be muted, or that she does not deserve the respect of her fellow human beings. Yet if I do not cover my hair, I feel an even greater disconnect from the very Muslim identity that I came to the region to reclaim. The Muslim world’s use of physical appearance as an indicator of valid religious faith undermines the more essential elements of Islam. The culturally enforced mistreatment of nontraditional women makes me ashamed that this region has come to represent my religion.
via Appearance and Faith in the Muslim World | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson.
Ismailimail 