title: I’m as Mad as Hell, and I’m Not Going to Take This Anymore

Before I go any further, I’ll be the first to tell you that I am not some sort of niqabi advocate. I don’t think it’s fard (compulsory), and I don’t even think that it is something recommended for Muslim women to wear. What I do think, is that it is an option. An option that is as equally respectable as the hijab. No more. We know that the Wives of the Prophet wore a full face veil. To deny that it is a part of Islam is folly to say the least.

At first, this “burqa banning” trend started with France earlier this year. Actually, we can say their reach in banning Islamic related things goes back to the year 2004 when they wanted to ban the hijab as well as other religious iconography. Then, earlier this week, we have a well respected scholar and dean of a University in Egypt decide that the students there should be banned from wearing the niqab. Not even a week later we have a Muslim group that wants to ban it in Canada.

There are two things I want to know: Why is this domino effect occurring, and where did common sense go?

No doubt about it, common sense tells us that women, in some cases, are truly oppressed and forced into wearing the niqab. None of us can deny this. If it isn’t pressure from our fellow sisters, it’s from our family, if it’s not from our family it’s from our husband’s family. If it’s not from the husband’s family it’s from the Masjid. The possibilities here are many.

Common sense also tells us that there are women who actually want to wear the niqab, as well. And I would put them in the overwhelming majority.

This is what really confuses me about secular governments. The big article, the one that draws in the love of secularism, is the separation of Church and State. Can somebody please tell me why the “State” is telling the “Church” what they can and can not wear? This is where democracy fails, and yes it fails. Sorry, but even our (the US) Founding Father’s loathed the idea of democracy, and I would consider them to be logical men. When the majority rules, the minority is not protected from their tyranny. Not in our real world society, outside of government.

I can understand that people feel concerned for the oppression of women, but we can not deny that today there are facilities and laws that protect women (in some places around the world) from the same type of oppression you fear for them. If the woman does not seek out this protection when it is widely available for her, does it sound remotely logical to ban the same article of clothing that many, many wear by their own free will?

If there is no facility or laws protecting women from such oppression then why are we not lobbying for these things instead of banning the niqab?

Here’s a thought. If one truly believes that the woman wearing the niqab is forced to do so, don’t you think that if she is forced to remove it from an outside party it is only she that suffers for it in the end? From the State AND the one forcing her to wear it? So what has been accomplished in that case?

Now, I feel the need to turn my attention to this Ummah. Over and over I have heard this week “Sheikh Tantwani is such a well respected, learned man!” Now that is where our (Muslims) problem lies. So what? He’s a well respected man, he’s knowledgeable, people get their deen (yes, I actually heard this) from men of his stature!

We HAVE to get passed this well respected crap, pardon my language. It’s crap, pure and simple. There are tons of well respected men and women in this world that deserve our discontent. We have well respected (still active) Sheikh’s that equate hijabless women with uncovered pieces of meat that are “deserving” of what they “get”. You think they actually deserve our respect because they went to school a few years to earn the title of Sheikh?

That’s not how you earn such a title, and I’m not going into detail of what does earn it. You all know, just as they do. We’re just too lazy in our thinking to acknowledge it.

We’ve got to get mad. Mad at our government, mad at the so called learned men and women of Islam, mad at ourselves that we allowed such a title go to their heads inflated with ego.

I want you to get mad, as Howard Beale said, I don’t want you to protest, I don’t want you to riot, I don’t want you to write to your congressmen because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write.

All I know is…You’ve got to get mad.

Sources:

1. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091007/national/muslim_burka_ban

2. http://www.topnews.in/controversy-over-suggested-ban-niqab-continues-egypt-2221202