The right to dress – does it suit your eye?
March 12, 2010 by Elena
The ban on the niqab violates my human rights.
People talk about rights as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and how important they are for all of us, or at least for some.
So… you can ask me a simple question, fair enough that is right we all have the right to express, dress and behave the way we like or aspire. But where do we get inspired from?
Every year in the UK there is a festival called Infest. Alternative electronic music fans get together once a year for couple of days to celebrate their music choice. The first time I saw them I thought they were freaks, but no they were normal everyday people dressed the way they wanted to express their own choice. In many cases they were executives in major international corporations. I used to have a friend – she was punk. People were staring at her while she was walking but she couldn’t care less. It was her choice and no one could ever judge her for that. It was her right and nobody banned it.
Society is built on a base of differences, but who defines the differences we have and the acceptance we get from our fellow man?
A few years ago I used to dress with miniskirts and ’sexy’ tops. Sometimes I got looks of admiration, sometimes looks of disgust and many more looks were judgmental. By dressing ’sexy’, and sexy can be defined in many different ways, you are perceived as easy or with low morals.
Now I have chosen to dress modest and to wear a scarf. It is my choice, but yet again I’m perceived to be oppressed.
Why? Simply because of the way I dress. So what defines how I can dress?
Clothes are a way of expressing ourselves, how we feel and what we believe. How we would like people to deal with us. Our clothes are the first impression we give to people and the boundaries we set between us and them. For me, simply, it’s a right. But why then does society or politicians have to choose for me and forbid me to express myself in the way Ι find most appropriate for me?
Wearing hijab, niqab or abaya (a dress) is a choice of a woman – not oppression. Oppression is when you forbid a woman to wear what she feels like just because it doesn’t suit your eye. So where is my human right…?
photo credit: Sylvain Labeste
Thanks Elena for writing this. I like how you brought up this viewpoint because not many people see the ban on niqab as violating a human right. But I agree with you. That’s one sticky point governments are dumbfounded with – what if women choose to wear niqab??
Thank you Iman,
The story if funny how i thought about it, i will tell you sometime.
But for me is a serious thing and has so many aspects of why politicians want and people agree.
I was reading a very nice article from a Greek journalist yesterday saying that oppression for women is what Sex and the City and the stereotype of sexy, money spending on shoes and clothes to look good for men.
There are so many parameters on that.
Is it a violation of western womens human rights to cover up when visiting muslim countries?
What can I say more than may allaah reward you and guide you all the time. I loved the way you presented your solid point. Thank you for putting so much effort, bless you.
Indeed i never had an idea how women decide to wear the niqab (I have no experience here in Greece) and impressed me a lot when i saw young girls that chose the niqab despite the hard conflicts in their families that object that. People should have the right to define themselves as long as they do not offend others.