Canadian Muslims Want the Niqaab Banned
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 Read more → Canadian-Muslims, hijab issues, niqab issues, Zahra-Shah In the name of God, entirely Compassionate, especially Merciful | Peace be with you
In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ | Peace be with you السلام عليكم
Asalaam alaikum wa rahmatillahi wa barakatu.According to the Montreal Gazette, The Canadian Islamic Association (CIA!) is going to the Government in an effort to ban the Niqab.
The Canadian Islamic Association says their reason for doing so, is that
1. It's not islamicly justified and that
2. A lot of families (i.e. Husbands, Fathers and Brothers) are forcing or imposing this onto women and feel this will be a liberation for Canadian Muslims.
So my personal opinion - This won't liberate or help anyone. Why you may ask?
Well I do not deny that their may be people out there forced to wear the niqab, maybe even the hijab, and I am sad at this because I consider my hijab my liberation. I won't conform, I feel free to practise and be easily identified as a Muslim.
By banning the niqaab, the people who force others to wear it may just keep them in the house more strongly, impose more problems, and they will lack even more freedom, and no one will be able to help these woman; they may end up prisoners in their own homes.
Secondly, for women who choose to wear the niqab it's unfair to ban it and force them to remove it, this is taking away a freedom from these woman... It would be like banning the hijab. I don't know what I would do in that circumstance: I could not remove my hijab, I would feel naked, I would feel awful, because this is a part of who I am, this is my belief, and I could only imagine how hard it would be for those who may personally choose this.
For those non muslims who are worried about means of identification in this issue, a Muslim women will be more then happy to be identified by another women - i.e. at a border etc. It's the same as when someone is arrested, a male officer can not frisk a female, they must call and wait for an attending female officer - the same context applies.
So do I think the CIA should ban niqab? Obviously not, because if women are being that controlled, it's still not Islamic practise, sadly it is culture, it's men feeling superior when they shouldn't, and banning the niqab may make women prisoners and not even allow them the opportunity to go outside their home for private, and if you can't leave your home, how can you seek help if it's needed?
Banning the niqab won't remove an abuse, or control issues, or improve the freedom of women, it will only hide it. Keeping in mind Islam places Men and Women equal but different, a woman is not a man's slave nor can he control her. A marriage too should be that of equality, love, truth and tranquility, not oppression or domination.
The Canadian Islamic Association may have had the best intention by bringing up this issue, but I don't think they have thought it through. The niqab is not mandatory in Islam, but I believe in the freedom of choice, and by enforcing a ban this will eliminate freedom of choice and possibly the little freedom that sadly some women may have.
What do you think?
Asalaam alaikum wa rahmatullah.
Peace & respect ★
A quick note from → Zaufishan, MUSLIMNESS creator
MUSLIMNESS.COM. Savvy Muslims in Media, trendy blogs and Good News. If you too are like, totally awesome, share your ideas by contacting MUSLIMNESS. Sharing is Khayring.
