"I did not think to wear the veil as a younger woman at home in Algiers, it was not important then. At the time my mother, aunts and sisters wore a western style of clothes and did not cover their hair or face...When my husband and I came to France,...I had to find employment...and there was no question that I would not wear a veil....It is important to me to keep my appearance private and not be stared at by strange men and foreigners...[Veiling] allows me more freedom and shows that I am a woman concerned about her modesty. The experience of being in a foreign place is unpleasant and difficult, and wearing the veil eases some of the problems... Sometimes wearing the veil means that you attract the attention of the French people who hate Islam, but experiences like this make me more proud of being an Arab and a Muslim...you also feel safe when wearing the veil in any kind of situation-it is a protection as well as a sign of love of Islam."
-Maryam, a middle-aged textile factory worker living in France.
Extracts from Helen Watson, 'Women and the Veil: Personal Responses to Global Process', in Akbar S. Ahmed and Hastings Donnan (eds), Islam, Globalization and Postmodernity, London and New York; Routledge, 1994.
03 January 2010
Decision to Veil in France
19 December 2009
Decision to Veil in the UK
"My choice of the veil is one of the most important personal decisions of my life. I was at school thinking about applying to university...In that kind of world I felt that it was imiportant to dress so that people would know I was a Muslim...My decision to wear the veil also ties into my feelings of coming from this different kind of background. We are a British family but because of Islam and our links with Pakistan we have different values and traditions from the families of my non-Muslim friends...I would feel completely exposed without my veil. It is liberating to have the freedom of movement and to be able to communicate with people without being on show. It's what you say that's important not what you look like...At the same time wearing the veil makes me feel special, it's a kind of badge of identity and a sign that my religion is important to me...I find it easier to mix and get around in public and not be bothered by lecherous stares or worse. But these are just advantages of a certain style of dress which doesn't draw attention to the body or fit the Western stereotypes of sexy clothes. They don't have anything specific to do with Islam, they have more to do with being female in a sexist and male dominated society where women are judged by how they look."
-Nadia, a British-Asian medical student who adopted the veil at the age of sixteen.
Extracts from Helen Watson, 'Women and the Veil: Personal Responses to Global Process', in Akbar S. Ahmed and Hastings Donnan (eds), Islam, Globalization and Postmodernity, London and New York; Routledge, 1994.
