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Growing up in a multi-racial, multi-religious and as such, multi-ethnic dress codes nation as Singapore, I never thought twice about each ethnic group’s choice of dress, they being normalized as part of the larger socio-cultural fabric of Singapore from when I was very young. The hijab worn by Muslim women in Singapore is most common, where I understood from fellow female classmates who were Muslim, that it was a matter of personal choice what to wear and when to begin wearing their hijabs.
The niqab and the burqa however would draw slightly more attention in Singapore even today, because of its fuller head to toe covering. But being pragmatists, Singaporeans are most likely to ponder its practicality in choice of clothes worn under the sometimes punishing tropical heat and humidity, wondering how the wearer would fare under those layers of dress when those in t-shirts, shorts and sandals have problems keeping talcum fresh?
The debate around the niqab and the burqa in Europe, most notably because of France’s consideration on banning the burqa, comes from an array of perspectives other than practicality of dress, from how the dress does not conform to the European cultural identity (a point of view that is highly debatable considering the mobility of people these days), to religious freedom without steering towards radicalism and perhaps the most common theme, the head to toe covering as a means of the oppression of women:
“It will not be welcome on French soil,” he said.” We cannot accept, in our country, women imprisoned behind a mesh, cut off from society, deprived of all identity. That is not the French republic’s idea of women’s dignity.” ~ French President Nicholas Sarkozy, in an article by Emma Jane Kirby BBC News, 22 January 2010.
From the Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt and leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, Mona Sahlin:
“Det är ett uttryck för kvinnoförtryck, [it is a sign of opression of women] sade Reinfeldt i en debatt med Socialdemokraternas ledare Mona Sahlin i Sveriges Radio.”
“Mona Sahlin vill inte ha något förbud av den typen i Sverige, men anser också hon att heltäckande slöja är uttryck för kvinnoförtryck.” [Mona Sahlin does not want a ban of this type in Sweden, but it is her opinion too that a fully covering veil is sign of female opression] ~ Dagens Nyheter published on 27 January 2010.
The same opinion is put forth by Norska Arbeiderpartiets spokesperson on immigration, Lise Christoffersen, i Aftenposten.
As a linguist I can’t help noticing that three of the most important political leaders in Scandinavia are not arguing against female oppression, but against the symbol for it.
From Daily Telegraph writer James Delingpole is also of the point of view of Sarkozy, noting,
‘The freedom’ [Obama] is granting US Muslim women to wear the veil is in fact the most surefire way of guaranteeing their continued subservience. ~ also in Finding Dulcinea
And while the humanitarian intentions are positive on the surface so long as no deeper political motives are uncovered, the perspective of the veil as oppression is not difficult to understand from those who do not wear it in their culture. And as social constructionism (Berger and Luckmann, 1966) would have it, it would be down right difficult for us who do not have the burqa in our culture to view it any other way than as oppressive, our point of view being coloured by our ‘reality’. Even I would feel more comfortable in a qipao and kebaya than a full covering of the burqa, simply because the former ethnic dresses are part of my cultural heritage whilst the latter isn’t. Any fuller coverings than what I think is already a modest long sleeved, ankle brushing kebaya would make me feel restricted in movement and worse, contribute to a feeling of complete loss of my social identity where I become faceless and voiceless.
But for those whose socio-cultural and religious heritage means bearing the niqab and the burqa, how powerless and subservient are the women behind the veil really?
Here a Harvard doctoral graduate, a Saudi Arabian woman who now owns a software company of her own who chooses to wear the niqab (at times with a veil over her eyes and a mouth gag to mask her voice, depending on what company and circumstance surrounds her) shares her experience of being behind the veil…
Once I was at a Islamic University in Gaza to conduct some interviews to a group of their best students to access if they would be admitted to my company for internships. Normally in such Islamic Universities many of the girls would be dressed in long black garbs, gloved and wearing veils which cover their entire face, including the eyes, so that not a single hint of flesh would be visible. That was also what I wore when I went down that day.
After the entire interview session had finished, I was leaving and walking towards the lift area. 2 guys were also waiting there, and I recognised them to be 2 of the candidates whom I interviewed just now. They had impressed me greatly with their answers to my questions, and were among the forerunners on my list to be selected for the internship. I managed to catch hold of their conversation with each other (translated from Arabic).
“How?” “Super of course! I’m experienced in such interviews and I can bluff my way through. Even if I bluff 9 out of 10 questions like what I did just now, the interviewer cannot tell!”
“And today is a woman interviewer. Even easier to bluff! Hahahahaha! I did the same too!”
After I entered the same lift with them (there were only 3 of us), they turned to me and said “You were also here for the interview?”
I nodded my head at them from beneath my veil.
“Chicken feed! Just a woman interviewer some more! Easy to bluff! You answered her interview questions truthfully?”
Again I nodded my head at them from beneath my veil.
“Aiyah just as I expected! Then I think you won’t do well! Anyway that interviewer has a sweet voice. Wonder how she looks like…”
They never asked me anymore questions. I walked with them to the bus. We actually took the same bus, and I was sitting right in front of them. The whole journey they were exchanging with each other their answers to the interview questions, which were true, which untrue, etc.
Cheryl, try making a guess if these 2 guys were eventually successful in the interview?
Her story is a sliver of insight into what goes on for a woman behind the veil, for this is certainly not a woman who feels oppressed or enslaved by a dress code imposed upon her. On the contrary, she is in complete control, perhaps even more so than women who are judged at first glance by what shoes they wear or what bag they carry to a board meeting.
In this light hearted conversation, she also shared how people indeed recognized her beneath the veil and how she felt in complete control during business meetings especially those conducted with male business associates, citing that instead of being judged by her looks, she was judged by the quality of her mind and the soundness of her business acumen.
While one could argue that women who bear the burqa, the niqab, have been socialized into the dress, so that they would today feel more comfortable with it than without, the narrative shared by this woman tells of the process of adaptation of the dress and the resulting power-play nonetheless. Women, incognito, are in effect empowered by the very veil that others deem to oppress them – which brings to mind that perhaps the debate should go in the direction of unveiling because of inequality resulting from the advantage of concealment?
As feminist theories have noted, it is difficult for a single feminist theory to do good for the masses of women, when the women themselves come from a variety of social, political, cultural, religious and economic backgrounds. No doubt that this story was shared with me by a woman who would be considered privileged in background, highly educated, highly mobile, financially independent etc. where many others have no such opportunities.
But in having a legal ban on the burqa, a single absolute rule and think it applies across the board for the betterment of women who bear the veil, needs more careful consideration. The social fabric of the society in which this concerns needs looking into for example, how suppressed and underprivileged are the women in France (or any other country debating the issue) currently, who bear the burqa? And what are the real voices of the women under the veil? For if the law is to uphold the rights of individuals, of religions and of individual freedom, then the true voices of those concerned need to be heard, and not assumed.