This has since then been the subject of intense debate and criticism. Not the fact that some people think it's OK to beat up women - pregnant or not - based on their choice of clothing, mind you. That has barely been touched upon in the media. No, the debate has been centred around the display of solidarity by wearing the same kind of clothing. I have been following this debate with great interest, because for the past few years I've also been putting on a headscarf occasionally.
Freedom or force
The criticism has been mainly about the headscarf as a symbol of oppression of women. These debaters are saying that by putting on head scarves, the well-meaning participants in this "hijab outcry" are legitimizing the fact that many women are forced to wear it against their will - by their governments, families, or religious leaders. The headscarf is a highly problematic garment, they say, because it is always worn by women in relation to men. Regardless of the wearer's intention, it will be seen as a symbol for the woman as a dangerous, sin-inviting seductress, and the man as a sexual, lustful creature who can't be expected to control himself if he happens to set his eyes on the wrong part of said seductress. Furthermore the hijab has, at least in the west, become a general symbol for the structural oppression of women prevalent in many countries where it is commonly worn.
The participants of the outcry say they're defending women's right to their own body, by defending their right to wear what they choose. The criticizers say the participants are denying women's right to their own body, by legitimizing the practice of forcing women to wear certain garments. Tricky. I can definitely see the point of the criticism. The hijab is problematic, in the way it is currently used by certain governments and societies to control women. But the western world's demonization of it is also very problematic, leading to attacks such as the one that sparked the outcry, and contributing to the general othering of Muslims at large. Considering how clearly the participants in the outcry have stated their intentions, in combination with the context of the attack on that woman, I would say the action cannot reasonably be seen as a defence of forcing people to wear certain things. Having the right to wear something differs from being forced to wear the same thing just like sex differs from rape.
In fact, I think in a way, the participants of the hijab outcry are addressing both of these issues. Here's why: I think the only possible way we can do something about any of these two problems without simultaneously making the other one worse, is by disarming the whole concept. Defusing some of it's symbolic value by saying: "Hey guys, look, it's just a piece of fabric! Why do you even give a damn about whether she's wearing it or not? Don't you have anything to do that actually matters?" And that is exactly what the protest is about. Showing, in action, that in the end it's just a garment, and as such I will put it on and take it off whenever I feel like it.
 | |
| He wears whatever he wants to. So should you. Photo: Ken Owen |
Orientalism
A whole different angle in the debate, is the opinion that the whole notion of white, western, non-muslim women putting on headscarves this way is just another tired old display of racism in the form of exoticizing orientalism. This kind of got to me, because I've often been asking myself whether I have an orientalist attitude. I'm interested in Persian, Arabic and pre-islamic middle-eastern culture and history. I watch Arabic and Persian movies, whenever I get the chance. I read up on the history of the geographic area through documentaries and Wikipedia. Sometimes I try out the cooking, with a recipe or an exciting spice mix I've found. When I was in Berlin, one of the main attractions for me was the Pergamon museum with the Ishtar gate, ancient Sumerian artefacts and impressive Assyrian statues. My current role-playing character is a young Iranian woman. And, as I stated above, I sometimes wear a headscarf.
Now, I think it's time for a few words about words. In this text, I have alternately been using the terms headscarf and hijab. I'm using these to mean two different things. Headscarf is the most neutral word I could find for "piece of fabric worn on or around the head, partially or fully covering the hair". Hijab, as I understand it, really has a larger meaning within Islam as the general rules around covering the body, not tied to any particular gender or garment. So when I say hijab, I mean a garment worn in the context of Islam to cover the body. Thus, I wear a headscarf, not a hijab, because I wear it as just any garment, not a religious artefact or statement.
Another word that is commonly used to refer to the same thing is veil. I have chosen not to use this word, because I find it problematic. A veil is something that can (and should?) be unveiled, removed by someone other than the wearer. This is a recurring figure in western narratives taking place in "the orient". White male meets mysterious veiled woman. In the end, he unveils her - but isn't it to allow her to become an object of his famous gaze, rather than to free her? When debaters in the west call for Muslim women to lay off their hijab, even if their motivations are feminist, isn't it just a continuation of that traditional orientalist narrative?
 |
| Orientalist drawing subjecting a veiled woman to male gaze. Artist: Jean Léone Gérôme; photographer: Jerry Dohnal |
Why I wear it
With all of the above taken into consideration, I'd like to explain my own reasons for occasionally putting on a headscarf. From the beginning, it was mainly as a way to show support for people's right to wear what they want. The debate about forbidding certain forms of hijab pops up from time to time, and I wanted to, as I said above, disarm the concept and show that this garment doesn't have to be such a big deal. But when I tested it, I found out that I really like it. First of all, I simply like the looks of it, I think it's beautiful. Secondly, it's often a very practical piece of clothing, believe it or not. When the sun is hot, it keeps my head cooler (I have thick dark hair). When it's windy or cold, it keeps me warm - especially around the neck and chest where I'm prone to freezing. In the kitchen, it keeps my hair out of the food (I cook a lot!). It can also be used as a scarf, blanket, towel (if it's cotton), or instead of an extra sweater. Simply put, it's the swiss army knife of my wardrobe. Lastly, I use it in role-playing; I already mentioned the Iranian woman I play, but I also use a wimple-style headscarf when I dress up as a European women of the middle ages.
 |
| With a headscarf on, I can cook like this! Photo: Matthias Weinberger |
Now in light of the debate about orientalism and exoticism, I wonder: Is it always exoticism for a white person from the western culture to take the kind of interest in another culture I described doing above? Is that a form of racism? How about "Japanophiles", is that the same thing? Or people who are into Bollywood film, or Native American culture and tradition?
I think if we don't take an interest in each other's culture, we will never understand each other. And then, we will always be "other" to each other.
