Why Here, Why Now? Young Muslim Women Wearing Hijab in America
In the article, there is the discussion about the young muslim women wearing hijab in America in Islamic Society of North America, as the analysis done in the September 1999. However, it is written that in McCormick Center, Muslim women are wearing the t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts with the baggy pants, however, wearing the hijabs. In the modern era, hijab has become the important symbol of the women, as they wanted to be publicly recognized, by the religion Islam. Consequently, the American social landscape has Muslims women as visible actors because they can easily realize through wearing hijab and the jilbab (Ali, 2005).
Through wearing the hijab and the jilbab, they are becoming fashionable in the societies, as they are given respect and it is the type of ethnic identity. Wearing hijab and the jilbab by Muslim women has made them focus on the identity that is socially constructed, in some of the particular historical, circumstances that are discussed in the article. However, there are different researchers in the articles, so that the facts could be known and it could be known that why Muslim women are wearing the hijab. Thus, there is the making or creation of the boundaries of the group so that Muslim women could be recognized and there can be a construction of identity.
The sense of “Muslimness” is created through hijab and jilbab. There can be different Jewish identity and the Christian identity but Muslim identity is different, the research has also shown the interviews that were done in 1999. However, it was analyzed through the conducting the interviews that Muslim Women are wearing hijab and the jilbab so that they could follow the ethnic backgrounds, most of them were the immigrant Muslims, who have the status anxieties and other religious duty etc.
It is good for Muslim women to wear hijab because they feel protected in it. The article states that in the mid-1980s, most of the migrants were wearing the hijab or jilbab because they think that hijab is mandatory and it is the fulfillment towards the religious commitment. Muslim women believe that there is the need to obey Allah’s commands. Interviews were done by the women regarding the hijab and jilbab, many of them stated that they are following the religion and they feel comfortable. Moreover, in the Surah An-Nur Muslim, women are forbidden to display their beauty but they can only show themselves to their husbands, fathers, husband’s fathers, their sons, their husband’s sons, their brother’s sons, their sister’s sons and small children.
Based on the interviews and above facts it is analyzed in the studies that Muslim women are respecting their religion and valuing themselves, thus, they are wearing hijab and the jilbab. Accordingly, the facts explain that Islamic women should wear hijab because, in the modern world, it is their identity, as the article did research on the broader American context that the rise of multiculturalism leads the women to wear hijab, Muslims population for own identity in the nation, preferred what said by Allah. However, Muslims are more politically involved because the changes are seen in their behavior and attitudes, within the years they have to make own sect with an Islamic identity.
Moreover, examining the changing of the ethnic boundaries, it is predicted that Muslims have the deeper sense of “being a Muslim” as there is the comfort zone and there are the changes in their religious practice. Thus, it could be said after reading the article that Muslim women need to given the values and need to given the respect, of they are following the religion. Wearing hijab and the jilbab is the personal matter of Islamic women, so they need to be treated equally in the society.
Reference:
- Ali, S. (2005). Why Here, Why Now? Young Muslim Women Wearing Hijab. The Muslim World, 95 (1), 515-530.