Should Veil Be Judgemental In Islam - Essay Example

It is a sacred fact that in Islam, Purdah is unnecessary for every woman approaching the age of puberty or who has already reached it. Many people and especially the non-Muslims sometimes tend to believe that Hijab is in a way restrictive or rigid and is aimed at keeping the women inferior to men. However, nothing could be far from the truth. Ignorance and misunderstanding happen to be the leading causes behind such beliefs. Purdah on the one side protects the women from exploitation from the strangers and on the other hand enjoins on the women the conditions of morality and purity (Guindi, 1999).

Without in any way trying to dilute or disrespect the spirit of this great religion, with all due humility, it will also be true to conclude that many a women who may not adhere to purdah in the strict sense of the term, may still show respect for the innate morality and purity signified by the true intentions behind the cause of purdah. Many people believe that purdah and Hijab ought to be binding on women and any women who refutes the constraints of purdah and Hijab happens, not to be a believer in the true sense of the word.

However, though such views do have relevance, it would not be wrong to say that Islam in no way tends to confine and limit the socio-economic status of women to the mere constraints of purdah and Hijab, and has multiple other women centric aims and ambitions, allowing for the full development of a female’s personality. Considering that nobody is perfect, there may not be a dearth of women who though not affiliating to purdah as interpreted by many, may be adhering to a range of Islamic values and morals.

With the passage of time, as women are moving forward with the influx of globalization and the opening up of societies, there is no dearth of Muslim women who not only qualify to be called the career women and working mothers, but who also harbor a deep seated intention to inculcate Islamic values in their personal and professional life and identify themselves as practicing Muslims (Abdo, 2000). In fact, the spread of the modern education has opened up the minds of the contemporary Muslim men and women, and one particular thing about the modern Muslim women is that they are increasingly getting reconnected with Islam (Abdo, 2000).

Yet, by the virtue of being modern Muslim women, these women also have a pragmatic need to be able to be mobile and practical in the wake of the demands being enjoined on them by their professions. Thereby, demoralizing such women by interpreting the requirements of purdah in a strict and conservative way will certainly not be an act of faith, especially more so when these women have an innate and deep seated respect and allegiance to the Islamic values and morality. For instance, there may be women who may don a veil in their public life, but, who may smoke, drink and dress in an unsuitable manner in their private life, when nobody is observing them.

In contrast, there also may be women, who may wear a short scarf out of the need of being mobile and professionally effective, yet, who have the potential to be religious and follow the God’s will in all possible ways except for the scarf. In a practical context, Islam lays stress on the purity of an individual’