Monday, September 3

Top 10 excuses given by British Muslim women for not wearing the Hijab/Jilbaab

Now this is a curious email which i received. It is supposed to be funny but I am afraid I did not find the amusing bit nor the theological bit nor the intellectual bit which was supposed to make this funny. I have written about the veil before here and here but this kind of patriarchal control freaky arguments from make me feel real sad. You really do not need this kind of pressure, girls.



Read and Weep.

1. Friends will reject me

The people I hang around with and really tight with none of them wear hijab/ jilbaab and they take the mickey out of those that do. Especially the hijabies who check out boys and do dirty dancing at college.uni parties. Names like fundies, molvies, hypocrites and they cover coz they are ugly. If I wear the hijab then I will lose all my friends and have the piss taken out of me as well.

2. Harm my career

I worked my arse of to get where I am now in my career. I got a big salary, status and I enjoy the respect I get from colleagues and community. I can't risk all that for a piece of cloth, besides I would look weird in board meetings and work parties in the pub and nightclubs. InshAllah when I get married in my 30s and have kids in my mid 30s, I'll cover as I'm supposed to then.

3. My family are westernized

No one in my family wears hijab, even my grandmother wears bright coloured stylish clothes. If I were to wear the hijab I'd feel strange coz we have family gatherings where all the women dress in sarees and other revealing clothes and at our weddings we have a DJ playing bhangra music and we all dance to bollywood tunes, even my grandmother does a few funky moves on the dance floor.

4. Non-Muslims will stare

I've noticed since 7/7 that non-Muslims regard anyone who looks like a Muslim as a potential terrorist and by wearing the hijab I would attract attention. By wearing western clothes I get away with non-Muslims thinking I'm a Hindu, Sikh or moderate non-practicing Muslim. I've even had white guys trying to chat me up coz they think I'm up for it based on the tight western clothing that I wear.


5. I'm still young

I'm only 27 I've got my whole life ahead of me. I'm still enjoying life, u know what I mean, flirting with guys, clubbing, hanging out with mates in shopping centres. When I get married and have kids I'll wear it then

6. I wont get attention from guys

I love the attention I get from guys and the way they look at me u know what I mean. I'm checking out 3 guys at the moment. Ones my age, ones older and one is older and married. I guess we all need a toy boy as well as a father figure /sugar daddy. I'll choose one of them, although I've got a few my age from uni as back up. After I've lived my life to the max and played the field and settled down then I might consider wearing it, even cover my face coz I don't wanna meet any of my ex's now do I ? Shoot 2 birds with 1 stone, appear pious and avoid hassle with former boyfriends , great idea, hijab. Jilbab and niqab.

7. I dress modestly

I wear loose modest clothes which cover and hide my curves, I know my hair is exposed but at least I'm more or less covered, better than a lot of girls/women who dress like tarts.

8. People will think I'm a fundamentalist

There is so much in the media nowadays about Muslims getting radicalised and rejecting western values and becoming fundamentalists. I just don't want people to think that I am one also. Although I know that the west and its values are decadent and filthy, I don't think it's wise to express this. I pray and fast etc, I don't need to wear Islamic clothing to be a good Muslim coz Islam is in my heart.

9. I worked hard to get this figure

After going to the gym and Pilates for 6 months I've finally achieved the hourglass figure which men find attractive. I enjoy the attention I get and feel attractive. By wearing the hijab/jilbaab I would just be an ordinary woman in the eyes of men and only religious types with big beards would be interested in me.

10. When in Rome do as the Romans

We live in the UK and not in a Muslim country so why follow Islam rigidly? Also compared to non-Muslim women who practically walk around naked I dress and behave quite respectably. Whenever I visit back home I wear different clothes coz I don't want people to think bad of me and my family. One day in my 60's after I have lived my life I will go to hajj and then become the perfect Muslimah, not now coz I believe "when in Rome do as the Romans".



All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!!!

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