Women in hijabs have rights, but women in niqabs don’t?

I see many non-Muslims in my social circle criticising the hijab ban by the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), citing the right of individuals to dress as they please, as long as it does not prevent them from carrying out their jobs – and I feel a sudden urge to barf.

You see, many of these people who kononnya (supposedly) are standing up for the rights of Muslims to wear the hijab are the same people who used to circulate and comment on pictures of Muslim women in niqabs and burqas, ridiculing them for their choice of attire.

The hijab is the most common type of veil worn by Malaysian Muslim women, compared to niqabs and burqas.

While the hijab covers the head and chest, the niqab and the burqa cover the entire body – the only difference being that the burqa covers the entire face (with a mesh window for the woman to see out) while the niqab does not cover the eyes. In Malaysia, not many wear the burqa.

Here are a few comments I gathered from my Facebook wall, in response to a picture I posted of a woman in a burqa that was being circulated by many and asked why people felt the need to mock them:

“I abhor covered women. Gives me the creep. Like walking garbage bags.”

“It makes me uncomfortable if someone walks next to me in a stinky burqa.”

“School reunion group pics must have been exciting.”

“This burqa is the next best thing to invisibility isn't it?”

“Like Harry Potter's cloak.”

 “Fools got no common sense, live in cocoons.”

“So creepy...made my little girl ask me: is it Halloween today daddy?”

“Security point of view. I wouldn’t go anywhere near.”

“I find it depressing and uncomfortable.”

“Shall we wait for a moron to jump out from the ninja suit with AK47 and shout ‘Allahu Akbar’?”

“The world's ugliest and sickest culture. Anyone who wishes to emulate it should have their brain examined.”

It makes me wonder, what is it that makes people despise niqabs and burqas when they stand tall defending the rights of Malaysian Muslim women to cover their heads with hijabs?

Or could it be the frustration of being forced to adhere to certain guidelines of attire as imposed by many government departments lately?

Then again, if we fight for our right to wear what we want to wear, be it a pair of shorts or a hijab – should we not grant those niqab-clad women the same right?

Hypocrisy towards women in niqabs and burqas

I am sure there are readers who question the practicality of having frontline hotel staff clad in niqabs – of course niqabs are not practical in that case. In fact, skimpy attires are far from practical as well.

But this article is not about the attire of hotel staff.

This article is about Malaysian hypocrisy.

This article is about us, proudly championing our Muslim sisters’ right to wear the hijab in the workplace, all in true Malaysian spirit, whilst making a mockery of those in niqabs.

What is the difference between a hijab and a niqab or burqa, anyway?

Are they both not attires adopted by Malaysian Muslims from the Middle East, only to be claimed to represent Islamic attire?

Likewise, shorts, skirts and jeans are also attires adopted from the West, which we now claim are the attires of the modern world.

Women wearing niqabs can be good and kind people – just like those in shorts and belly-baring sarees.

Women wearing niqabs are not necessarily people with evil intent – in fact, statistically, people in niqabs have not dealt with criminal charges as much as those not in niqabs.

Women wearing niqabs in Malaysia do have a choice in their attire – many made the choice to cover themselves up out of their own free will.

Women wearing niqabs undoubtedly can end up being a man in disguise – but so can any man in a wig and make-up.

Women wearing niqabs do impose security threats as their faces cannot be seen – but so does anyone wearing a mask and big sunglasses.

Why then, pray tell me, do we continue to bash women in niqabs and burqas?

The right to wear what you want

Scarves, hijabs, niqabs, burqas, sarees, cheongsams, miniskirts, bikinis – people decide their attire based on fashion, comfort, culture and religion. You may not agree with some people’s choices, but it isn’t yours to decide in the first place.

Many tend to believe that the niqab and the burqa are one of the biggest symbols of female oppression. While I agree it is true in some parts of the world, it is not necessarily true in our country.

As a person who wore a hijab for 20 long years, I believe that Muslim women in Malaysia who make the decision to wear the burqa or niqab have done so out of their own free will, based on their personal belief system.

The point being, if the choice to wear the niqab or burqa is made by the women themselves, without any force - who then are we to judge them and the decisions they make?

And even if a woman is forced into wearing the niqab or burqa, is it right for us to shame and ridicule her? How then are we different from those who oppress the women? Surely one cannot defend the rights of oppressed women by oppressing them?

So, to those of you who claim to disagree with the hijab ban because you believe everyone has the right to wear what they want, please take a good look at your hypocritical faces in the mirror.

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FA ABDUL is a passionate storyteller, a growing media trainer, an aspiring playwright, a regular director, a struggling producer, a self-acclaimed photographer, an expert Facebooker, a lazy blogger, a part-time queen and a full-time vainpot.- Mkini