Tuesday, 09 June 2009
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Experiences of a Christian Woman Wearing Hijab
This interesting article from The Daily Texan talks about the experiences of a Christian woman who chose to wear hijab for a year:Covered life gives new perspective
I first noticed Spencer Wall in my religion and society class toward the end of last semester. She wasn’t particularly outspoken, but the shawl that covered her hair, neck and shoulders made her stand out in the large class.
I usually gave her nothing more than a completely unconscious glance. But when she revealed to the class the decision that she made on April 27, I suddenly became aware of the attention I gave her.
Wall, a 20-year-old sociology and English senior, decided to assume the characteristics and attire of a “typical” Muslim woman for a year starting in late April.
She wears the traditional veil, or “hijab,” and loose-fitting clothing everywhere she goes and does not consume pork or alcohol in public. She avoids eye and physical contact with men and has adopted modest habits like walking with her arms glued to her sides or crossed in front of her to hide her chest.
I witnessed the looks Wall gets on a daily basis when we met at Kerbey Lane on the Drag recently.
She’s wearing a hijab splashed with vibrant shades of green and blue. A long-sleeved, black shirt and floor-length aqua skirt reveals only a few inches of skin.
Some who pass us try to be inconspicuous with their intrigue, limiting themselves to quick side glances. But most don’t even try to be candid with their exaggerated double-takes or blatant stares.
She passes by a group waiting to be seated, and all of them stare at the back of her head as she walks away. One guy even rolls his eyes.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” she says when I tell her about the group. “But look around. They’re not the only ones.”
She insists her decision is not a social experiment but more of a personal learning experience. As a white female from a small, West Texas town, Wall says she wanted to know what it would be like to be part of a “noticeable minority.”
“I’m not representing Muslim women or the Muslim community,” she says. “I just want to know what it’s like to walk in their shoes for a while.”
Initially, Wall elaborates on her “learning experience” when people would ask her questions, the most common being “So, where are you from?” She has abandoned these efforts. Now, when people ask about her attire, she simply says she is not Muslim but wears the hijab because she chooses to do so.
This explanation is not entirely untrue, as Wall admits to not being able to leave her home without the clothing.
“I decided a while ago that I was going to try and not wear the hijab for 24 hours,” she says. “I couldn’t even make it for half that.”
Wall says she receives different reactions when she wears the hijab. A man once fell into a display at Wal-Mart because he was staring at her. One day a group of male patrons at the restaurant where she works refused to be served by her. The same group called her derogatory names. But most of the time she said she is just respectfully avoided.
“I wouldn’t say guys don’t hit on me, but they do so in a very different way now,” she says. “It’s more respectful, less forward.”
The experience has taught Wall to pay attention to smaller details that would make a traditional Muslim lifestyle difficult to follow in the United States.
One day at a clothing store, Wall had to ask for a sheet to cover a gap between the floor and dressing room door so she could hide her bare legs as she changed. Her job as a waitress presents one of the most awkward situations as it naturally entails a lot of physical contact with strangers, which is not allowed for Muslim women, she said.
Wall has grown to appreciate this sort of privacy and, in some ways, respect it. Perhaps the most unexpected outcome of the experience is a newfound devotion to her Christian faith. The Islamic faith requires followers to pray five times a day, the first prayer being at 5 a.m. Though Wall has not yet assumed this tradition, she admits she may in the future, and finds herself praying more often.
“You know we live in a society that is very unconscious of daily religious activities,” she said. “Throughout this experience, I have noticed myself becoming much more aware of God.”
Throughout our conversation, I find myself wanting to discuss the most obvious topic, but can’t bring it up without having to continually justify myself. Doesn’t she feel constricted and even oppressed by the practices she is assuming?
Wall’s candidness to discuss such issues validates my impression of her. She constantly reassures me to ask even the most probing questions and to present any debate, illustrating a maturity and intelligence uncommon for a 20-year-old.
“This experience has taught me to respect a woman’s decision to stay home with her children or wear a hijab or go out and become CEOs,” Wall said.
She finishes her sentence, as I notice a young woman staring at the back of Wall’s head.
Her eyes momentarily follow the outline of the brightly colored veil and then quickly move away. Instead of feeling sorry for Wall and assuming that the attention is warranted by feelings of resentment or fear, I soon wonder if the girl is instead intrigued by the hijab.
Wall admits to only showing her hair in the most intimate of settings, and I realize that I’m slightly jealous of someone who respects something I easily take for granted.
What are your thoughts?
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Comments (37)
No disrespect to Kristen, but how exactly does this have anything to do with travel??
@oeshpdog2@xanga - I don't know. I don't post the stuff on tripcrazed. I don't pick what gets posted. They decide they want to use something and they ask you if it is ok. Then you say yes they can use it or no they cant.
@Kristenmomof3@xanga - I hope i didn't come off as disrespectful to you. Some of us were discussing today how Tripcrazed is supposedly a travel site but their content is not showing it to be such. I have to scratch my head and wonder what they are really doing. You helped me by letting me see how they pick their content.
I was waiting for the different reactions from people in different countries to her clothing... I already knew she would get lots of attention here in the states... guess you are going for the traveling into another culture aspect instead of the regular travel aspect?
@oeshpdog2@xanga - oh, not at all :)
Wait... so she physically and mentally cannot go without a hijab anymore because she feels insecure without it?
Isn't that unhealthy dependence on a piece of clothing?
What part of Texas is she in? Here in north Dallas, hijabs are fairly common.
It is much the same, dress wise, as we who wear the full Monastic habit 24/7. But we do it for true life-professed reasons. and we forget we are wearing it as it is a part of who we are. Blessings from Ireland
seen
I respect the wish to be covered but would never do so myself.
I've always thought it would be interesting to wear one, but not permanently for sure. I respect that Muslim tradition, modesty to the maximum. I myself like having the freedom to choose to show slight amounts of skin if I do so chose.
I think it is amazing that she is willing to step out and discover someone elses shoes. We talk about openness in America so much, but how many people really are open? She is brave and seems wise, or at least working to gain wisdom. I don't think that covering up completely like that fixes any lust issues for guys, but it seems this is maturing her and it obviously has an affect on the guys around her.
I think it is wonderful in what she is doing!! And I'm extremely happy for her in the fact that she is growing in faith with God. I agree that it is a great experience and I'm proud that she has opened herself up to another world. Life is too small if you only live in one perspective. And I do believe that modesty is a must for women. I mean it doesn't have to be an extreme modesty wardrobe like hers, however, it does help in knowing what a man's real intentions are for you. And for the questions of dependency on her clothes honestly I don't think it's dependency, I think it's habit. And habit can be a good thing. I mean how would you all feel if you were bare naked in the middle of your own town where everyone knew you?
I tend to stare at women with hijabs, only because they seem more beautiful. I dunno why, but I think that hiding most of their body adds this element of mystery I find appealing. I stare at them for I bit, but I don't want to be rude, so I tend to look away. It was nothing to do with their beliefs, I actually show more respect toward Muslims than your everyday Christian..
-Kunoichi
I have thought from time to time of wearing a hijab - really thought about it - because I think it would be ... freeing. I always think women in hijabs are Beautiful. I think to be able to focus on other things besides always worrying about how you (I) look... I think I could do it, and I think I would LIKE it - except, of course, the staring. But, like others say... I don't look at people wearing hijabs for any other reason than that they are interesting, intriguing... the same as I look at anyone who looks very different.
I would love to wear a hijab, just to see what its like.
But I haven't got the courage. My family would disapprove. Wouldn't Muslims be upset, for her to be wearing a hajib when she isn't a Muslim?
I wish you had asked - or they had asked - her about that. If she encountered other Muslims, what did they say? How did they react?
Interesting.
@tengalla@xanga - Of course, I've never met this woman. But as a Muslim, I think what she's doing is absolutely amazing. Who says you have to be a Muslim to wear a hijab? Sure, it's a Muslim dress, but while it originated from the Middle East it evolved from no such doctrine (in fact, men were actually the first ones to wear it).
I think this is a great cultural experience for her, and I'm so happy that she finds herself learning new things based on this new perspective. And, of course, that she is getting closer to God :)
To make it clear, I'm no proponent (nor opponent) of the hijab; I believe it is the woman's decision (for instance, my mother -- who is quite moderate -- doesn't wear it, but neither does my friend's super-conservative mother). But I am a proponent of spreading knowledge and cultural diversity.
This article was really nice :D
@tengalla@xanga - Well, I am a muslim and I actually wear the full veil. I could give you my answer: my first reaction to seeing any lady wearing hijab is to go up to her and greet her with the muslim greeting, "as-salaamu 'alykum" or "peace be upon you". And once I learn that she's not muslim yet chooses to wear the veil, I'd be like "WOW, are you serious?? So if you don't mind, what made you do it?" lol yeah, I tend to be open and blurt out like that. I haven't actually met anyone like that in person. I saw someone similar to her on youtube and now this entry, but I haven't ever met one in person. Probably becuase usually when I pass by a lady wearing hijab, I just give her the muslim greeting and then pass by. If she answers, great! If not, oh well lol.
Hmm... it's an interesting experiment, but I'm sorry she had such a rough time with it. In Montreal, lots of women wear the hijab and I don't know if they get harrassed for it, but probably it's much more accepted here...
Anyway I see no problem with women choosing to dress modestly & cover themselves as long as it's just that - a choice.
That is good for her for trying it out! There are pros and cons to it, however.
I used to be Muslim.. my family is, I mean. I wore the hijab briefly. I think it is great that she experimented like that. I can respect people who choose to wear the hijab, but I'm all for people of ALL walks of faith to explore different ideas, cultures, and religions with honest openness (not with the intent to criticize, but to understand), before committing to one, IMHO.
I don't wear the hijab, but I am still a modest person in general. I don't see hair as something immodest, not in the US, though I could see how it could be immodest in other cultures, just like it is immodest in some cultures to make eye contact with strangers.
I find that the purpose to detract attention fails and it can invite more attention, as she has made clear. But I also have other beliefs about appearances that the hijab does not fulfill. For example, here, I can still come off as being intelligent, serious, likable, friendly, and confident with how I dress myself in general. That is how I WANT to come off, and that is how I come off. If I go to my mother's homeland, however, Bangladesh, I cannot dress how I dress here and expect to come off the same way - I would have to submit to cultural norms, wear a salwaar kameez, and not scold men while they stare at me intensely (something which men over there do and find acceptable to do) because if I do, I may seem rebellious and not really a "good", peaceful girl.
I still like to dress up, however, and wear makeup sometimes, something which is not allowed when you wear the hijab (the whole point is to not indulge in any vanity and not even think about vanity) - something which I have seen a lot of hijabis contradict by wearing form-fitting clothes, makeup, earrings, and even attract other guys in the muslim community. This is contradictory.
The only reason why I am bringing this point up is that it really depends on the individual, and for me, the hijab is too constraining and it doesn't fit with my beliefs. Aside from the fact that I am not Muslim, I am actually an apostate - now a humanist/Spinozist/athiest, the hijab is not something I personally believe in for a myriad of reasons, which can be a whole different topic altogether. Just for example, I don't believe in suppressing physical beauty, and it is such a subjective topic altogether, that I don't think the hijab fulfills its purpose. It does not deter ALL men from thinking of a woman sexually, for some men, it can be an even bigger turn-on. This does not stop men from committing perversive crimes or thoughts, though the purpose is to protect. I'm not saying women should be walking around in mini-skirts and show off all they have, but I do think a balance can be achieved for how you want to come off without the hijab, and no, that won't stop perversive behavior, but it still leaves it up to your discretion.
I respect people that wear the hijab properly, however, for the fact that they are committed to something and whole-heartedly follow it without being hypocritical (from what I can tell, at least).
I respect even more, people who are willing to question and look at different lifestyles and cultures.
It is ultimately up to the person, though.
I am all for people dressing how they want to, whether that means wearing a sari, kimonos, burkas, or whatever else.. so long as that is what they want and how they want to come off.
@TheHiddenPartofMe@xanga - I don't know if someone's already answered this, but Spencer Wall should live in Austin. The Daily Texan is a publication from UT. It's really not all that uncommon to see women dressed like that on campus, from what I remember. It's very diverse.
We can still be modest wihtout the hijab, we can still avoid physical contact with men, we can still have our own rules. I dont see the point why women cover their hair(head)? Why is the hair/head so tempting? full sleeves, loose fitted dresses...that all makes sense, but why cover the head? dont you feel dominated? why do you want to be mixed with someone else's religious culture, the hijab itself is an idea enforced by some dominating men who don't really respect women like they should. Its a very controversial issue and so i just want to say this much that i like the idea of modesty, but there are a million other ways to prove how modest you are. I'm also a little too orthodox in a lot of ways and modest too in the choices i make but in my opinion hijab is a symbol of slavery. I can keep the unwanted attention and bad boys away from me w/o the hijab.
@loving_emerald@xanga - I bet you would feel uncomfortable walking around naked, even if you found yourself in a nudist colony. Then again, maybe you wouldn't, I don't know. But a lot of people would. It just has to do with what she's comfortable wearing, and she feels most comfortable covered.
@Pinkglitterangel@xanga - that's all great that you can keep the attention away without the hijab. but some people, like i, choose to wear it. please don't say things like "hijab is a symbol of slavery." i know that#'s your opinion, but there's no basis for that. i wear hijab and i'm nobody's slave, i'm only a servant to my Lord, God. and no, i don't feel dominated at all. on the contrary, i feel free from having to look good for anybody else's eyes except them people whom i CHOOSE to see my beauty. and yes, hair is a major part of beauty. just from your photo, your hair looks nice and i can hardly see your face, but i'd say you're pretty. if hair didn't contribute to prettiness, then girls wouldn't bother to even try makin' their hair look good, but they do. i choose to cover up my hair and body, except my hands and face and feet, because that's my beauty, and i don't want any random dude to see my beauty. i only want the guy who deserves to see it, my husband, to have that honour. and that's why we wear it. :) not because we're slaves. and no dominating man told me to wear it. in fact, no man at all ever told me to wear it. not my dad, not the dude at the masjid, not anyone. and while we're at it, no lady told me to, either. nobody did, i chose to myself. :D