Women’s clothing: Don’t fight oppression with oppression

France’s Union for Popular Movement (UMP) – which, when previously led by Nicolas Sarkozy banned the burqa in France – sparked controversy recently as female British MPs criticized the party over a sexism row. Accusations of sexism came after the centre-right party were seen in French Parliament hooting and crying “phwoar”at minister Cecile Duflot who was wearing a blue floral-print dress.

It was around the time of the burqa ban I began to delve into the reasons of why Muslim women dress the way they do. As a Hindu woman, I never had a true understanding of why these women chose to cover themselves. I concluded it to be for conservative religious beliefs, respected that and carried on with my own life.

Images of a 6ft supermodel with perfect bone structures, prominent assets and flawless skin is the depiction of what a woman should be, or at least encouraged to be by womens lifestyle magazines.

The “mannequines” as author Jean Kilbourne defines them, are constantly propagated through the media. Regurgitated on many media platforms they have the most profound impact on the socialisation of young boys and girls. Beautiful women with silky hair are plastered upon billboards, magazines and the internet. It is almost impossible to escape. But alongside conformity to this conventional beauty of these women there is no individualism, personality or signs of intelligence. And if there is, it is not deemed significant enough to advertise alongsides their body. Women are turning to extreme lengths to manipulate their faces and bodies, some even going as far as to have surgery such as bum implants.

Because these attitudes have formed in our subconscious and have become “the norm” there is a failure to recognize it as a form of oppression. The burqa on the other hand becomes oppressive only when a woman is forced to wear it. Why is not then deemed oppressive when women are objectified and face so many pressures to look aesthetically pleasing to benefit men?

Writer Ariel Levy suggests that we as women must be careful not to buy in to the sexualisation of women. In her book “Female Chauvinist Pig: Women and the rise of Raunch Culture” Levy points out “it no longer makes sense to blame men”. It is our responsibility as women to be conscious and realise that self-objectifying ourselves is not a form of female empowerment.

In a world that sexualises women in the media I now see my earlier perception of the burqa being “conservative” as not entirely accurate. The dominant reason I see for the practice is the women’s wish to preserve herself guided by the Quran under the concept of modesty. If anything, the way Muslim women dress can be liberating because it directly challenges the conventional ideology of beauty that pressurises women into manipulating the way they look. On encounters, it allows a woman to display her true inner beauty through her personality and intellect.

Men too have an equal role in respecting women. “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them.” – Quran 24:29. Men must refrain from being drawn to the sexualisation of women. If they see women as sexual objects in their path, they must lower gaze so they do not continue to see it.

The sexualisation of women in advertising reduces them to objects and de-emphasises individuality. Muslim dress – so often referred to as oppressive – can challenge this oppression, especially if they push for their intellectual voices to be heard.  It invokes a reminder that women are intelligent beings who should progress due to their merit, not their appearance.

The recent rejection of Aishwarya Rai’s weight gain after giving birth further exemplifies how far the idolisation of conventional beauty has come. Gaining weight after birth is a natural process, if we cannot embrace celebrities during motherhood, what can we embrace? Commentators said: “She needs to learn from people like Victoria Beckham who are back to size zero weeks after their delivery.” Do people genuinely believe that getting back to size zero should be the priority of a woman who has just entered motherhood?” Giving birth is one of the most beautiful things a woman can be part of, yet many despise the natural processes that come with it.

It is not a new argument that there is too much attention focussed on a woman’s body and the clothes she wears. This remains the case in the celebrity world, political world and the world of every woman. Sarkozy claimed the veil reduces women to “servitude and undermined their dignity” but can the same can not be said in regards to the way Duflot was treated in parliament?

In an interview with Le Figaro, Patrick Balkany, MP for Union for a Popular Movement (UPM) said: “If she didn’t want us to take an interest in her then she shouldn’t’ve changed her look. [Duflot] put on that dress so we wouldn’t listen to what she was saying.”

The hoots and cries over her blue floral-print dress gives the impression that the dress was to serve them. It undermines her dignity as the dress becomes a distraction over what she has to say.

Ultimately it is not the item of clothing itself that defines how liberated a woman is but her right to chose. What she wears should never be dictated by men or due to pressures from the world around her. Blaming an item of clothing and banning it is illogical; like trying to fight oppression with oppression. Within this right should be the ability for her to be perceived as a person, rather than an object that is defined by whether she choses to wear a burqa – or a blue-floral print dress.

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• http://www.facebook.com/zander.lestrange.1 Zander LeStrange

  Hey! What part of ‘consenting, loving adults who aren’t hurting me’ makes polygamy outside of your tolerance? (Certainly not for everyone, but it does happen). Same with homosexuality and ’sexual deviancy’? For me, personally, same goes for women in burqas – I don’t care, as long as they’re not making their own people or anyone else wear them…It’s worrying in that it can be a sign of Wahabbism, which could indeed be a threat to the natives…hence some of the hostility? What say?

• http://www.facebook.com/zander.lestrange.1 Zander LeStrange

  You really have a ‘thing’ against Christians, don’t you? I would go so far as to say it is not the Christians you should blame for attempting to uphold womens’ lib on this matter – in France. Besides, why should those countries give up their liberty-first values for you or anyone else? Don’t like it, don’t emigrate there. I’m not going to Saudi anytime soon. (However, I would like to meddle there, simply because I’m a self-titled/accused ‘culturalist’ – I think more Western attitudes could bring happiness to a greater number of people everywhere. Sure, Westerners can learn from other cultures, but mostly they need to learn from the West’s mistakes. (Been there, done that, now have peace and and lots of food.) Why else would people bother emigrating there specifically if life wasn’t better there?)

• http://www.facebook.com/zander.lestrange.1 Zander LeStrange

  Yes, I am. Thank you for the description and not silly names.
  I often would like to talk to the women, but feel they might find it rude to be asked.

• http://www.facebook.com/zander.lestrange.1 Zander LeStrange

  ”Rights, justice, inclusion, equality and respect are for PEOPLE, not for beliefs and parallel legal systems. To safeguard the rights and freedoms of all those living in Britain, there must be one secular law for all and no religious courts.” – Maryam Namazie (my capitals)

  To be honest, the burqa is not the problem – the problem is WHY anyone would feel the need to wear one in the first place. Misogyny? Insecurity? Piety? Most people want to hide from time to time – I even can imagine it being quite fun – for a day!

  My primary motivator in this debate is concern for the woman. I wonder who she is and what her story is and -maybe wrongly- worry about her and then conclude that she must just prefer a burqa over an abaya for whatever reason. Patronising? Not intentionally. Ignorant? Certainly – we wouldn’t be having this debate if non-muslims knew for certain. Online sources seem to be divided, indicating that, in terms of freedom, it was a case of opression vs opression, but don’t forget the security issues in there, too.

• Guest

  I know how us British women could help! They’re not blankets, they’re quite stylish, some of them! I bet they’re cosy in Winter; I’m tempted to wear one and challenge some stereotypes/get funny looks – well, I won’t because no-one’ll know it’s me…

• greggf

  “Decorum is much more than what one wears”

  Zan – Exactly!

• Newsbot9

  No, I have a “thing” against bigots. I’m a Jew and NOT a stateist.

  You’re the one demanding that the State have the ability to dictate acceptable clothing. You’re not a “Westener”, you’re a paternalist and a stateist.

• Newsbot9

  Yes, you keep on making excuses for the fact you’re demanding the right to determine what people may wear. You cannot claim liberty is on your side, it’s stateist suppression of liberty.

  You name the issue, actually – that it’s a “slight” to small-c Christian, “Western” culture – the culture of the Victorian era, to be precise.

  And it’s no surprise you’re a bigot, I don’t give a horse’s backside for your sophistry on the matter.

• monna_mm

  I now wear the burqa out of my own choice after reverting to islam. I cant understand how people say its oppressing when us sisters the ones wearing it have no complaints and CHOOSE TO. Why are people coming along saying its oppressing and speaking on behalf of someone else when they dont even wear the burqa and probably haven’t even spoken to someone that does??? I think the problem is, is that people cant understand why a women would choose to wear a burqa so they have to make excuses for it in there head such as……there forced. Well il tell you something its not that we been forced but, we have chosen to for several reason such as we have been commanded to cover by god, its stops us from getting annoyed by men, i personally feel im no longer an ‘object’ and that i am way more respected as human being with my opinions and not as a sex object.
  Now I can say i was oppressed before becoming a muslim and yes i can say that because i have lived and experienced both lives, that includes dressing the western way and now the islamic way. I would never want to go back to not wearing the burqa, i now feel truly liberated ! All praise and thanks is for Allah

• Maythefarcebewithyou

  I have no issue if a woman really wants to wear a burqa, or any other clothing.

  However we have seen all too many cases of so-called honour killings, forced marriages etc. for me to easily accept that a woman wants to wear it, as opposed to being pressurised into wearing it.