Friday, April 22, 2011

The debate about American Muslim women wearing the veil continues

I talked about the ban in France. I talked about wearing the veil in general. However,the experience of American Muslim women wearing the veil  in American educaion system happens to be the topic of my doctoral dissertation. That is the reason why I avoided talking about it. After one year of qualitative research, I have an appointment with my professor on Thursday and I am considering the possibility of switching topic.
I started without any prejudice or assumption to allow the women to talk and give me their experience. However, I truly believed deep down that once it is privileged information my participants would talk about how they were forced to wear the veil and how it impacted their lives. Well, I was proven wrong.

It is silly to discuss early results on a blog and my professor thankfully does not know about my blog so here it is, American Muslim women to whom I talked and interviewed viewed the veil as part of their identities and they were Not forced to wear it.
A participant told me: “Islam is a way of life and that is how I choose to live my life.”
A number of them were afraid to be forced to remove it one day. This is Not my personal view but rather what I found from Muslim American women.

Wearing the veil is their right and Islamic duties which they chose to exercise.
 My appointment is on Thursday, all in favor of me switching topic say I

2 comments:

  1. "Sunshine Sam" Klein (a "Jewish Sufi")April 22, 2011 at 6:27 AM

    I wish you wouldn't switch from the topic you originally chose, of: "How American Women Are Forced To Wear The Veil". I don't think this question is resolved, as yet. They may tell you the "Veil" is a way of Life- but the "Veil" & "Islam" are two entirely different things- "The Veil is not Islam" & "Islam is NOT the Veil"! When I hear Arab Women on TV like Irsad Manjee, talk about how her Life is so "forced upon her", by Orthodox Islam fanaticism, that she had to leave her religion and become an athiest- I can see so very clearly, that ALL AMERICAN ARAB WOMEN DO NOT THINK ALIKE! That is why I would love to see you stay with your original "Research", and explore the full-spectrum of ideas put forth by many, many Arab/Islamic Women- before you come to any "full closure". (I doubt if you have a "full sampling" of enough "Veil Wearing Arab-American Women" to say that your dissertation is "Complete"). You personally do not agree with these Women; you tell me you feel France is right in their Policy of "banning the veil". How do you know for sure that the small sampling of Women you previously interviewed, truly represent what the majority of Islamic Women "REALLY FEEL"? I realize that SOME really feel that way- but how many of them are harassed by their husbands, parents, Imams, and other significant-others (afraid to "speak out"- lest they lose their families & friends; but are not telling the World, what they "HONESTLY FEEL", if they felt free to do so!) Think of all these things Samara, before you make your final decision to "Switch Topics" as you say. I feel you will feel a whole lot better if you knew for certain- whether you are the "ONLY ONE" who feels the way you do (or whether there aren't a lot who feel the same- but because of "Fear" of abandonment, violence, ridicule etc., are silently "hiding in the closet" so to speak. Continue studying your Faith to find out what is "True Islam" and what is "Sharia Law" being "disguised as Islam". This will not only help you to write the Book, you've been longing to Publish for such a Long Time- it will also help so many other Lost Souls like Yourselves- who want to Live a Life of Honesty and "True Islam", but for reasons already mentioned, are living fearful lives of "Quiet Desperation"! Your Book can be a "Lighthouse in the Storm" for Women like Yourself, who "Stumble in the Dark", faithful to their "Truth", but not giving up Hope for a "Kinder Fate" from a more "Loving God" of Islam...

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  2. "Sunshine Sam" Klein (a "Jewish Sufi")April 22, 2011 at 3:06 PM

    CORRECTION: I want to report here, that one of my Statements above is "Factually Incorrect". I just watched Irshad Manji on the Chris Matthews Show on MSNBC, and she said she was a "Devout Muslim". I am confusing her with an African Woman Muslim, who because of "Forced Female-Circumcision", renounced her Muslim Faith. I apologize both to her, and to you, Samara, as well (and to anyone else who may have read my mistaken Statement-above on this Blog). But I am sure that she is against forcing Muslim Women, to wear the Veil against their Will. SHOLOM!

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