assalamualaikum friends and welcome to a Muslim mum podcast Bismillah ar-rahman ar-rahim the Hadith we're going to look at today is Modesty is a branch of faith. And that's in the book of bihari. So what is the word for modesty is here? And what is here? It's bashfulness and shyness and it means to restrain oneself from sin and it's that's the most important obligation of our faith the Hadith refers to hair modesty that comes from Iman. And so to cultivate that modesty we have to predict our head, you know, I might you know, what's in our head am I? And our hearts and what it contains we need to remember death and the trials of the Grave. We need to stop being so attached the adornments of this world. And it's so it's not just when we sometimes think of modesty. Okay, a lot of us women will think modesty modest clothing, you know covering up and it's you know, it's what the Hadith hair is really talking about. Those things will come into being modest of course, but when we think of modesty in link to our belief our faith, and so it's not only will we then Then think okay. I'm going to be modest in my dress but also going to then think about we're going to be modest in our Behavior as in we're not going to be arrogant, you know, the opposite of being you know, so being immodest we're going to stay away from that and if we think of immodest Behavior so some we might be thinking well, I don't go to a nightclub say for example, I don't go and I'm not dating other men. I'm not you know stuff like I'm not Mixing and doing you know Haram things with other men yet. So we can sometimes think so therefore I am modest but this Hadith what I would for me, it's become a starting point to find out more about what does modesty mean in Islam and I think I think that because it is a very it's a very short Hadith and there are so what I would advise you and this is something I'm going to do is Research what does it mean to embody modesty as a concept as an idea and to live by in Islam and I'm not going to take my view of modesty from what is defined by the society. I live in so in UK or us I'm basically non-muslim liberal societies. They have a view of modesty and it really is open to interpretation. So for example, you know to you know, we're a very, you know, very Tight clothing but covers I could be wearing a skin-tight jeans down to my ankles and a head scarf or you know or in a very tight fitting top and someone could say to me. Oh you're modest because it's cover. You know, I'm not showing any flesh, but then a woman could think you know, well, I think modesty or even a man for example, I think it's modest when I am just not being boastful get there. So many what I'm trying to explain Is non-muslims have a view of modesty and even this Muslims we're starting to have AV our own personal view of modesty. But what we need to do is look refer back to what does Islam say about modesty in our clothing and our Behavior because the Hadith is saying modesty is a branch of Faith. So if it meets a part of our faith, we need to make the effort to understand. What does it I mean Charlie, so that's what I have taken from this Hadith and I think the topic needs I need to spend more time researching it in Sharla in today's podcast. I have the pleasure of speaking to sister on parleyed from the US all college was born in Egypt and moved to u.s. At a young age. She completed memorization of the Quran early in life. And then she studied anthropology at Harvard University. She has served as a campus chaplain at Women's College in New England and Masha Allah and Muhammad is the mother for children whom she homeschools using a curriculum. She personally developed focusing on Islamic their Bia and inculcated strong convictions to her young children. I'm Harley it also teaches online at Asana Institute asslamu alaikum sister Jessica here for coming on to a Muslim man podcast. Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure to meet one. Excellent. So it's a lie. Now. I came across an article you wrote on the website and Muslim skeptic.com. And the title of the article was outgrowing feminist takes on the hijab. So what I was hoping to do in this episode of the podcast was and it's something that I think my listeners would really find interesting is to explore the different points. It's of the article in a bit more depth. So to begin with in the article, you described yourself as a feminist when you studied at Harvard. So I think many women who have gone to University may have also experienced what you experience. So could you explain why were you a feminist when you were University? Yes, absolutely. That's a really good question and the main reason I would As you know, why identified myself as a feminist by fan is really this atmosphere in this climate of liberalism. When you go into a liberal arts college, there is a lot of like there's a specific culture and a specific atmosphere. So I'll Define exactly what I mean a liberal arts college is a typically a college or a university where you study academic subjects like literature philosophy. The social sciences physical sciences things of that nature and the contrast is between these types of liberal arts colleges and then more Technical and more professional schools schools with professional or Technical Training. So when you go to a liberal arts college anywhere really in the West's in Western countries, the culture is infused with liberalism and liberalism just to give a quick brief definition is basically this it's a philosophy the liberal philosophy is basically Speaks this focus on the idea of Liberty Freedom Liberty autonomy personal agency and personal freedom. That is all just the core. This is at the heart of everything and it's it's just a philosophy that goes way back to people like John Locke Montesquieu. It's in the wake of the French Revolution in Europe. This is you know, this philosophy or this belief began to spread and it's everywhere now and it's you know, basically, East mostly in Western countries non-muslim Western countries whether it's in North America or Europe, but it really has been brought all over the world with the internet and social media Etc. So liberalism is just its focus on the main human goal and what human beings all should strive for and should aim to achieve is its idea of Liberty and freedom. I want to be free. I am liberated. That's the highest goal that I have for myself. So when you go to liberal arts college, that's what you were taught. It's very implicit and It's explicit, you know, it's stated very, you know, overtly you want to be free. There's you know, where liberal this is. Liberalism is. This is what human happiness. This is where human happiness comes from. So feminism is a part of liberalism. Actually. It's a philosophy that is directly under the larger philosophy of liberalism. Everybody is a feminists you go. There you go to you know, I went to Harvard and I was a freshman in there and it's just this culture you feel it immediately. It's just and I never took a class academically to really study the attendance of you know, the history of Feminism so I didn't know all of that but I immediately started to kind of call myself and identify myself with this movement not knowing really much about it, except, you know women, you know, women are good. And I generally agree with that. I'm a woman so I thought okay. I'm a feminist then you know, and so and this was even though you were wearing humor and Joe Bob at the time. Yes. Yes. I am. I really you know, I worry I said where the cream are and eye covered and I tried to abide by the rules of hey ja but I thought there was no I thought there's no problem. You can be a Muslim and a practicing Muslim I striving you're covered but you can also be a feminist because it's them and feminism surely they're compatible but I had never really had never actually looked into feminism. I'd never actually studied any of the principles or anything with feminism, but I just thought because it's just it's almost like In the air, it's like in the water, you know, it's hugest everything else especially on a college campus in the western world, but really, oh really anywhere in society. It's just there. So you're just like I guess I'm a feminist now, that's what it is. Yeah. I think that many women including myself haven't studied what feminism actually is but it's very easy to adopt the ideas because they sound so good and sound so like basically So positive about women so we so you were so you're in University. And and if you could tell what was the context behind they were basically a sister and Gyptian fellow Egyptian sister at Kyoto University. She wanted to interview you so could you tell us a bit more about that? Yes, they'll basically I was a freshman. I majored in my family's Egyptian, you know, so and this other girl at Harvard also a a freshman at my same age and my singing year. She we just happened to meet randomly. I think at one of the you know, and then when she came back she was like, hey just randomly out of the blue. She said I know this is totally out of the blue, but do you want to be interviewed? I'd love to interview you and other Muslim girls at Harvard other freshmen girls about the hijab and why you guys dress the way that you dress and if you could explain that to me we could do an interview and I'll write an article about it for the Harvard Crimson the Harvard Crimson is the the campus newspaper at Harvard. So I was you know, I took it at face value. So sure that sounds great. When do you want to do it? So we did it. No, right. And so then so now it comes to the ike said the now you're not happy with now in 2019. You're not happy with the answers that you gave to to that in that interview. And so that's what you wrote the article. But and now this is what I found so it was actually quite funny and interesting because the answers that you gave are the answers that That in the past. I also would have given and if they're the answers that we see all on social media given by Muslim women when they ask that question. Why do you wear hijab or what does the hijab represent to you? So what I'd like love to do is go through the answers that you gave and if you can tell me why you no longer believe you know, those those answers are correct. So I'm going to read out your answers. So you say It hijab is not mandatory. It's a choice. See I'm not a pest like you think I chose to Don this piece of fabric on my head out of my own free will so what's wrong with saying that nothing? I stand by my statement. No, I'm joking. I'm totally kidding. That was a joke. I hope that was clear Yeah. So basically there's a lot wrong with that that it is not a statement that a believing Muslim woman should ever make when she's asked about why she is following any really any of the tenants of Islam any of the commands of Our Lord right of Allah, but specifically when you want to narrow it down just so that's like the general the general rule, but specifically when it comes to a job, why do you abide by the tendons of his jib? And also I want to say before I start in on the reasons and you know why my ancestors my previous answers when I was in college why they were wrong. I just want to give a quick just a quick clarification of what hijab means what I mean by that. I don't mean just simply a piece of fabric that one wears on one's head. Everyone's hair as a woman. I in general when I say hey Jeb, I mean the system of hijab because it is a total system. It's not like a piece of cloth that you wear. It's lowering the gazed and that goes for both men and for women men have to lower their gaze women have to lower their gaze. It's the dress code what the clothing that one wears and it's just not a small piece of fabric that you just kind of stick right on your head. It's includes a lot of different things, you know, so when we can get into exactly what had been tales for women, but just this idea of the system and separation between the genders proper etiquette not being not having a lot which is fill out these inter inter mixing or intermingling between the genders. So all of that is what I refer to that is the larger concept of hijab. It's a whole concept. It's a whole system that works beautifully and seamlessly together. Create a certain effect and we can talk about the specifics of the drama. But I just wanted to give that clarification. So we're not just simply talking about a pretty piece of fabric with flowers on it or whatever. You know that we put on our heads. It's a lot more than that. Yeah, awesome good. Yeah. Yeah, so so why is saying and that's our go-to thing is a gem is a choice. He's a hijab is my choice. I wear it because I chose to write why is that wrong? And you're right. We see that everywhere. We see that in you know all of our social media. Oh, is he in interviews whenever there's like, hey JB girls being interviewed by anybody the first thing she'll go to and this is what I did. The first thing I went to was. Oh it's a choice and why do we go there? I think for me at least speaking personally. I was so hyper aware. I was very very hyper conscious of how I was seen by non-muslims and I understood by comments or like looks that I would get or you know, just generally like you're aware right of how people see you and I understood that I was seeing As somebody who's depressed somebody who was made to dress that way or to do those things somebody who this is not her choice that she could do anything if she could choose to wear it or do or be anything. It wouldn't be this. This is not a choice that she made for herself. This is something that either was forced on her by her father or her uncle or her husband some man some man in her life made her do this. This is not what she wants. So I was I was aware of it. I just I had this conception I had this like idea. In my head on this is how a non-muslim see me because I grew up around and non-muslims. I grew up in New Jersey not a lot of Muslims in that specific area of New Jersey actually has a lot of Muslims in general but where the specific place where I grew up there was very few. So I just had this understanding that I looked like I stuck out and it was obvious that there was coercion in my life. Like I was coerced to cover my hair cut on my body. So my first instinct is whenever I'm asked why do you wear what you're wearing? I immediately feel like I'm on the defensive. Right. I have to justify myself be and I have to address this unspoken implicit. It's kind of like this unspoken accusation. Like did your dad make me do this is your husband forcing you to do this? So immediately my first instinct is to say oh no, it's a choice. Nobody's making me do this. I chose this for myself. I have all this agency. And then why do we even use these words when we go back to this idea of liberalism is I was completely poisoned by this idea of liberalism. As I went to school in America, I grew up here. I went I was at a liberal arts college. I was at Harvard. It's in the water. You can't get away from it, especially if you're not aware of it, and I wasn't and so then I would so for example when you would give that answer to people then would that satisfy them would they then think okay. Yeah, that's fine. I think generally I'm trying to remember back. I think generally yes for the most part maybe because maybe the people that I was speaking to or conversing with on this topic and maybe you are too polite or to just you kind of nice to to push back too much on it and say well but there's so much they could have come back with me. Then I would have been totally at a loss. Like I wasn't nothing I could have really replied with right because the easily write the answer they could give me when I give this vs answer all it's my choice look at I'm exercising my favorite Choice here. This is why I wear it. They would say well if you chose to could you take it off? That's the immediate reply. I think they were just too. I think they were too nice to our or something. You know? Yeah. I don't remember anyone ever saying that back to me when I would say that but they could easily say well it says it's a choice in all great then if you choose to take it off you could do that. Right and my answer would have to be a very uncomfortable. No, I can't you know, yeah, so we put ourselves in this bind when We fall into this delusion of all it's my choice. Hijab is not mandatory. I'm choosing it you fall you fall you put yourself in the strap, right? Yeah. And so now then this comes to the explained that you would also you'd say. Hijab is all about freedom. And again, the way people will weigh sisters are saying this as well is that I've got the freedom. It's actually they're now saying I've got the freedom to choose the way I wear hijab so and like One has the freedom to you know, so you can wear that and I'll wear this, you know, so, all right. No one has zero. No one has the right to tell me how to dress. How dare you try to tell a woman how to dress. This is my body my choice my you know, my attire and my personal choices that I'm making here and I have the freedom to choose whatever I want to choose right? So you're absolutely right. This is exactly what we hear and unfortunately from non-muslims and Muslims. It's mostly sisters are catching on to the same line about how dare you tell almost the moment how to dress. How dare you yeah, and where there's this righteous indignation. But the reality is this and this is again, this is if I could tell my younger self, you know how to answer these questions. I would go back and take that bag and I would say instead this is not about Freedom why the answer of freedom is wrong is that there is no there's not this concept of Freedom. We don't care about that. What is happening here is this is straight obedience, right? Hmm. We're not free and It's similar to choice. We're not free to just make a choice. Jeb is not my choice. It is mandatory. It is not about freedom to choose what I want or how to cover my body or Revere and my body it is a command from my Lord. My Lord created me. He is my master. I am his sleeve. It's very straightforward. It's very simple, right? So when I am commanded to do something once I've submitted to the basic premise that I was created by my Lord Allah and he has the right he owns. Me and he will speak to me. However, he sees fit and he will tell me to do whatever things he thinks. You know, whatever thing is in his wisdom. He will command me to do and I as a sleeve since I've submitted already myself and I call myself a Muslim and I believe in Allah I will submit to anything that He commands because I know that it's for my own good. It's not for Allah. It's for me so we can go through. I don't know if you if we have the time but I can very quickly very briefly go into the command for hijab or we're just where it is. I think that would be really useful. I think yeah, let's do that. Yeah. So basically there are a few different parts in the whole Quran where Allah Subhan Allah that he talks about the idea of covering and promote and dress code for women and you know, and so the probably the most famous one is and Surat Al has AB, I have 59 Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala says, yeah you have to be equally as well as you can with an etiquette when we say in what we need you mean I like in India. maybe you know delicate Euro goes on but basically this is a problem the a lot of pain with Alex telling the prophet alayhi Salat or sell them all profit tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the Believers and all the believing women to cover their order to take their jeddak surgery bam Genevieve Ian how they're basically their outer garment and Rapid over themselves, so that If this is better for them so that they are known recognized as believing women and show that they are not harassed or molested. So that's kind of the big idea that I think we most often here as one of the justifications for why job is alleged another area that also comes up is a lot of pain without any sort of the node is 31. This is a much longer area, but basically and this is where a lot of judgment the system of Egypt. It's a whole system. It's about lowering the gays. It's about not acting or intermingling with the opposite gender. And then in that area also Allah says when you live in a home arena Julian and let them take their him out and cover their front door cover their chests with the order the front of their body with it referring to Muslim women. And one thing that we find is there's a Hadith in that is narrated by bukhari formula. Who in this Ayah. It says I used to say when this specific verse was revealed. Remember when this first came down the women of the sahaba and eloquent I drain will be pleased with all of them those women actually tore up specific kinds of fact, it's almost like a big sheet. It was like a big thing of fabric. They tore it up and faction did so that it was something that they could cover their whole body. They did that immediately as soon as the community in down so it's about obedience and it's about submitting to the command of your sure of your Creator and doing exactly what you're told because you were told it literally because it was said to you I unlock the Muslim woman who she wants to Avail of she you know, you know, let's think he particularly maybe younger sisters younger women. They think you know, I want to wear hijab. I know I've heard that it's obligatory. Now, what can happen is they then will they go online to find out? Okay. Is it obligatory? Do I need to and I want they may even be going sincere that I To find the evidences for the job. So they'll go online or there may be people Muslim personalities that they know of so, they mean go to the lecomba social media say, oh, let me get the answer from them. Now. They're completely, you know sincere and wanting to find out but it's I think when the fact that you mentioned and Handler you mentioned Scholars that there we need to go to people of knowledge to find out those answers and whoever Who understand the Hadith who understand the Quran? I think what we were as Muslim and we mustn't go to someone who maybe just sell to job as their job or is a whether it's a YouTube personality or any kind of Muslim celebrity. That's not who you go to for your Islamic knowledge and guidance. It's a PS have knowledge. That's who you go to who have studied. Yes. Absolutely. You can't just take your knowledge or in from just anybody because writing is so precious it is. It's you're going to base your entire life. Your entire life will revolve on this on whatever you learn of secret knowledge, right so you have to be very careful and very selective with your sources and make absolutely sure that you're getting your in your religious and Deanie obligatory Knowledge from places where it's appropriate. You can't just follow a YouTube blogger. You can't, you know, there's a lot of just there's a lot of people out there social media is huge and it is wide world. It's like any any Muslim faith. Feels that they can give an opinion give it give a view less than they even say they're giving a pin. They just give a view I think this I think that but that does in Islam we don't have this idea of I think you know, I put an English translation of an eye. I'll do my own. I think that's something that if that's one message. I would love listeners to to get from this is that we all me you everyone We need to be since Anna attention because this is another thing that can sometimes come at that. All my intention is good. But then okay, how are you going to enact the intent that action you have to you know, find the evidences and go to some with knowledge to know exactly. What is the Sun? How do I so the basic question? How do I wear hijab? What is hijab? You know go to as you've said, you know, you've given evidences then find out. Okay, what does it mean practically? How do I live by? That the whole and what is what is her job, you know holistically not just or should I wear the green one or the red one? It's just what what is it? Is it more than just that piece of fabric on my head and the answer is absolutely yes. It is. It's a lot more than that. It's very comprehensive and we have to know all of the different factors all of the different pieces of what hijab really means, right? So sometimes because you'll see certain certain sisters and brothers, you know, unfortunately, it's on its goes both ways, but, you know covered in a certain way may be wearing The Hema on her head, but not not living out the rest of the different pieces, right? So like intermingling with opposite gender and laughing flirting joking with people of the opposite gender and you know, we sometimes we see this but that is not full cage at this is a job is not one thing. So I think yeah, absolutely. You're right. We have to be very sincere and have our right Nia Our intention should be good and then follow that up with the actual procedural likes. Steps, how do I okay in my nigga is good. I want to please my master. I want to cover my body in the way that he's commanded and I want to follow her judgment all of its different parts. But who should I go to a huge Eddie like tutorial blog? Yeah more like hey Jed had you be makeup artist really like I had any makeup girl on YouTube and figure out what Jamie is from her because she can give me an answer. There's a lot of Ready Answers that she is giving out but you're absolutely right. We have to go to people of knowledge. And yeah and his job is not just you wear hijab and then Also is tight like you're about something covering your hair but your legs are showing because your jeans are very descriptive. They describe your body or your shirt is shows your figure. So one thing also that this reminds me of there's this callers will elaborate on the different conditions of hey Jeb and part of it is they'll say lay a shift what I also can't be Shafiq can't be transparent like your clothing because you can cover your body but your shirt or whatever your dress is see-through so you can see your skin underneath so it can't be transparent and it Also can't be descriptive but I also is it does not describe so it can't be so clingy or so tight that it basically describes the shape of your limbs. This is the shape of your arm. This is the shape of your leg. This is etcetera. So there's certain requirements and it is absolutely necessary to go out and seek them and figure out what they are and they're not that complicated. I don't want to make it seem get a job is impossible means that you have to figure out and sift through it's very simple. It's very straightforward. You just cover your body and you know, either with the facing Put it in the hands were just face and hands showing and you know, don't don't describe it it anyway, don't let it show you know with this like tight clothing or transparent clothing Etc. Yeah. So now one of the other things that people say and what was sisters will say is that hijab makes me feel empowered now to an extent I can I can understand that if like when I think of it, I think we'll so I So I used to work in high school and so for me it's going to work. And basically I was taking my looks were taken out of the equation. So people could value, you know, well, they got to see was my face and hands and I'm teaching them and so the rest of it didn't matter so now but that word empowerment nowadays. It means more doesn't it especially to when feminists use it. So what's your take on using the word? Moment when you speak of your job, what do you think of that? Right? Well empowerment. You're absolutely right. It's taken on a life of its own right empowerment by itself is not necessarily like a dirty word or none of these words really are specifically like divorced from all of their connotations, right and all of the assumptions that are built into them, but it's very similar if you say oh hey Jacob is empowering. I wear it because I'm an empowered strong independent woman and I'm proud of my religion and proud of this. I'm proud of that and I mean power and you know, that's why I wear hijab is very similar to saying I wear it because I'm choosing to this is my choice. I'm exercising my personal agency or this is freeing me. I'm free when I wear the hijab and this is why right? So it's very similar. It's all kind of along the same lines and they're all they're all ideas that stem from the underlying concept of liberalism. Liberty is what we should all be pursuing anything that we do should be with the Of attaining personal Liberty and personal freedom and everything that maximizes freedom for me and liberty for me is good. I do it anything that minimizes Liberty or freedom for me is bad and I don't do it, right that's what liberalism liberalism is. And so if you say oh hey job in Powers me. That's why I do it. That's that's very similar. It's another cop by really interesting because if someone says, oh hey, well if I can prove to you that it's not empowering if I can tell you. Oh like this is you're caving into the patriarchy or just your giving all your power away and you should get own your sexuality only or body and you can have power over Men by displaying like what you've got basically right? That's that's empowering. So hijab is D empowering you if I can so if I'm almost in wants to argue with me. She could she could say that to me, right? Yeah that what would I say back? I would be stumped again. It's another trap. So we have to be aware of all of these traps and get away from them. Don't don't set yourself up. Basically what you're doing. It's like volleyball right you're playing. There's someone has to set you up and then you You do the final hit right? So we can't set ourselves up for these things for someone to just come and knock it over knock knock us right over and say well if it's so empowering like and basically we can prove us wrong and say it's not actually in power for the very opposite is empowerment, especially in feminist terms in the feminist, you know take on things. So then what we have to say, oh, you're right. It's not really empowering. I guess I should take it off then write your sentence of up with the strap. Hmm. Well, yeah, that makes sense. Does that make sense? So then if to so if someone were to well, I'm sure people have that if someone were to ask you now. Okay? Why do you wear hijab? What would be your short sweet answer that you give to them? Yeah. My eyes are absolutely up. Stop rambling my answer and I was very short and very very sweet. There's no mention of choice or empowerment or freedom in it at all. I say I wear this because I'm a Muslim and I've been commanded by God to wear this. I wear because mostly means one who submits to God and having submitted to God. I've already submitted right every aspect of my life. So dress is only one tiny aspect. I've submitted much more than this. This is nothing. So I do as I'm commanded, you know, and this is what I've been committed. So I do it's very easy. I obey God because the thing that if someone pushes back on this because I totally am aware of the fact that this is weird, right? This is very weird. No one says things like obedience anymore, but obey God are Are you high I've odds you know, like we just we don't talk this way anymore and I'm fully aware of that obviously, but I think if since every human being is born on the fifth row, right? This is the fifth bottle is this instinctive like deeper like like intuition that we all have human beings were all born having this sense of just certain things, right they were in built. They were built into us and what we sometimes we can lose bits of our fifth row and our filter can be warped. Totally changed based on what we see what we do the kinds of things that we input right sensory input like our eyes what we look at our ears what we hear when we listen to what the situation is that we expose ourselves to that can work on Foods. All right and change but generally human beings will have at least a small piece of their feet are still intact. So if you're talking to a non-muslim and they don't believe in Allah, you don't believe it is Slim and you explain it. Like look, we all have to obey something we all have to worship something or someone with you can't get away from me. No human being can ever be truly free. It's simply not possible. It's impossible to say. Oh, I'm free. I'm totally I have this unfettered Freedom, right? It's not true. You're kidding yourself. This is a form of delusion self-delusion, right? So since you have to worship something or someone you have to obey something or someone I would rather I obey God. I want to worship God. I don't want to worship the other stuff that you can worship what other stuff you can ask right? What else can you worship? You can worship money. You can worship team and status. You can worship. How many likes you get on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter, right? You can worship your own looks like your vanity, right? You can be in love with that. And that's what that's what motivates you to act in certain ways are safe secure and things or dress in a certain way because of vanity right straight vanity ego. So do you can worship so many different things and I since I understand that this is just a fact of life we have to worship some As human beings I want to be actually free. Now. This is real Freedom. Not your fake, you know plastic freedom of all, I'm freeing that this is a job is freeing and that's why I wear no since I actually seek real true genuine freedom. I want to be free from the various things that people, you know can possibly worship. I want to worship the actual thing that is worthy of worship. The only deity that actually exists that is worthy of worship for human beings. And human beings should worship God and I think that will touch on the filter out that is inside of the human being that you are talking to right they recognized it and I'm not saying they were love it or they're instantly fall into such dancing. Oh my gosh, you're so right, but just I think it will touch a chord within it wasn't it? Because it's true. Yeah that that I can see that so that the left hair implants for taking the time to share your experience and knowledge with us. It's really if listeners would like to read Eat your work or find find you online. How where can they find you? I am like a super active online. I just I have a Facebook page that I started somewhat recently, I guess so it was just um Holland just if you search on Facebook, that's that's where I am. And also I should also add I have some articles of mine the longer pieces that I write all going to be articles that you'll find on Muslim skeptic.com. That's just it's too weird. Words Muslim skeptic.com and so you'll find articles on their written by me and the final thing is I do also teach classes at ls9 Institute, which is an Institute that my husband and I co-founded together earlier this year and actually in January of 2019. So if you are interested, it's basically an online platform. It's like a sweet where you can take you can enroll and become a student and take classes on actually a lot of things that we touched on today including the idea of Realism and liberalism is what it means what it entails and how it affects our lives. Like today was just a tiny sliver of how liberalism can affect even like your ideas of dress and what he did might need or might not me. So anyway, so it's just things really to that and in trouble so you can find me there what I'll do, I'll put links to the sites. You said I'll put them in the description in Charlotte and yet and great and so it shall its ugly head again and inshallah Hope to speak to you again soon as I can. I'll hide for having me. I really appreciate this opportunity and it was really it was just a pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much. That's okay. Assalamualaikum. Waalaikumsalam.
Do you like the podcast? Do you find the Islamic advice in the podcast helpful? Would you like to support my work? I had completely bought into the idea that “ hijab is a choice,” that it was all about “freedom,” that it made me “empowered.” So is hijab a choice or is that just a feminist slogan? Listen to the podcast here Muslim women at Harvard discuss is hijab a choice? I was interviewed by a fellow Egyptian Muslim girl at Harvard (let’s call her Sara) about my experience with hijab. It was a group interview setting where Sara interviewed me as well as a few of my Muslim friends, asking each of us why we abided by the rules of hijab. She published the result of the interview as an article in the campus newspaper, the Harvard Crimson. Unbeknownst to me at the time, it was a trap. I found this out only when I read her article after it was published. It turns out that Sara had a bone to pick with Muslims who insisted on following the Islamic guidelines for dress. She began her article with a story about how when she went back to Egypt for a summer visit once, an older Egyptian woman, a stranger, chastised her for wearing in public a short shirt that showed her midriff. Sara angrily recounted how she was incensed by this incident. How dare anyone tell her how to dress! In America, nobody would ever dare do such a thing! But in backwards Islamic-law-adhering countries like Egypt, apparently a random strange woman on the street had no qualms about violating personal autonomy and policing another woman’s dress or public behavior. The nerve! So the semester after her summer in Egypt, Sara found herself a group of Muslim girls at Harvard whom she could interview about why they dressed as they did. Her article was a scathing review of the oppressiveness of the Islamic dress code and the naivety of the females, like me, who followed it. At college I was a Muslim feminist Looking back at this incident, I am not as bothered by Sara’s vindictive setup of an interview as much as I am by my own incoherently feminist answers to the question of why I wore the hijab. I have to admit: I was in my feminist phase back then, much to my chagrin. I had completely bought into the idea that “the hijab is a choice,” that it was all about “freedom,” that it made me “empowered.” I wince now in embarrassment to remember that these cliché feminist talking points about hijab were part of my answer to her question of why I wear it. I proudly parroted back the stuff I’d heard other American Muslim women say hijab was about: Hijab is not mandatory—it is a choice! See, I’m not oppressed like you think! I chose to don this piece of fabric on my head out of my own free will and it is a sign of my unfettered personal agency. Hijab is all about freedom! Wearing it makes me free of the oppressive gaze of men. It gives me the freedom to go about my life in public unburdened with the sexualization that can result with showing too much skin. Covering my body in this way is a way for me to gain freedom, you see. Hijab makes me feel empowered! I wear it to show my independence and power as a proud Muslim woman who is not scared of others, of being different, or of expressing my ethnic or religious heritage! America is a melting pot! 