The Burqa Debate – A Fresh Perspective

As someone who is concerned with the construct of gender, the burqa is an interesting phenomena. With such issues, it is essential to consider the context in which the debate occurs. A women wearing a burqa or an abaya-shayla-niqab combination in a ‘western’ society is very different from a woman in the Middle East doing so. There are various reasons for wearing such clothing; women may see this as an act of worship, an emulation of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad, an act of modesty and or piety, but a particularly interesting rationale is highly relevant to the context of living in a ‘western society’: the desire not to be objectified. Muslim women use the existence of such clothing within the Islamic faith to subvert the extreme pressure placed upon women to dress and appear in a certain way. They’re saying: ‘I am covering my clothes – don’t judge me on how I dress’, ‘I am covering my face and my hair, don’t judge me on how I look’.

In a ‘western’ context, such a rationale seems noble. Critics of this dress may point to other countries where such a dress is not so much of a free choice (culturally, socially and/or legally) and consider it insulting that women would take this up willingly. Perhaps both sides are guilty: one side of divorcing their argument from the global, and one from divorcing their argument from the local.

However the question that needs to be asked is: to what extent does adoption of this dress mean acceptance and internalisation of other misogynistic aspects of Islam? It is important to remember that very similar forms of dress have been worn by women of other faiths (for example; the ‘frumka’ Jewish burqa ‘cult’ in Israel and the veiling of Carmalite Nuns). Yet given arguments for the veil cannot be divorced from Islamic Orthodoxy, especially where the burqa appears from the narrative of hijab (which [may] also include[s]; lowering one’s voice, not leaving home without a mahram – male chapparone) – such women are likely to believe that all solutions for women are within Islam, which does not stipulate such extensive covering for men whom are also increasingly sexualised and commodified in ‘western’ societies. This also ignores the way in which women can be creative in subverting this grotesque sexualisation of women with all its worrying consequences (eating disorders, cosmetic surgery etc.).

Kandiyoti spoke of a ‘patriarchal bargain’, which wikipedia describes as ‘a tactic in which a woman chooses to accommodate and uphold patriarchal norms, accepting gender roles that disadvantage women overall but maximizing her own power and options’. This may be useful to explain why women may adopt such modes of dress and behaviour, especially in contexts where they enjoy greater autonomy. Where we see increasing destabilisation of families in ‘western’ societies and heavy sexualisation of both sexes, adopting the burqa as part of a wider patriarchal ideology in contrast to secular ‘western’ patriarchy, women may find the Islamic model appealing with practices like mahr and the principle of a man being the provider for the family.

I also believe we need to analyse the meaning of the burqa as a garment mandated for women. What does it say about the nature of women’s bodies and their self expression, that their clothing and face should be covered? The burqa can be seen as a form of sexualisation akin to miniskirts and bikinis in so far that they place a heavy emphasis on the physical form – yet if we accept the arguments offered by burqa-supporters, what does it say about chaste women from within and from outside Islam who don’t dress in this manner? What about tribal communities where women expose their breasts and breasts are not considered sexual by local communities? The burqa divorces such nuance and subjectivity from the debate and seeks to homogenise women’s bodies and heterosexual male desire, and furthermore relies on a simplistic, essentialist view of all ‘western’ women.

Divorced from Islamic narrative, is there a Gramsci-inspired 'counter-hegemony' case for a universal genderless burqa? Not only to subvert and challenge the obsession with perfect bodies and appearance that pervades ‘western’ society, but as a rejection of the excesses of capitalism which seeks to command our bodies in its image, to drive away individuality and development of personality in pursuit of profit?

Finally, I believe it should be recognised that such debates do not occur in a vacuum considering current affairs, and the disproportionate way in which the media obsesses over Islam. Any frank and honest discussion about the place of women and men in any society other than our own must also be accompanied by a critique of the problems within our own society, lest such debates become about ego.