Freedom of Clothes

Faizah Asif
May 19, 2021

Many know the hijab to be the head covering that many Muslim women can be seen wearing on a day-to-day basis, but the hijab is a much deeper concept that is followed by both men and women in the Islam religion. Although the Arabic definition of hijab is quite literally ‘partition,’ hijab is a principle followed by Muslims which encompasses both modest dressing attire and behavior. While the hijab may only be known as a head covering in Western societies,  ‘khimaar’ is the correct term for the covering of the head. Niqab is a face covering worn by some Muslim women as well. The degree to which a Muslim follows these guidelines varies, but are all done by choice- contrary to popular belief. 

In the past decade, there have been several western countries that have had a pushback against the hijab, most notably France but most recently, Switzerland. In less than a month, Switzerland will have a public vote to determine if full face coverings, like the niqab, should be banned.2 These recent events regarding the hijab raises a crucial question: if countries promise freedom to all their citizens, then aren’t policies related to the hijab violating that right?

If one has the freedom to choose what he or she wears, why should the choice to cover up be illegal?

Although the Swiss government is vouching against this ban, their very own Egerkinger Komitee proposed the ban.3The Egerkinger Komitee consists of members of the Swiss People’s Party (SPP), a national-conservative and right-wing populist group.5 Although the party is infamous for their negative opinion on elitist politicians, they are known for being anti-immigration as well as a large factor behind the minaret controversy in 2009: in which the group pushed for a referendum that would ban the construction of further minarets .4 They are now pushing for a ban that says “no one shall cover their face in public, nor in areas accessible to the public or in areas where services are ordinarily accessible to all.”5 Polling indicated 63% of Swiss people intend to vote in favor of the ban.6

The choice to cover up should not be banned in countries where freedom is a right. If one can have freedom of religion, then having bans against certain practices will put a direct hold on the latter. Being intolerant towards others’ beliefs makes it difficult for growth in our societies, and is a regression to the past. Instead of learning and understanding different cultures and religions, bans like these cause more misconceptions across the world, and encourages others to continue their misconceptions and hatred towards those that are different from themselves. It’s crucial for people and governments to push against such bans, and to stand up for women to be able to ultimately choose whether they wish to cover up, or not.