The Head Scarf Controversy

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A former stockroom worker for Abercrombie & Fitch Co. sued the clothing retailer in federal court Monday, saying she was illegally fired after refusing to remove her Muslim headscarf while on the job.”

Before I embark upon writing the issues let me clarify I am also new to the hijab, if you count the on again off again shenanigans …. But it was introduce to me in its ultimate sense when I entered UIA 10 years ago( still managed to play hooky with it until last ramadhan). So reading this, one might say aha… that’s why she is so gung-ho about it… well let me clarify the things even during these shenanigans I do feel that hijab clad women not only are being discriminated but in worst case scenario these discrimination are being marginalize .
Let me narrate a story that happened  to my colleague that encountered such issues in Malaysia , she was very traditional in wearing hijab and mainly resort to dark colored hijab, she was an amazing teacher , but she was refused the job by a private institution in Malaysia because of her appearance. Not only that the interviewer also resort to humiliate her during interviews, yes this company is situated in Malaysia, owned by a Muslim women  and the interviewer was also a Muslim women. I was later employed by this institution on temporary basis needless to say it was the worst place to work. Yes this is not a western thing it is also a Malaysian thing; many Muslim women for some reasons resort to think that you would only look presentable in miniskirt, well everybody is entitle to their own opinion, I am not going to agree or disagree on this, but I do disagree when you let your cloth define you, you should be the one defining your cloth be it micro miniskirt or burqa …
The dawn of Islam in 7th century Arabia, brought light to women who were oppressed under a chauvinistic dynasty, Islam brought the idea of the rights of women and together with it an Islamic feminist movement, this concept of rights was unheard of in the west until the beginning of the 19th century.  With this being said many of my liberal and western counterparts might ask me? If you have rights then why are you being oppressed by  men. The hijab is men tools of oppression.
Again the air needs to be cleared, the hijab to me personally is not an object of oppression but rather it gives me independence to choose what I let strangers sees, I have control upon my body in the  most  definitive utter sense. I choose not to be an object of sexuality; I choose who I allow to see the most intimate part of my body. I feel I have control, I feel safe… I choose not to let men gawk at me. So if wearing hijab to you is a tool of oppression I say think again…. Because for me hijab have become a tool of liberation because I now truly feel liberated… For a lot of people in the West, Hijab – or covering ones’ head according to the teachings of Islam is a puzzle. Feminists consider Hijab as a tool of oppression, one used by men to suppress women. What most people fail to realise is that Hijab is a choice most women make and has nothing to do with oppression
Coming back to issue at bay why are women who decide to be modest are being discriminated…? So let go down to another question Should women be allowed to wear a bikini at the beach? Yes, and they are. If they CHOOSE not to, that should be THEIR decision. This is my stand on the issue We need not to vote whether women should wear shorts or what not because as an individual, she also has the right to wear anything that is suitable for the weather, for her convenience and for the activity she engages in.She need no permission from us nor even from her husband,  on what clothes to wear. – this should be respected. Freedom of choice, together with the diversity should be respected.
If a woman wants to wear hijab the same philosophy applies,  nobody in the world has the right to force her to wear something else. If she is deep into Islam and follows the teaching taught therein, she sure can continue with her choice. But, that must be her ‘choice’ irrespective of what her husband, religion or the nation wants. This is what we call freedom of choice – including the freedom to wear anything. However, if some entity forcefully impose the wearing or forcefully remove the notion of hijab, this is something that is against the basic freedom and choice of human beings. Free will is the apparent ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints apparently to me if feminist are kickin n screaming about how women is oppressed by hijab I think its about time they starts looking into cases when women wanted to wear hijab but was forced not to... freedom to me is not a one way street . in order for free will to exist discrimination must ceased to exist