The Hijab Heather Mallick Analysis

As Canada's population becomes increasingly diverse and more ethnicities become integrated into society, the use of Hijabs and Niqabs amongst Muslim and Islamic women has become a heated topic of debate throughout the Nation. These two pieces of head-wear represent more than simple articles of clothing to both Canadians and those from Middle Eastern decent. Within the essays "The Hijab" by Naheed Mustafa and "A Modest Proposal" by Heather Mallick, the two sides of this very debate are clear and passionately presented. Although at first glance, these two essays appear to be polar opposites in their views, upon further examination, it has become clear that "The Hijab" and "A Modest Proposal" are more similar than they would appear. Throughout the two essays, …show more content…
Mustafa perceives that wearing the Hijab gives her the advantage of being recognized for who she is, which will ultimately allow her to interact within society without being hindered by outward appearance. Mustafa closes her essay powerfully by proclaiming, "True equality will be had only when women don't need to display themselves to get attention and won't need to defend their decision to keep their bodies to themselves" (489). Alternatively, author Heather Mallick believes that wearing the Niqab denounces men everywhere and actually furthers the gap between genders. Mallick believes that using the Niqab to cover a woman's body breeds a hostile environment and has the potential to offend as Mallick states, "men whose co-operation this feminist needs to build a society that will be fair to our daughters" (492). Mallick believes that in order to bring equality between men and women, there needs to be a mutual trust between the two genders which, in her opinion, is seriously hindered by the