Essay about The Muslim Veil

Murphy tells us that “there is family pressure from fathers, husbands, or brothers who want their female relatives to be seen by society as a ‘good girl’ or ‘good woman’” (2). A growing number of female Muslim scholars believe this is due to the fact that most interpretations of the Koran have been done by men. Murphy quotes Asma Barlas, a scholar of the Koran, who says that “‘historically only male scholars have read the Koran…always within patriarchies’” (3). Just as interpretations of the Koran differ, not all Muslim countries agree that women must veil themselves. Murphy refers to a recent petition by conservatives in Kuwait to bar two elected women from the National Assembly because they do not wear a head scarf. Kuwait’s highest court ruled in the women’s favor, stating that the “constitution guarantees gender equality and freedom of choice in religion” (3). Because the values Kuwait’s court upheld are so similar to Western values, it would seem that Westerners might champion a woman’s decision to wear a veil as a matter of freedom of religion. However, this has not always been the case. In fact, some Western countries see danger in the veil rather than a woman exercising her freedom of religious choice.
The danger some Western countries see in the veil has to do with concerns about security in public places, but also reflects cultural insecurity on the part of some Westerners. The veil is thought to be