Morals Lost Over a Piece of Cloth?

I wear the Niqaab (veil covering the face) and I often get looks. I don’t mind people looking at me, however, when they stare it does annoy me somewhat. But what really angers me, is when certain people insult me and use the craziest justifications for doing so. Here are some of them:

1. Oppress the oppressed:
There are some who believe women who wear the niqaab are forced to do so. Now I’m not saying it doesn’t happen (rarely), but I hate the fact that many assume that is a reality for all who decide to dress this way. I wasn’t at all forced to wear the veil, infact I’m the first to do so in my family and I do it out of choice. I believe it is one of many ways of showing my commitment to Allah (God).

Anyway, there are some who believe I am oppressed, without even asking why I dress in such a manner. They then go on to insult me. Surely, if I was oppressed I deserve to be treated with kindness and empathy. Yet, the fact that they go on to insult me because of the way I dress, is not because they really think I’m oppressed, but simply because they don’t like how I dress. Claiming that I’m oppressed, is just to defame the niqaab and to justify insulting me and the veil.

Let me make it clear again. I am not oppressed. Nobody can make me do anything. I choose what to do and when to do it. What I do find oppressing is when people speak for me. I do not need you to tell me how to feel or how to think. I do not need you to dictate to me what is normal and what is wrong, or for you to tell me how to live and how to define 'oppression'. You are oppressing me, when you tell me that I cannot be myself.

2. Sexism against a Muslim woman
Now this breed of attackers are in denial. They claim that I wear the niqaab as a result of sexism. In reality they are the sexist ones. Despite me choosing to dress this way, they claim I am brainwashed and that the best way for a woman to dress is by revealing herself. Now I don’t want to get into a debate as to how a woman should dress, but you should know that I do not dress for the pleasure of men. I refuse to be treated like a sexual object and so me dressing the way I do, I believe safeguards me from this.

3. Violence against Muslim females to feel like a 'man'
Now an extreme faction of the above breed, are the males who think it is perfectly acceptable to physically abuse Muslim women. I have been spat at and threatened to be beaten by men who dislike how I dress. These very men would never condone the beating of their own daughters or mothers. However, their double standards allow them to think this is OK. If only they knew how idiotic and beastly they look when being agressive to a female who is young enough to be their daughter.

4. The result of no logic and ignorance
This group of attackers consists of pure idiots with no knowledge on Islam (and probably many other things) whatsoever. They will literally call me all the names under the sun. Once they’ve repetitvely used all the Islamophobic profanities they know, they move on to racist obscenities, sexist slurs and anything else that comes to mind.

If you’re reading this and you’ve taken part in any of the behaviour mentioned above or think it’s OK to do so; ask yourself this: how would you feel if an individual treated you in such a manner? How would you feel if your young daughter feared going, out as she knew she would fall victim to an attack?

If you have any questions or want to know more about Islam, just ask, but don’t make incorrect assumptions or attack somebody simply because of how they dress.