Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil: Challenging Historical & Modern Stereotypes

by Katherine Bullock

A powerful critique of the popular western notion that the veil is a symbol of Muslim women's oppression. In postulating a positive theory of the hijâb, the author challenges with great sophistication both the commonly held view of Muslim women being subjugated by men, as well as the liberal feminists’ who criticize the choice of women to cover themselves as ultimately unliberating. The author argues that in a culture of consumerism, the hijâb can be experienced as a liberation from the tyranny of the beauty myth and the thin "ideal" woman. In dispelling some widely held myths about Muslim women and the hijâb, the author introduces respectability to the voice of believing Muslim women, claiming that liberation and the equality of women are fundamental to Islam itself.

Genres: Islam, Feminism, Nonfiction, Religion, Gender, Politics, Spirituality

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2002

About the author

Katherine Bullock completed her PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto, in 1999.

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before this book I had no prior knowledge about Muslim women and the veil, other than what mass media has fed me. I think everyone should read this book because it gives a true depiction of the history behind the veil and what it is like for women today.

[Candace Archuleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

i never thought i'd understand the idea of hijab's but after i read this i actually contemplated buying one.

[كِـنزة بلقـاسم · Rating 4 out of 5]

على كل مسلمة قراءة هذه الرسالة لتدرك أن الحجاب ليس حرية شخصية كما يريدون ايهامك .. بل هذا الإيهام خطة جهنمية للوصول إليك ينسجونه منذ قرون وقرون

[Talal Alshareef · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب جميل في بابه. تتحدث فيه مؤلفته عن نظرة الغرب العدائية للحجاب، وتعزو ذلك إما إلى جهلهم وسيطرة الصورة الإعلامية السلبية، أو إلى الدراسات الاستشراقية التي جعلت مثقفي الغرب يؤمنون بأن الحجاب هو أداة قهر وتغييب للنساء.

يتخلل الكتاب مقابلات مع مسلمات متحجبات وغير متحجبات، ويتيح لهم الفرصة بأن يطرحوا وجهة نظرهم تجاهه. وتقوم المؤلفة كذلك بالرد على من تزعم الهجوم على الحجاب من نسويات غربيات وعربيات.

يعيب الكتاب طرحه لأسئلة وشبه دون النجاح في الإجابة عليها إجابات مقنعة

[Zainab Bint Younus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Katherine Bullock's book "Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil: Challenging Historical and Modern Stereotypes" is an AMAZING resource for hijab-related discourse, specifically countering Western Orientalist/ secular feminist propaganda of hijab and Muslim women. She is a convert, and her dedication towards defending the Deen is clear in her work.

She delves into historical takes on hijab/ forced de-hijabing (Algeria, Iran)/ re-veiling around the world; experiences of Muslim women in Canada putting on hijab; in-depth critique of Western propaganda about hijab/ Islam/ Muslim women; perceptions of hijab from Muslim women themselves; and - most valuable to me - a BRILLIANT and detailed rebuttal of Fatima Mernissi's garbage takes on hijab (have posted about this previously).

While this was published in the early 2000s, almost all of it remains extremely relevant... and far better done than your usual Muslamic hijab talks/ discussions.

An updated version would have to include the emergence of hijabista fashion trends and how they have been responsible for projecting sexualized beauty standards even onto hijabi fashion, but those are already discussions that have been had in many other areas of academia, the Muslim community, and the Internet overall.

It almost made me a little sad to see references to a time when people did take hijab more seriously, in particular Muslim men who actually made a point of lowering their gazes and not just fetishizing hijabis further... but I suppose that's also a discussion for another time and place.

Dr. Bullock's work is a must-have resource for ANYONE involved in da'wah, for its critical engagement and analysis of secular propaganda, as well as its recognition of non-utopian realities amongst Muslims.

5/5 🌟

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[Ammena · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book if you are into statistics and research questionnaire type answers. This book was based around her thesis so you can imagine the wording and general style but I found it surprisingly refreshing. I would definately recommend it, but I think I would be specific to whom I recommend it too as I know for some people it might be too much.

However, if anyone wanted to try it, it really is a great piece of information

[ساره ابو سالم · Rating 5 out of 5]

اعتقد لو حاولت الفتيات المسلمات قراءة هذا الكتاب وفهمه فلن يداهمنهن الشك بامر الحجاب ابدا ،ولن يحرك الشيطان قلوبهن بالابتعاد عن الاحتشام... مع اني أرى توجه سلبي بشأن الحجاب في الشرق الاوسط بحيث احتل التصور الاستشراقي العقول..

"يقول ادوارد سعيد : أن مجرد إعلان الهوية الأسلامية من قبل أي مسلم تقريبا يكاد يكون تحديا كونيا، وضرورة من ضرورات البقاء. "

[Amal Shoeib · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author sophisticatedly argues that the Hijab is not oppressive to women. The Hijab can be experienced as a liberation from the tyranny of thr superficial beauty myth and the thin ideal woman.
The author disputes the rhetoric that modernity and westernization freed women. on the contrary, Seclusion increased in the Ottoman Empire during European penetration.Moreover, 12Women in Egypt were not so lucky. Muhammad Ali’s (1805–1848) centralization program deprived them of economic independence. In Mamluk Egypt (1254–1811) upper- and middleclass women had actively participated in the economy. Elite women were significant property owners and tax farmers. They engaged in trade and commerce.In addition, the new centralized system also introduced new institutions derived from Europe that militated against women. Banks, stock exchanges, insurance companies, et cetera, in Europe did not recognize the legal existence of women; and so they followed the same strategies in Egypt. Women were not allowed to open bank accounts in their own names.

what really shattered my heart is the stories that were told by the veiled women whom the author interviewed. The prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping these women challenges is unbearable. It was really shocking to find out how some mentalities in the Western eorld can really work!
This book is an asset to every muslim girl who is constantly defending her Hijab.

[Amanda J · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the most thorough exploration of the narratives of hijab that I have read thus far. Bullock explores different opinions on hijab from Muslim women in the West, comparing these interviews with Western liberalism and historical, imperialist Orientalism.

There is an extensive background provided on other literature addressing the veil, as well as closing with her well-thought-out theory of the veil and its benefits. Bullock does well in specifying her theory as to those who have a legitimate choice in wearing the veil, identifying examples like Iran (where there were both prohibitions and now requirements in recent history), Taliban-controlled territories, and even the Gulf countries.

I can't think of a single point that she missed throughout the book, addressing laws prohibiting and requiring the veil, social pressures to both veil and unveil, ideas of the veil being present solely to suppress the sexuality and/or public activities of women, and the responsibility of men in social interactions to remain "proper".

Written in easy, accessible language, this book is a great read for all - both Muslim and non-Muslim.

[مشاعر · Rating 4 out of 5]

هذه المرة الثالثة التي اقرأ بها الكتاب في المرتين الأوليتين بدأت به ولم أتمه لكن شجعني أن اقرأه كونه أحد توصيات الدكتور محمد العوضي.
اخر ما توقعته هو أن أقرا كتاب عن موضوع الحجاب.
اكتفيت من تلك المطويات والكتيبات ومن الخطاب التقليدي عن الحجاب.
لكن هذا الكتاب يعرضه من وجهة نظر جديدة بالنسبة لي من وجهة نظر الآخر
( نظرة الغرب إلى الحجاب)
أعجبت بها و بتحليلها العميق.
بدأت بنظرة تاريخية.
مقابلات مع عينة اختارتها لدراستها.
الأسباب الداعية لدراسة الحجاب.
رأي فاطمة المرنيسي عن الاسلام والحجاب، وردت عليها.
النظرة البديلة نحو الحجاب.
أنقصت نجمة بسبب التكرار .
.....
من قراءتي لأراء القراء في جودريدز حول الكتاب. أعتقد أنه حقق هدفه بنجاح، وهو تغيير الفكرة السائدة أن الحجاب يرتبط دائماً بالقهر والارهاب.

.....
بحكم النشأة في السعودية فالحجاب أمر مفروغ منه، ليس لنا أن نختار ارتداء الحجاب من عدمه.
لم يخطر ببالي من قبل التفكير في الأبعاد التي يشكلها الحجاب في الغرب.
.....
اخيراً: ممتنة لمن أتاح لي فرصة قراءة هذا الكتاب، شكراً.

[Kaydon_the_dino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not having a ton of background on the topic of Islam or veiling, I really enjoyed the critique and perspectives found within this book. The absolute best part, for me anyway, was the first part about the connection between veiling and colonialism. I am always down for that sort of historical critique!

[Zarmeen Lakhani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in 2018 for my course Socio Economic Philosophy of Islam, and I must say I loved how she debunked the western construct of beauty.

[Noor Saadeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most insightful books on Hijaab and the historical western fascination with all things covered in the Muslim world.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

fairly inclusive account of the history of the veil, how orientalism and feminism enter into the debate, and why there is even a debate to begin with. well executed and would recommend to anyone.

[nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ rounded to 5

i have a lot to say about this book, i came in hearing about its praises and expecting it to be really good, and it delivered exceptionally: the first chapter alone was the best, most concise history i've read about the hijab and its weaponization by colonialists. i feel stronger than ever in my conviction of western ethnocentrism. this book is embedded with gems of knowledge: learning about orientalism, imperialism, the European gaze, and so much more, it is a must read for Muslims and non-Muslims because it sheds light on how and why the hijab became as polarized as it is today. such an eye-opener i cannot stress enough just how powerful the explanation of the European gaze was.

i also enjoyed the critiques of secular feminists in their arguments against the hijab and how they inadvertently fall into the Orientalist notions of Islam, and just misunderstanding Islam in general: Muslims today are not indicative of true Islam, there's so many sociopolitical and cultural factors at play that makes it impossible to draw a causal relationship. i really like her quote along the lines of "there is no Islam nation, only various Muslim nations claiming allegiance to Islam" because it clarifies that no nation can truly represent Islam: the closest one deserving of that title would be the salaf. there's many similarly powerful quotes from this book that also really bring a lot of clarity from the muddle. it acknowledges normative Islam (the perfect ideal) and the imperfections of the Muslim community today that weaponize Islam and the hijab.

i'd say this book is near perfect, its only flaw being some of its explanation for why women wear the hijab in Chapter Five. now, i strongly agree with the hijab as resistance against capitalism, consumerism, and beauty standards, and i'm so happy that the book talked about that, but what i take issue with is her explanation in Section D, where she critiques feminist assumption that the hijab is "women changing to accommodate men's lack of control over their sexual desires", and says that the hijab and lowering the gaze goes both ways: so the hijab is worn to reduce male desire but men too are called to lower their gaze regardless if women are covering or not (and vice versa, women lower their gaze and men cover).

in my opinion, it seemed like she simply agreed with the feminist notion she's critiquing. i do agree that the hijab can curb male sexual desire, and i agree with her moderate point that "nature/nurture is an enigma never to be solved" and women veiling is a legitimate understanding of the patriarchal societal expectations that still can be seen in men today and it will always be stronger than any counterforce (women revealing their bodies in sexual liberation), thus hijab is adequate strategy/accomodation in living in such a patriarchal world. but the fact that men can benefit from women wearing the hijab (easier to lower their gaze, etc) does not mean that that's a reason why women wear it. that's just an added side benefit, not the primary purpose.

i believe it is much better to shift the focus from men to women: instead of "women wear hijab to reduce male harrassment or to help men harrass less" it's "women wear hijab to decenter the male gaze for themselves". hijab benefits women first, not men. her take just felt a bit defeatist, especially considering that the hijab will definitely not *fully* protect women from male harrassment even if it does reduce it, ultimately men are still responsible for their actions and they must be held accountable no matter what a woman is wearing. it feels like she conflated the motivations of power and lust, where the hijab can't really protect against the former but can for the latter, and she seems to acknowledge this.

although i disagree with this reasoning of hers (not that it's false, just that it shouldn't be used to convince women to veil because it still centers the male gazs), the rest of the book is still excellent and i greatly recommend it, especially for the first chapter alone

[إيمان الحبيشي · Rating 5 out of 5]

احد الكتب القيمة جدا، ليس لاثبات عبادة الحجاب وفلسفتها في الاسلام، لكن لنتعرف على هذه العبادة من (خارج الصندوق) كما يحلو للبعض ان يطالبنا به.

السيدة كاتبة الدراسة امرأة حديثة عهد بالاسلام الا انها قدمت الحجاب في صورة مختلفة جدا كونها قدمتها من الخارج من ناحيتين:

كيف قرأت الحجاب كامرأة تعرفت على الاسلام وآمنت به حديثا
ثم
كيف قرأ الغرب الحجاب منذ عصور الاستعمار وكيف القى الاستعمار وصنوه الاستشراق بظله على النظرة الغربية الفجة للحجاب ثم كيف تأثر نظرة الغرب والنسويات الى الحجاب في وعي الانسان المسلم العادي

للدراسة جوانب مهمة تذكرها الكاتبة من قبيل كيف تلجأ النساء الغربيات غير المسلمات لحماية انفسهن بطرق (نفسية غير واعية) لانهن محتاجات لحماية اللباس الشرعي الذي لا يعرفون عنه شيء كونهن غير مسلمات

الكتاب قيم جدا

[salva · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Rethinking Muslim Women and The Veil” is a deconstruction of the Western notion of the veil as oppressive, and a proposal of a different, positive view of the veil. This book also taught me a lot about colonialism and it’s effect on the Muslim world. The exploration of the Hijab as a protection against modern capitalist society and its objectification of women was also incredibly interesting, it was an angle I have never seen before. Not to mention the academic rebuttal of Mernissi’s books and views— it was about time someone did so. I unfortunately couldn’t finish the whole book because of library due dates, but the parts I read were phenomenal.

[يحيى عسيري · Rating 4 out of 5]

عن الغرب وجهلهم بحقيقة الحجاب هم يرون أداة لقهر النساء هنا ، وغالبية من اخترنه كان بقرار منهن وقناعة ، وكان ذلك بسبب توجيه الإعلام السلبي لديهم أن الحجاب رمز لقهر النساء وإن لم يكن كذلك .

[Shaima · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتاب عبارة عن بحث من وجهة نظر إسلامية غربية ، تشرح الكاتبة (التي أسلمت وارتدت الحجاب) النظرة الاستشراقية للحجاب حيث تسيطر عليها فكرة القهر والاضطهاد وتحاول ان تفندها . البحث لايتناول شرعية الحجاب وأحكامه. جيد للاطلاع على وجهة النظر الغربية سواء التي تعادي الاسلام والحجاب والأخرى التي تعتنق تعاليمه.

[Opu Hossain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine Bullock's "Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil" a brilliant piece of work put forward the evidences how modern minded are being fed the false interpretation of women's veil in Islam in the name of liberalism. While the liberal feminists movement for example in recent time fail to realize the true meaning of liberty doesn't rely on unveiling a person and impose the idea to women not to weir veil, Bullock's eye opening position conversely proves how hijab protects a women from tyranny of the beauty myth and gives her the true reason to cover up, ultimately assists recognizing herself as a purposeful human and not as an object that todays media loves to expose. Hijab this is how the true recognition of a Muslim women helps to have the connectivity of God in her life.

[Eizah Ben ymain · Rating 5 out of 5]

هل تعتقد ان الحجاب هو نوع من الاضطهاد ؟
هل تعتقد بأن النساء المسلمات تم إجبارهم للبس الحجاب ؟
اهيبكم جميعا ( غير مسلمين ومسلمين الذين لا يعرفوا مفهوم الحجاب والهدف منه والسبب وراء لبسه ) لقراءة هذا الكتاب , جداً رائع , من افضل الكتب التي قرأتها

[Bassma Mayouf · Rating 4 out of 5]

من قبل أن اقرأه كانت التعليقات عليه محمسة حتى العنوان بحد ذاته وهذا غالباً يأتي لي بأنطباع معاكس اذا قرأت الكتاب ولكن الحمدلله فعلاً هذا الكتاب أجابة وشرح بشكل لكل من يرئ أن الحجاب فرض قهراً على النساء او حتى يجهل فكرته

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neat info about orientalism and interesting arguments that show that veiling isn't clean cut "oppression of women"...haha bullock reallllllly doesn't like mernissi at alllll

[Marwah Salem]

التعليقات مشوقة والعنوان ايضا

[Abh]

merci