World Hijab Day, Evangelicals, and Michelle Obama

World Hijab Day, Evangelicals, and Michelle Obama 

The Gist

Today is the first annual World Hijab Day. Everyone who has been to Houston's Galleria Mall has seen women in varying degrees of hijab with their expensive handbags, shoes and jewelry (ah, petrodollars). Interestingly, dressing modestly is required for both men and women in Islam (which is why it is ridiculously annoying when you see a woman, covered head to foot, and her husband wearing shorts, a ratty T-shirt and flip flops): "Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest." For the most part, women say they voluntarily wear their headscarves; it makes them feel modest, safe, and free. Female reporters who have covered the Middle East for decades note that the headscarf can send different signals at different times. During the Iranian Revolution, women wore them as a sign, not of piety, but of defiance against the Shah's regime. Iran (see women in picture) and Saudi Arabia require some form of head covering for their female citizens, while Turkey only recently lifted its ban on headcoverings in universities. Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama made headlines for not wearing a headscarf while visiting Riyadh. She didn't actually make any statement (scores of Western first ladies and leaders have gone without the scarf because there is no law that makes them) and, even if she did, it would be of no help to the millions of Saudi women who don't get the choice to wear or not to wear a headcovering. Modesty for female dress can be found in every religion (and yes, I am including the Evangelical Christian call for women to dress modestly to 'help their fellow Christian brothers out'). What differentiates the Islamic headdress is that many women around get told how they want to express their piety by others...and now you know the gist.