The Problem

Why discuss this, why the big deal? This is an important topic because it is a misuse of Koranic verses by males of the male dominated Muslim societies, and casts a stain on a beautiful religion formed only for the betterment of people and society. By taking away the faces of women and then not allowing them to interact in public, the men have taken all power away from women in Muslim societies. Male/female equality in those societies has completely been lost. This problem can be observed in many Muslim societies.

The nikab removes the facial expressions of a person. Non-verbal communication is a large part of communication and facial expressions play a significant role in it. So the loss of facial expressions of a women essential detracts from her ability to communicate.

The nikab takes away from a person’s autonomy. The woman is not recognized for her individual attributes or the role she plays in society. Because of her limited interaction with society, she is not seen as useful in society. She is limited to performing tasks that involve women only or are traditionally women oriented. Can a woman in nikab be a leader in society? Can she be a leader to men?

An unnecessary burden is also posed for those who wear nikab and those who intermingle with those who wear nikab. Simple tasks like eating and drinking are cumbersome and require seclusion from others. Due to the burden it is easier to perform these simple tasks at home, hence leading to the seclusion from society in general. To support the nikab lifestyle everyone around the person wearing the nikab become burdened by making sure that no male outside of the maharam is allowed to see her face.

Because a person wearing a nikab usually does not allow their picture to be taken, identification becomes difficult. This hinders their ability to get a drivers license, employment, travel, and other similar norms in society. Men use this as an excuse to purposely keep women from intermingling with society.

Because a person wearing a nikab cannot be identified, some use it as a tool for abuse of women. The abuse ranges from domestic violence to prostitution.

The point is that the nikab disempowers women and hence is a problem and this article discusses whether it is required by Islam.

This article is the original work and property of the author and Standing Toe to Toe Productions. This article is provided for informational purposes and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent from the author. Permission to link to this web page is granted. Comments, feedback, and suggestions are encouraged.