The time, the people, the culture, the society and the environment that surrounds us, can produce the formation of many perspectives on a topic that we see in today’s society. One of the many controversial issues is Islam and the Hijab. Many questions and generalizations are often formed in the minds of many non-Muslims regarding the concepts behind the Hijab through the influence of the media.

Throughout the years of conflict between the “West” and “Islam”, the media has strongly altered the minds of non-Muslims by negatively exploiting Islam and Muslims, particularly Muslim women. Misconceptions like: “Are you bald underneath?” “Are you going to sleep with that on?” to the association of “terrorism” which contrasts with what Muslim women believe the hijab represents.

A common misconception is that “the Islamic hijab is a cultural thing, not a religious thing.” The use of the word “cultural” is misleading when describing the Hijab, as it implies that it is the result of customs and practices that are separate from Islam. The cultural dress refers to the ancient Pre-Islamic Era (Jahiliyah). It is the pre-Islamic era headscarf that is considered “traditional” that prevents women from contributing in society. By contrast, the Islamic hijab is not considered an informal tradition, nor does it diminish your self-esteem. The Hijab aims to present women with balance and equality in society. An example from the pre-Islamic era in our modern world is the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Taliban is a party that considers such activities un-Islamic for women, who are prohibited from exercising their primary rights. The Taliban have prohibited women from working outside the home, apart from the health sector, and have canceled girls’ education.

Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The search for knowledge is the responsibility of all Muslims.” Even Henry VIII forbade women to study the Bible when the first English translations began to appear. It is an irony that the Taliban claim that their guiding philosophy on women exists to ensure women’s physical protection and self-respect, while many Afghan women have been publicly killed, beaten and hanged. For many Afghan women, the fear of being severely punished by the Taliban is their main security concern.

Another misconception is that “Muslim women have no rights in Islam.” Islam granted rights to women over 1,400 years ago, which is still ignored by many Muslims and non-Muslims today. First, Islam has given women the basic right to freedom of expression. In the early days of Islam, the leaders of the Islamic state consulted women on legal issues. The rights that Muslim women have been granted since the beginning of time are only just emerging for non-Muslims. In Islam, a woman is free to be who she is on the inside and is protected from being portrayed as a sex symbol and coveted. Islam praises the status of a woman by commanding that she “enjoys the same rights as men in everything, is on an equal footing with man” (Quran, Nadvi: 11) and both share mutual rights and obligations in all the aspects. of life.

Many women are treated away from Islamic ideals, but in the name of Islam. The Taliban are an example of a cultural and political name that has been branded with Islam. There is no freedom for women if they are imprisoned in their home in the name of Hijab and Islam. Furthermore, the veil of Islam is not associated with the veil of oppression.

Women who are recovering their identity and their role in society now wear the hijab and embrace its concept of liberation. They are occupying the rightful places that Islam had given them fourteen hundred years ago. In fact, Western women had no rights and had no rights over their husband. Not only was the woman the property of her husband, but also her possessions. In 1919, women in England fought for their right to be elected to Parliament. Due to their demands, they were imprisoned by the government and suffered greatly. It was not until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that women were granted these rights.

A quote from the Qur’an in Sura 2:26 reads:

“And because the woman has rights over the man, similar to those of the man over the woman.”

The backstory between Islam and the West will shed some light on why Muslims are portrayed so negatively in the media. Some major contributing factors are the medieval western conflict, the crusades, the 1970s oil crisis, the Lebanese civil war, the Iranian revolution, the Gulf War, and the explosive Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the 9/11 attacks , the Bali Massacre and the London bombings. All these events have caused Islam to be constantly associated with violence and unresolved conflicts. Furthermore, the view of Muslims as typically violent explains why Muslims are seen as a threat to the West. One of the most effective ways the media tries to prevent Islam from being seen in a positive frame is to develop propaganda against Muslims and Islam.

The media can use the Hijab as a means to exploit Muslim women and demean them. The media assume, in some cases, that the actions of a Muslim are representations of the Muslim population at large. This is generalization. This sets an example for members of society to abuse and degrade them.

An image of a Muslim woman wearing the chador was labeled “like death taking a walk” in the Australian Magazine, January 25-26. 1995 edition. The media implied locating the position of women in Islamic society as dominated. The image also portrayed the difference between Muslim and Western women in today’s society.

On current affairs shows, people watching are bombarded with images of Muslims as savage terrorists killing innocent people without remorse. What results from this is that the viewers of these shows recognize and accept only the labels and therefore Islam immediately associates it with negative images.

I asked a Parramatta resident, who wished to remain anonymous, if “the 9/11 attacks changed his opinion about Islam and Muslim women.” He said: “I never knew about Islam and the Qur’an preached terrorism. It made me aware of Islam and its teachings. It increased my knowledge of the intricacies of Islam and politics in the Middle East, including the veiling of Muslim women.” This answer shows how influential the media is with its viewers.

Throughout Western society, the practice of Muslim women wearing the Hijab has resulted in extreme views towards its so-called “oppression” and lack of freedom. Despite the obvious representation of the Muslim woman and the myths that surround her, such as; “Muslim women are oppressed”, there are still large numbers of Western women returning to Islam. What Islam uses to protect women is the Hijab. This is ironic because the Western media often portrays the Muslim headscarf as a repressive force in a woman’s life.

All Muslim women should wear a headscarf or some type of head covering and modest, loose-fitting attire. This is not a means to control a woman’s sexuality or suppress it, but rather a means of protection. It implies that by dressing in this way she will not be seen as a sex symbol of the mother, but rather that she will be appreciated for her intellect. Also, she will not subject her to bullying. It is interesting to say that women’s head coverings are not an Islamic innovation, but were also practiced by Judeo-Christian women centuries before, and yet are laughed at in the West today.

Naima Omar, a student at Western Sydney University says: “It’s funny to say that the same headscarf worn by Catholic nuns for God is despised and presented as a symbol of subjection and domination when worn by Muslim women to protect themselves. themselves”. and surrender to God.”

The term Islam means “submission to the will of Allah” and “peace”. Muslims believe that Islam is not a religion but a gift that has been given to them. They believe that Islam is the way of life and that is harmonious, yet the media portrays the opposite.

Maria Moskovakis, 18, a Greek Orthodox, says: “Yes, of course Muslims are presented negatively in the news. The action of a Muslim is presented with a lot of bias. If a Muslim commits a crime, it is not the person but the religion that is presented”. goes to trial What we hear and see is all controlled.

As El-Gharib (1996-1997) pointed out, television, books, newspapers and magazines are used to present Islam as a backward and barbaric religion. It has been seen as oppressive and unfair; and more than this, it is seen as the most oppressive for women. These various forms of media misrepresent Islam in different ways, yet they largely achieve the same negative result: the creation of a growing barrier of misunderstanding and hostility between Islam and its followers, and the West.

Muslims have an obligation to fulfill which is to educate themselves and their children to gain the knowledge that is enjoined on them irrespective of their race, sex and marital status etc.

A hadith from Hasan narrated by Ibn Majah in the Qur’an states:

“Seeking knowledge is the duty of every Muslim” and therefore gaining knowledge is considered an act of worship. Preventing any Muslim from getting an education regardless of his age and gender is un-Islamic.

Dr. Homer of Sweden was asked by the United Nations in 1975 to study the situation of women in Arab countries and said: “It is the Swedish woman who must demand her freedom, since women in Arab countries have already reached the pinnacle of their freedom under Islam”. From “The Status of Women in Islam”, page 23.

Many have become accustomed to believing the false information that they are spoon-fed every time they turn on the screen, listen to the radio or open a newspaper.