The Veil Is A Deviant Behavior Essay

A deviant behavior that I take part in everyday is not wearing a veil. Veiling includes the wearing of hijab, chador, or burka. Women, across the globe have been accepting the veil as part of their identity, and I am not one of them. Although this is not a common deviant behavior it is certainly deviant within the bounds of culture and religion. As a Muslim woman I am expected to wear the veil to shield myself from the male gaze and to promote modesty. Most religious scholars argue that wearing the veil is mandatory because it says so in the holy book, but others argue that it does not specifically say a woman should wear a veil. My choice to not adopt the veil is a situational deviance since it deviants from the Muslim community and conforms to Western society. Although some Muslims view the veil as optional, and are pro-choice, they are going against the religious norm. The norm in Islam is to remain as pious and modest as possible, in order to do this woman must cover up. However, many western societies question the veil. In modern America societies woman are free to wear most things without penalty, and are not judged for showing a little skin. Thus, this covering of the female hair, and body has led the

Although not okay, it was post 9/11 so I knew it was coming. Along with this, I wanted so desperately to be like everyone else. Why did I have to cover my hair, and wear these baggy clothes? These thoughts eventually sprouted into actions and when I got to school I would take the veil off—life was so much better. Back then I wanted so bad to conform to my peers that I lost sight of my religion. My parents soon found out and allowed me to go without the hijab until I felt ready to start wearing it again. Now my identity is outside of the hijab so it is harder to wear it to university or work; I only wear it to the