false dichotomies.

i had no intention of creating nearly back-to-back posts about islam, but i read this today and just got so angry.

it was that last section that is making my blood boil:

Despite some hurtful experiences in public, Nadia is content with her decision to wear niqab and says she feels a distinct difference in how men respect her now as opposed to her earlier days of low-cut shirts and formfitting pants.

after a whole fucking column about how the hijab is not about male power over female, guess what: it is. this is just enforcing the virgin-whore dichotomy (otherwise known as "women ain't nothin' but bitches and hos"), as if the only choices of clothing a woman has is either to dress like a slut or to cover everything so they don't distract men and aren't judged by men and don't tempt men. women are only judged by their sexual availability. in this structure, men still have all the power.

when i was a freshman student taking a film course, i thought "the gaze" was feminist bullshit. it's not. the insistance on covering to avoid the male gaze just highlights it all that much more. the hijab doesn't stop men from judging you by your body and appearance, as these women unfortunately found out.

the hijab is not empowering. it keeps the male power structure in place, it enforces it, and it caters to it.

i'm not going to make a statement about wearing it or not. if you want to wear the hijab because it makes you feel closer to god, that's fine. but i reject any argument that it empowers women.