In a Society Where it is More Disadvantageous to Veil than it is Advantageous, Why Do It?

Most women in Java chose to veil out religious conviction, saying that wearing the veil is a requirement of Islam and of the Muslim religion. Almost all of the reasons discussed in this article for why women chose to veil can be categorized into one of these three groups: personal, religious or political. But for whatever reason, these activists share a common ‘vision,’ of a new society founded on the principles of the traditional Islam.

Since wearing the veil has only recently becoming more and more common, it is sometimes referred to as a movement. As Brenner says, this movement “imagines a society reinvigorated by its acceptance of a truly Muslim way of life (p. 680)”. They believe that stubbornness of the Java people’s tradition of Muslimism makes it impossible for them to reach an enlightened Muslim society. A lot of this activism is coming from campuses. Islam students are creating organizations, seminars and study groups in much larger numbers than before. When these clusters meet they offer a setting for discussions, support and prayer. By doing this these Islamic groups are creating a support system for one another and in doing so are forming greater ties. “Members encourage each other to read and discuss Islamic texts so as to better comprehend their meaning and their relevance to daily life” (p. 677).

These activists also expect one another to refer to the Qur’an for guidance in dealings of day to day life. We have discussed this in lecture; people like to feel as if they are a part of something. With these great expectations they are putting on one another they are getting in return a deeper commitment. By associating themselves with greater or majority Islamic community followers believe they are truly committing themselves.

These activists also believe that the Westernized Muslim practices “lack morality and religious faith, and are materialistic and self-indulgent” (p. 678). For women these traditional practices are more attractive because they put more importance on moral and spiritual agendas than ‘New Order’ visions that put more importance on bureaucratic or commercial ones.

These activists groups are a very good example of how rituals maintain cooperation. The groups expect one another to reading the Qur’an and abiding by it in daily life, and then they will meet again and discuss it further. As we have covered in lecture and read about, by expecting the members to become more involved and committed — they feel a certain importance because they are a part of something. This feeling only encourages them to participate more.

This occurs in American culture also. There are many religions here that have members that are considered “extremists” among them (not a personal opinion). This is not unlike the gay marriage dispute among Christians. Evangelic Christians believe homosexuality is a sin, and unnatural. However other Christians believe that some Evangelicals are just extremists that take the Bible too literally.

Citations:

Brenner, Suzanne. "Reconstructing Self and Society: Javanese Muslim Women and "The Veil"."American Ethnologist 23(1996): 673-697.

Picture from: http://kashmiri-nomad.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html