Women of Java

In Java, although Muslim is the predominant religion of the Javanese people, wearing the veil has only recently become moderately common. In Java, most Muslims do not veil, Muslim activists actually feel that veiling is excessive and is only done by extremists; excessive because the Qur’an only calls for full dress when praying, not for everyday dress.
In typical locations where the veil is worn, public space is considered a male domain. In these places the veil is worn by women as an “extension” of the shelter of the house and enables them to enter these places without harassment. This is not true in Java however, where public space is public to all, not specifically men. So in contrast, what is happening here is the opposite. Women seen wearing the veil in public are typically harassed; in some cases young men grab the veils or throw stones at the women.
In order to better understand what is so attractive about the veil, it will be most obvious in a society that doesn’t require and/or expect it to be worn; such as Java. Women who wear the veil here can actually be hindering their freedom more than expanding it. A lot of employers will not hire women who wear the veil. Brenner says one woman she talked to who worked for the government was told she would not be able to get promoted because of her decision to wear the veil.
So in a culture where wearing the veil is more disadvantageous than it is advantageous, and particularly amongst well-educated, middle class women, how is it that it is becoming more and more popular?

Citations:

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