Hijab, Human Rights and Western Feminism: A Comparative Analysis Between France and Iran
Keywords:
Hijab, Human Rights, Western Feminism, Iran, France.Abstract
For many, the hijab is a symbol of freedom and self-identity while others view it as oppressive. Irrespective of how one views the hijab, its use must be a personal choice all over the world. Laws dictating women over their decision to don or to forego the hijab lead to human rights implications. This essay analyzes France and Iran’s laws concerning the hijab and how these laws breach the basic human rights of females, while also viewing these laws through the lens of Western feminism while touching upon issues of autonomy, equality, and non-discrimination.
References
Aghi, A. (2022, March 14). Hands Off Her Hijab. MIR. https://www.mironline.ca/hands-off-her-hijab/
Ahmed, L. (2011, April 29). A Quiet Revolution. Yale University Press.
Al Talei, R., Bazoobandi, S., & Khorrami, N. (2022, October 13). Hijab in Iran: From Religious to Political Symbol. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/88152
Aliyev, F. (2018, October 5). Hijab-My right, my choice, my life. www.academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/37534397/Hijab_My_right_my_choice_my_life
Amnesty International. (2012). choice and prejudice discrimination Against Muslims In Europe. amnesty.org. Retrieved October 3, 2023, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/eur010012012en.pdf
Barton, D. (2012, June 2). Is the French Burka Ban Compatible with International Human Rights Law Standards? ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225089272_Is_the_French_Burka_Ban_Compatible_with_International_Human_Rights_Law_Standards
Bazian, H. (2015, January 14). Amnesty International Report, Choice and Prejudice: Discrimination Against Muslims in Europe. Berkeley. https://www.academia.edu/10172218/Amnesty_International_Report_Choice_and_Prejudice_Discrimination_Against_Muslims_in_Europe
Bunting, M. (2003, December 18). Secularism gone mad. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/dec/18/france.schoolsworldwide
Cohen‐Almagor, R. (2021, October 19). Indivisibilité, Sécurité, Laïcité: the French ban on the burqa and the niqab. French Politics; Springer Science Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41253-021-00164-8
Dahre, & Ohlsson. (2023). Compulsory Hijab in Iran. Human Rights Clinique, University College Stockholm. Retrieved October 1, 2023, from https://ehs.se/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/compulsary-hijab-in-iran-report-5mr445-2023.pdf
FROM THE STASI COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN COURT - ProQuest. (n.d.). https://www.proquest.com/docview/232853893
Halley, C. (2022, April 7). Muslim Women and the Politics of the Headscarf. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/muslim-women-and-the-politics-of-the-headscarf/
Habti. (2020, April 21). Laicite, Women’s Rights, and the Headscarf Issue in France. Karamah. https://karamah.org/laicite-womens-rights-and-the-headscarf-issue-in-france/
Iran: Stop Prosecuting Women Over Dress Code. (2022, October 6). Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/24/iran-stop-prosecuting-women-over-dress-code
Islam Vs Feminism. (2015, September 16). Al-Islam.org. https://www.al-islam.org/contemporary-topics-islamic-thought-muhammad-legenhausen/islam-vs-feminism
Jailed Activist Mohammadi Beaten in Prison Hospital. (2023, September 12). IranWire. https://iranwire.com/en/prisoners/120330-jailed-iranian-activist-mohammadi-beaten-in-prison-hospital/
Jamal, H. (2023, October 3). The French government wants to ‘save’ Muslim women by controlling them. Women’s Rights | Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/10/2/the-french-government-wants-to-save-muslim-women-by-controlling-them
Jouili, J. S., & Amir‐Moazami, S. (2006, October 1). Knowledge, Empowerment and Religious Authority Among Pious Muslim Women in France and Germany. Muslim World; Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-1913.2006.00150.x
Justice for Iran. (2014). Thirty-five Years of Forced Hijab: The Widespread and Systematic Violation of Women’s Rights in Iran. : www.Justiceforiran.org. Retrieved October 2, 2023, from https://justice4iran.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Hejab-Report-JFI-English.pdf
Khozema, Z. (2022, September 29). Protests in Iran aren’t about the hijab. They’re about policing women’s bodies. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/opinion-iran-hijab-protest-women-s-bodies-1.6596349
Lang, C. (2021, May 19). Who Gets to Wear a Headscarf? The Complicated History Behind France’s Latest Hijab Controversy. Time. https://time.com/6049226/france-hijab-ban/
McCluskey, M., & Lau, C. (2023, September 2). ‘Gender apartheid’: UN experts denounce Iran’s proposed hijab law. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/01/middleeast/united-nations-calls-iran-hijab-gender-apartheid-intl-hnk/index.html
Mohamed, A. (2022, March 9). Image of the Other Muslims in Latin Sources during the Crusades Period(1099- 1291 / 492- 690). ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28250.21448
Narges Mohammadi’s letter to Javid Rahman: The human rights situation in Iran is dire. (n.d.). ANF News. https://anfenglishmobile.com/human-rights/narges-mohammadi-s-letter-to-javid-rahman-the-human-rights-situation-in-iran-is-dire-61091
Ohchr. (n.d.). Human Rights of Women Wearing the Veil in Western Europe . ohchr.org. Retrieved October 3, 2023, from https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Women/WRGS/VeilinEuropereport.pdf
Ranjbar. (2021). Soapboxes and Stealth on Revolution Street: Revisiting the Question of ‘Freedom’ in Iran’s Hijab Protests. ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies, 20(4), 346–365.
Slininger. (2014). Veiled Women: Hijab, Religion, and Cultural Practice. Historia. Retrieved October 1, 2023, from https://www.eiu.edu/historia/Slininger2014.pdf
Subramaniam, Pourahmadi, & Salem. (2023, September 21). Iranian women face 10 years in jail for inappropriate dress after ‘hijab bill’ approved Tara Subramaniam By Tara Subramaniam, Adam Pourahmadi and Mostafa Salem, CNN. CNN.com. Retrieved October 3, 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/21/middleeast/iran-hijab-law-parliament-jail-intl-hnk/index.html
Sunan Abi Dawud 4104 - Clothing (Kitab Al-Libas) Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (n.d.). https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4104
Surah An Noor
The European Convention on Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Weaponizing Secularism. (2021, August 17). DailyChatter. https://www.dailychatter.com/apple-news/weaponizing-secularism/
What Is Feminism? | IWDA. (2023, April 17). IWDA. https://iwda.org.au/learn/what-is-feminism/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Tajwar Waseem Khan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
LEGALOPEDIA EDUCATINIA (PVT) LTD