Let me paint you a picture.
A woman walks down a street in Paris wearing a bikini that barely covers anything. Nobody bats an eye. “She’s free! She’s liberated! She’s expressing herself!”
Another woman walks down that same street wearing a hijab that covers her hair and neck, fully clothed underneath. Suddenly? “She’s oppressed! She’s been brainwashed! Someone needs to save her!”
Same street. Same culture claiming to value “freedom of choice.” But completely opposite reactions. Why?
According to research by sociologists and scholars studying Islamophobia and women’s clothing politics in Western societies, the hijab has become one of the most debated, banned, restricted, and feared pieces of fabric in modern history. Not because of what it actually does—it’s just cloth covering hair—but because of what it represents to cultures built on certain assumptions about women, freedom, religion, and modernity.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth that Islamic scholars and Muslim women’s rights advocates have been pointing out for years: much of the West doesn’t actually support women’s freedom of choice. They support women choosing what Western culture deems “acceptable choices.” And according to contemporary feminist analysis by Muslim women scholars, modest dress that stems from religious conviction isn’t on that approved list.
Let’s talk about why a simple headscarf creates so much controversy, why the arguments against it are so contradictory, and what this really reveals about cultural imperialism disguised as feminism.
What the Hijab Actually Is (For Those Who Don’t Know)
Before we get into why people have a problem with it, let’s be clear about what hijab actually means according to Islamic teachings documented in Quranic verses and prophetic guidance.
The word “hijab” in Arabic, according to linguistic scholars and Islamic scholars explaining terminology, literally means a barrier, partition, or covering. In Islamic jurisprudence as developed by scholars across centuries, it refers to the concept of modest dress and behavior that Allah ﷻ prescribed for both men and women—though with different specifics.
For women, according to mainstream Islamic scholarly consensus based on Quranic commands and prophetic teachings, the minimum requirement includes covering everything except the face and hands in the presence of non-mahram men (men they could potentially marry). This typically means wearing clothing that:
Covers the hair, neck, and chest area
Covers the arms and legs
Isn’t see-through or body-tight
Doesn’t attract undue attention
According to Islamic textual evidence documented by scholars, the Quran directly addresses this:
[Surah An-Nur, Ayah 31]
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests, and not reveal their ˹hidden˺ adornments…”
And:
[Surah Al-Ahzab, Ayah 59]
“O Prophet! Ask your wives, daughters, and believing women to draw their cloaks over their bodies. In this way it is more likely that they will be recognized ˹as virtuous˺ and not be harassed. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
According to Islamic scholarly interpretation of these verses documented across fourteen centuries, the hijab serves multiple purposes: worship and obedience to Allah ﷻ, modesty, protection of dignity, and a visible identity marker for Muslim women.
Now here’s what hijab is NOT, according to Islamic scholars and Muslim women themselves:
It’s not oppression if the woman chooses it freely.
It’s not a tool of patriarchy if she’s wearing it for Allah ﷻ, not for men.
It’s not “backward” if millions of educated, professional, accomplished women wear it.
It’s not a sign of extremism if it’s a basic religious obligation like prayer or fasting.
So why, then, do certain Western cultures treat it like public enemy number one?
The Freedom Paradox: “Your Body, Your Choice” (But Not That Choice)
Here’s where the contradictions become comical if they weren’t so frustrating for Muslim women experiencing discrimination.
Western liberal feminism, according to its own stated principles documented in feminist literature and advocacy, supposedly champions:
- Women’s autonomy over their own bodies
- Freedom from men dictating how women dress
- Respecting diverse choices
- Not judging women based on clothing
- Body positivity regardless of what’s shown or hidden
Great principles, right? According to Muslim feminist scholars analyzing these claims, they would be—if they were actually applied consistently.
But here’s what actually happens in practice, as documented by researchers studying hijab discrimination and Muslim women’s experiences in Western countries:
A woman chooses to wear revealing clothing? “Empowered! Liberated! Body positivity!”
A woman chooses to cover her body? “Oppressed! Needs saving! Remove that!”
A woman chooses to work in the sex industry? “Sex work is work! Her choice!”
A woman chooses to be a stay-at-home mom? “Wasting her potential! Oppressed by patriarchy!”
A woman’s body is used to sell everything from cars to hamburgers? “Artistic expression!”
A woman covers herself for religious reasons? “Regressive! Offensive! Ban it!”
According to sociologists analyzing these contradictions documented in academic research on Islamophobia and feminism, the pattern reveals something uncomfortable: it’s not actually about women’s freedom to choose. It’s about women choosing what dominant culture approves of.
And according to Muslim women’s testimonies documented in countless personal accounts and research studies, when you choose hijab in the West, you’re not seen as making a choice—you’re seen as evidence that you can’t make choices, that you’ve been brainwashed, that you need white saviors to liberate you from your oppressive religion.
That’s not respecting choice. That’s enforcing conformity while calling it freedom.
The Real Reason Hijab Bothers Certain People
Let’s be honest about what’s really happening here. According to scholars analyzing cultural conflicts between Islamic and Western values, the hijab bothers certain people because:
It rejects the sexualization of women’s bodies. According to feminist analysis by Muslim scholars, Western culture is built on using women’s bodies to sell products, attract attention, and generate revenue. A woman who covers herself is essentially saying: “My body isn’t public property. You don’t get to consume me visually. I exist for more than male pleasure or commercial exploitation.”
That’s threatening to an industry worth billions, according to economic analysts studying fashion and beauty industries. The cosmetics industry, fashion industry, plastic surgery industry, advertising industry—all of them profit from women believing their value comes from their physical appearance and sexual attractiveness. A woman in hijab rejects that entire system.
It visibly represents religious conviction in a secular society. According to sociologists studying secularism and religious expression in Western countries, many Western societies are uncomfortable with public displays of religious devotion, especially Islam. A hijab-wearing woman walking down the street is a reminder that not everyone has abandoned religion, that some people prioritize God over cultural norms, that secularism isn’t the only option.
And according to analysis of political discourse in Western countries documented by researchers, that makes certain people very uncomfortable because it challenges the narrative that modernity requires abandoning traditional religious practices.
It demonstrates that women can have agency within religious frameworks. According to Western secular assumptions critiqued by Muslim scholars, you can’t be both religious and empowered. Religion, especially Islam, is seen as inherently oppressive to women. But millions of educated, professional, accomplished Muslim women choosing hijab contradicts that narrative.
They’re lawyers, doctors, engineers, activists, entrepreneurs, politicians—all while wearing hijab. According to their own testimonies documented in numerous books, articles, and interviews, they’re not oppressed victims needing rescue. They’re strong women who’ve made intentional choices about their values and priorities.
And that terrifies people who built their entire worldview on the assumption that religious women are helpless and backward.
It forces confrontation with the question: What is liberation? According to Islamic scholars contrasting Islamic and Western concepts of freedom, Western culture defines liberation as maximum individual choice with minimal moral or social constraints. Do what you want. Dress how you want. Prioritize your desires.
Islam, according to its foundational teachings in the Quran and Sunnah, defines liberation differently: freedom FROM being enslaved to your desires, trends, peer pressure, and societal expectations. Freedom TO live according to divine guidance, purpose, and moral principles.
A hijabi woman is saying: “I’m not a slave to fashion trends, male attention, or societal pressure to display my body. I’ve chosen submission to God over submission to culture.” That’s a fundamentally different definition of freedom—and according to Muslim women’s perspectives documented in their own writings, it’s a deeply empowering one.
But it exposes the emptiness of “freedom” defined solely as unconstrained desire. And that makes people defensive.
The Double Standard No One Wants to Acknowledge
Let’s talk about the contradictions that reveal the hypocrisy, documented by researchers studying hijab bans and restrictions in Western countries:
France bans hijabs in schools while claiming to protect secularism and women’s freedom. But according to analysis of French law and its implementation, Catholic crosses and Jewish kippahs are generally tolerated. The restrictions disproportionately target Muslim women. If it were really about secularism, according to critics of these laws including human rights organizations, all religious symbols would be equally banned.
Corporations celebrate “diverse body types” and “inclusion” but, according to documented cases reported in media and legal challenges, fire Muslim women for wearing hijab or refuse to hire them in the first place. Where’s the diversity and inclusion when Muslim women are excluded from workplaces because of their religious dress?
Politicians talk about “saving Muslim women from oppression” while, according to documented policies analyzed by civil rights organizations, passing laws that restrict what Muslim women can wear, where they can work, and how they can appear in public. If you’re forcing women to undress against their will, according to Muslim women’s rights advocates, you’re not saving them from oppression—you’re oppressing them.
Western feminists fought for decades for women’s right to show their bodies, wear pants, expose their hair, reject Victorian modesty standards. According to historical documentation of feminist movements, that was celebrated as progress. But when Muslim women fight for the right to cover their bodies, according to their own accounts of being dismissed and excluded, they’re ignored or actively opposed by those same feminist movements.
Society clutches pearls about hijab while, according to media analysts and content researchers, pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry, music videos objectify women’s bodies, advertisements use sexual imagery to sell everything, and young girls are pressured to dress provocatively. But somehow a woman covering her hair is the problem?
According to researchers documenting these contradictions in academic studies on Islamophobia and gendered discrimination, the double standard is obvious: it’s not about protecting women. It’s about controlling Muslim women specifically.
What Muslim Women Actually Say (When People Bother to Listen)
Here’s a radical idea: maybe we should listen to Muslim women themselves instead of telling them what they need.
According to countless testimonies from hijab-wearing Muslim women documented in books, articles, research studies, and personal accounts:
“I wasn’t forced. I chose this.” According to survey research on hijab-wearing women in Western countries, the vast majority report choosing hijab themselves, often against family members who worried about discrimination. Many started wearing it in college or later, as acts of spiritual growth and personal conviction.
“It’s liberating, not oppressive.” According to Muslim women’s own descriptions of their hijab experience, covering allows them to be judged for their minds, skills, and character rather than their physical appearance. They report feeling freedom from the constant pressure to meet beauty standards, attract male attention, and compete physically with other women.
“It’s worship, not politics.” According to Islamic scholars and Muslim women explaining their motivation, hijab is primarily an act of worship and obedience to Allah ﷻ. It’s not about making political statements, rejecting Western culture, or anything else people project onto it.
“Stop ‘saving’ us from our own choices.” According to Muslim women’s rights activists addressing Western feminists, the paternalism of treating Muslim women as helpless victims who can’t make their own decisions is itself a form of oppression. Respect their agency. Trust their intelligence. Stop assuming you know better than they do what’s good for them.
“The irony is, your ‘freedom’ feels like oppression.” According to Muslim women’s testimonies about living in Western societies, being stared at, harassed, discriminated against in hiring, banned from wearing hijab in certain places, having politicians debate your clothing choices—that’s what oppression feels like. The hijab itself? That feels like freedom, dignity, and peace.
But according to researchers studying media representation of Muslim women, these voices are rarely amplified in mainstream Western discourse. Instead, the conversation is dominated by non-Muslim “experts” explaining what Muslim women “really” need.
The Prophetic Guidance on Modesty: It’s Not Just About Cloth
Here’s what people often don’t understand: according to Islamic teachings rooted in prophetic guidance, hijab isn’t just about covering your head. It’s a comprehensive concept of modesty that includes behavior, speech, and character.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, as recorded in Sahih Muslim (Book 1, Hadith 60): “Modesty (Haya) is part of faith.”
According to scholarly explanation of this hadith documented in classical commentaries, true hijab includes:
Lowering your gaze (not staring at what’s prohibited)
Guarding your speech (not engaging in inappropriate conversations)
Maintaining dignified behavior (not attracting undue attention through actions)
Covering appropriately (the physical aspect)
And this applies to men too. According to Islamic teachings on modesty documented in Quranic verses and prophetic guidance, men are commanded to lower their gaze, dress modestly (covering from navel to knees minimum), and behave with dignity. The hijab isn’t some sexist burden placed only on women—it’s a comprehensive system of mutual respect and dignity.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, as recorded in Sunan Abu Dawud (Hadith 4017): “Every religion has a characteristic, and the characteristic of Islam is modesty.”
According to this prophetic statement and scholarly elaboration, modesty defines Islamic identity. It’s not oppression. It’s not repression. According to Islamic understanding of human nature and social ethics, it’s recognition that dignity, respect, and healthy societies require boundaries on how we present ourselves and interact with each other.
But that concept is foreign to cultures built on “express yourself however you want with no restrictions,” according to sociologists analyzing value conflicts between Islamic and contemporary Western cultures.
The Men Behind the Ban: Telling Women What to Wear
Here’s something ironic that Muslim women constantly point out: the people most vocally opposing hijab and claiming to “save Muslim women” are often… men.
Male politicians passing laws banning hijab. Male pundits explaining why hijab is oppressive. Male bosses firing women for wearing it. Male commentators debating whether Muslim women should be allowed to dress according to their religion.
According to feminist analysis by Muslim scholars, this is patriarchy in action—men telling women what they can and cannot wear, all while claiming to fight patriarchy.
When the French government banned hijabs in schools, according to historical documentation of the policy, who made that decision? Mostly male politicians.
When corporations refuse to hire hijabi women, according to workplace discrimination cases documented in legal records, who’s making those hiring decisions? Often male executives.
When Western media platforms Muslim women who’ve removed their hijab while ignoring those who choose to wear it, according to media analysis by researchers studying representation, who controls those editorial decisions? Predominantly male editors.
So Muslim women are caught between two forms of patriarchy, according to their own analysis documented in writings and speeches: Muslim men in some contexts telling them they must cover, and Western men in other contexts telling them they cannot cover.
According to Muslim feminist scholars, actual women’s liberation would mean respecting women’s agency to make their own choices about their bodies and dress—including the choice to cover for religious reasons.
The Islamophobia Connection: Let’s Be Honest
According to researchers studying Islamophobia and its manifestations in Western societies, opposition to hijab is rarely just about the hijab. It’s part of broader anti-Muslim sentiment.
Notice how the hijab debate intensified after 9/11? According to documentation of hate crime statistics and discrimination reports, Muslim women wearing hijab became visible targets for those who wanted to blame all Muslims for terrorism. The hijab became a symbol to attack, a way to harass Muslim women, a justification for discrimination.
According to FBI hate crime data documented over the past two decades, Muslim women wearing hijab experience disproportionately high rates of harassment, verbal abuse, physical assault, and employment discrimination compared to Muslim women who don’t wear visible Islamic dress.
And according to analysis of political rhetoric in Western countries by researchers studying Islamophobia, politicians use hijab as a dog whistle—a way to signal anti-Muslim positions while claiming to care about women’s rights.
“Ban the hijab to save Muslim women” sounds better than “I don’t want Muslims visible in my country,” but according to civil rights organizations analyzing discriminatory policies, the effect is the same: marginalizing, stigmatizing, and restricting Muslims.
The question Muslim women keep asking, according to their documented testimonies: if you really cared about our wellbeing, why are your “protective” policies making our lives harder? Why are you blocking our education, employment, and public participation? How is that helping us?
What This Is Really About: Cultural Imperialism
Let’s call it what it is, according to post-colonial scholars analyzing Western interactions with Muslim societies and Muslim minorities:
The hijab controversy is about cultural imperialism—the assumption that Western ways of living, dressing, and thinking are superior and should be universally adopted.
According to this analysis documented in academic literature on colonialism and cultural domination, when Western societies pressure Muslim women to remove hijab, they’re essentially saying: “Our culture is the standard of civilization and progress. Your religious practices are backward. Assimilate or face consequences.”
That’s not respecting diversity. That’s not multiculturalism. According to critics of Western cultural imperialism, that’s demanding conformity while pretending it’s about liberation.
And here’s the painful irony that Muslim scholars and activists consistently point out: colonialism used to operate through military force. Now it operates through cultural pressure, economic sanctions, and moral rhetoric about “saving” people from their own traditions.
According to historical analysis documented by scholars studying colonial history, Western colonial powers used to claim they were “civilizing” backwards Muslim societies. Now they claim they’re “liberating” oppressed Muslim women. Same paternalism. Same assumption of superiority. Different language.
Muslim women are tired of being the pawns in this cultural chess game, according to their own writings and advocacy. They’re tired of being used as justification for wars, bans, discrimination, and cultural erasure—all while being told it’s for their own good.
The Bottom Line: It’s Called Hypocrisy
Here’s what everything comes down to, according to the perspective of Muslim women themselves as documented in their testimonies, writings, and advocacy work:
If you actually believe in women’s rights, respect Muslim women’s right to choose hijab.
If you actually believe in freedom of religion, don’t restrict how people practice their faith.
If you actually believe in diversity and inclusion, include Muslim women in hijab in your workplaces, schools, and public spaces.
If you actually believe “my body, my choice,” extend that principle to women who choose to cover, not just those who choose to uncover.
And if you can’t do those things? According to Muslim women’s analysis of this hypocrisy, at least be honest that you don’t actually support women’s freedom—you support women conforming to your cultural preferences.
The hijab isn’t the problem. According to Islamic understanding rooted in divine guidance and lived experience of millions of Muslim women, it’s a solution—to objectification, to commercialization of women’s bodies, to the constant pressure to meet impossible beauty standards, to the reduction of women’s value to their physical appearance.
A woman walking past you in hijab isn’t a victim. According to the testimonies of hijabi women themselves, she’s someone who decided her relationship with God matters more than your opinion. She’s someone who values dignity over display. She’s someone who found liberation in submission to the Creator rather than slavery to creation.
That might make you uncomfortable. It might challenge your assumptions. It might not fit the narrative you’ve been told about Islam and women.
But according to every principle of respect, freedom, and women’s rights that Western societies claim to value, that discomfort is your problem to deal with—not hers.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in presenting Islamic teachings on hijab and addressing cultural misconceptions, readers are strongly advised to consult qualified Islamic scholars for specific religious guidance on modest dress and related matters. The perspectives presented here represent mainstream Islamic understanding of hijab based on Quranic verses and prophetic teachings, as well as documented experiences and testimonies of Muslim women living in Western contexts. This article aims to foster understanding and address common misconceptions, not to judge or attack any culture or individuals. Women’s choices regarding dress—whether covering or not—deserve respect, and this article advocates for Muslim women’s agency to make their own decisions about hijab without coercion from any direction.