To my brother who believes Hijab to be oppressive. I am a Christian. Do you know that the Bible gives very specific instructions to women about covering their heads? Paul outlines it clearly in ICor 11. It says that a woman praying or testifying without her head covered bring shame upon her husband (her head). Read it.

From a personal standpoint I can tell you that Hijab is ANYTHING but oppressive. I sometimes cover my head for the simple reason that I feel a longing in my spirit to do so. I also wear modest clothing that I purchase from a Muslim retailer. I can tell you as a woman that there is a freedom in wearing those clothes that you might not be able to understand if you are not a woman, and if you have never worn them. Our society in the west is so infested with pornography that you don't even notice it any more. Women don't even realize that they are humiliated by all the pornography and seduction around them until they are free from it for a few minutes. We as women in the west, grow up being indoctrinated with the belief that we are only beautiful and valuable if we look, dress and behave like porn stars (you can think of this as Paris Hilton, Janet Jackson, etc but the truth is that it's pornogaphy and once you open your spirit to it you will see that clearly). Men in this culture are wounded by this phenomenon and they don't even know it. We are victims of sexual abuse and we don't even know it. We as women in the west have grown so accustomed to our culture of pornography that we dress our little girls in clothing styles that were specifically designed to elicit sexual arousal in grown men. Perhaps the child's clothing designer did not intend that but the clothing they design is patterned after women's clothing that's purpose is solely the seduction of sexual desire in men. Honest people will call this as it is.

The first time I was free from this was when I slipped on a jilbab and went to church. I felt more beautiful than I ever have in my life. I felt honored, Godly, and respected. People spoke to me in respectful ways. Men spoke and looked differently (so did women). Then when I put on the Hijab the feeling was complete. Having these clothes on feels like being embraced by the arms of God. It is freedom, not oppression.

Imagine if you had grown up going around naked and vulnerable and one day someone gave you some comfortable pants and clothes to protect you from the elements and to cover your private areas for the first time. Wouldn't you feel relieved and finally be able to walk around without feeling naked?

I know one thing about my society but am not sure if it is true in others. It is common among us to have occassional dreams that we have gotten up and went to work or the store or about our daily business and suddenly realize in a very public place that we have forgotten to put our pants or clothes on. Remember those dreams my brother? It's because our psyche knows we are exposed. Imagine how it feels in one of those dreams to get to cover up. Feels good, right?

No, Hijab is not oppressive. Being naked and violated in a pornographic society that gives you no rights to your own privacy is oppressive.

I know this from a lifetime of personal experience.