ninebucks
Banned
In the Qur'an, Muslim men and women are instructed to dress in a modest fashion, and that instruction is essentially left vague, aside from not walking around with one's genitals hanging out, the definition of modest dress is largely an issue of personal interpretation.
The justifications for the more extreme interpretations of Hijab, therefore, come not from the Qur'an itself, but from the Hadiths, the collected sayings of Mohammad.
So, let's say that one day Mohammad is walking around, and he is asked by a faithful follower to clarify upon what is required as far as modest dress. He replies in such a manner that strongly implies that the instruction to cover one's hair, face, chest, body, etc. does not only apply to women, but rather, Muslim men should wear the hijab (and variations thereof) too.
What effects would this have on Islamic history, if the overwhelming majority of Muslim men refused to show their faces in public? How would the Crusaders react when faced in battle with men completely covered in white sheets save a strip for their eyes? Would Islam still have the reputation for mysogyny if Hijab wasn't seen as something men force upon women?
The justifications for the more extreme interpretations of Hijab, therefore, come not from the Qur'an itself, but from the Hadiths, the collected sayings of Mohammad.
So, let's say that one day Mohammad is walking around, and he is asked by a faithful follower to clarify upon what is required as far as modest dress. He replies in such a manner that strongly implies that the instruction to cover one's hair, face, chest, body, etc. does not only apply to women, but rather, Muslim men should wear the hijab (and variations thereof) too.
What effects would this have on Islamic history, if the overwhelming majority of Muslim men refused to show their faces in public? How would the Crusaders react when faced in battle with men completely covered in white sheets save a strip for their eyes? Would Islam still have the reputation for mysogyny if Hijab wasn't seen as something men force upon women?