Personally I can’t see how it can be. It’s a mark of slavery and control. I saw this image on Tumblr [1], it was an attempt to stimulate conversation on the subject. But I think honestly this is the wrong question to do so. A better question is: what’s the correct response as a society?

Clearly the hijab does not protect women. Sexual assault and violence against women is almost certainly just as common in Islamic countries as other countries, if not more so, it’s just harder to get statistics on the subject as they are often suppressed [2]. But it is an intrinsic part of Islamic culture. Efforts to ban the garment result in harm and a great deal of distress. Women raised in the culture depend on it and can often feel extremely uncomfortable without it. It also serves as a rallying point for people in the Islamic community and exacerbates fairly extreme us vs them culture wars in many places in the world.

So as a culture or a society what would be the best response to the hijab? How do we help women move past this and into a a more truly free society without forcing our own personal opinions and culture on them. Is it even possible?

[1] https://atheistcartoons.tumblr.com/post/676276310946054144/if-you-live-in-a-place-and-there-are-many-where
[2] The hidden reality of sexual assault in Iran – Comment and analysis (bristol.ac.uk)