" (Qur'an 33:59) .
Many women feel the reason they cover themselves, is because they do not want men to view them for sexual reasons. An Iranian schoolgirl was quoted saying, .
"We want to stop men from treating us like sex objects, as they have always done. We want them to ignore our appearance and to be attentive to our personalities and mind. We want them to take us seriously and treat us as equals and not just chase us around for our bodies and physical looks." .
What do we do if we are going outside in the winter? Our first instinct is to put on a coat so we can be protected from the cold. True, the Koran teaches Muslims hijab, but women are covering their body for protection from the natural man, just like we cover with a coat to protect us from the cold. An American woman who was born and raised in western culture teaches at a University in the United States. This woman discovered Islam and decided to wear hijab wherever she goes. In an article she explains, .
"The hijab acts as a screen' between the chaste Muslim woman, and the evil that exists in the world. When a woman wears hijab, she is protected from men with lusty motives; she is less likely to be exploited for her beauty and femininity."".
Sultana Yusufali, 17, is a Toronto high school student and she tells why she chooses to wear hijab.
"What kind of freedom can there be when a woman cannot walk down the street without every aspect of her physical self being "checked out?- When I wear the hijab, I feel safe from all of this. I can rest assured that no one is looking at me and making assumptions about my character."" .
Yes, maybe the circumstances are different, but we can consider that one of the reasons the Middle Eastern women dress the way they do is for protection from worldly evils, just like we protect ourselves from the cold.
In America, the choices of clothing are merely for the purposes of getting attention and being accepted by other people.
