Wednesday 15 March 2017

Muslim Scholar Reacts Hijab Ban by European Court of Justice (Dr Yasir Qadhi)

The European Court of Justice, the highest court of the European Union, yesterday declared that it was legal for corporations to enforce a ban on all clothing that was of an overtly religious or political nature. Essentially, the equivalent of the Supreme Court of Europe ruled that it is permissible for any company to ban hijabs.

Where does one begin with the absurdity of such a ruling? How does one explain that the very civilization that prides itself on 'freedom' and 'liberty' gets so worked up about a piece of cloth on a woman's head?

The simple fact of the matter is, despite all of the claims of freedom, there are inherent biases that even European supreme court judges are not immune from. It is not 'religious clothing' that they are opposed to, even though that is the language that is used. It is, specifically, the hijab. Nothing else - all bans are incidental. The ban that will result on Sikh turbans or Jewish yarmulkes are unintended collateral damages, needed only to provide the veneer of legitimacy to claim that this ban wasn't solely meant for Muslim women who choose to cover.

Had the court ruled to to ban immodest clothing (short mini-skirts; cleavage showing; etc.), all of Europe would have been in an uproar. 'How dare you legislate what a woman may or may not wear?!' they would loudly proclaim. Yet, for a woman to wish to appear modestly, and to wish to avert lustful eyes from her persona, is somehow an affront to Western sensibilities. Whatever happened to 'live and let live' here?

It is quite simple, really. That they banned the hijab is actually totally understandable. The hijab really and truly frightens them. It is a slap on their face. Given the 'freedoms' they claim to offer women, that a group of women would then choose to turn away from those 'freedoms' and embrace the ultimate freedom of lowering themselves to the laws of the Creator is a rejection of their ideals and values. By choosing to wear the hijab, these sisters actually threaten the masculinity and superiority that many in the West feel. It is, in religious terms, blasphemy in their eyes - the exact equivalent of zealous fundamentalists not tolerating icons and shrines. Just as shrines seem to contradict perfect monotheism, so too does a woman's modesty apparently contradict the sexual freedom and liberties offered by Western society. So, for champions of such 'freedoms', the hijab is an affront that cannot be tolerated.

Frankly, I personally would have much less of a problem if their hatred were explicit. If they were to say, 'We wish to ban the hijab because we are a bunch of sexist, chauvinist Islamophobes', that would actually be so blunt as to not really elicit much of a response from me. To you be your way, and to me mine, and God will judge between us in the end.

But what irritates me to no end is the hypocritical claim of upholding freedom and liberty - the notion that somehow, ideals of individual choice and personal liberties are sacrosanct and inviolable in this society as long as no one else is harmed.

No, dear Europe, that is not just true. Stop pretending that you are bastions of liberty and freedom. Cases like these, and the utter lack of outcry generated, clearly demonstrate the sheer hypocrisy and falsehood of these claims.

Liberalism, it appears, can only tolerate a spectrum of liberals. Otherwise, liberalism is just as illiberal as religious fundamentalism. But at least the fundamentalists are honest with you about what they allow and don't!

From Dr Yasir Qadhi's FB