Egyptian women’s group calls on men to try the veil
“For me, the veil is not a personal choice in Egypt, but the result of social and religious pressure. The girls I know who wear the veil do so because of their families or to avoid being hassled in the street. I don’t see why we should always dictate what women must wear and never what men must wear.
The other reason I launched this page is because society still considers women as sex objects. [83% of Egyptian women claim to have been victims of sexual harassment. Some women feel that the veil is a necessary form of protection against assault]. Many people, even on television, denounce the harassment of women in Egypt, but in my opinion this is not enough. Obviously, I have been attacked and insulted because of this Facebook page. Some Internet users have responded to me by citing verses of the Koran. I realize that this is shocking for a conservative society like ours, but I am not going to change my ideas because of that.”
— Aliaa El Mahdy, a university student & administrator of “Resounding Cries” FB page
While I disagree with a few comments, this is a pretty interesting take.
Cool Fact: Men in some Islamic societies (at least North Africa and Al Andalus) used to actually wear veils. Certain groups that ran on the platform of piety actually condemned men for not wearing veils.
Interesting! I like the idea that modesty can be applied to everyone, not just women
