Hijab and some questions
I love hijab and having studied Torah, Bible and the Holy Quran, I can say that modesty has been enjoined in all the Divine Revelations. Appearance is an important aspect of our communication with others and it does make sense that God has defined modesty or the appearance that we should have. God defined it so that we are not divided over the issue of what to wear or what to consider as modest. I agree that hijab minimizes the risk of sexual harassment. However, what bothers me is the notion that not wearing the hijab is the main cause behind eve-teasing. I don't remember the specific details, but not so long ago, a female burkha-clad student was harassed at a public university. Was she at fault too, given that she was modestly dressed? If God has commanded women to dress modestly, He has also commanded men to lower their gaze. Hijab is not just about dressing modestly, but also about behaving modestly and it goes for both men and women. “Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28). “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest.” ( Holy Quran 24:30). It does not matter whether the girl is covered or not, the men have to lower the gaze. In the above verses, it does not say that a man has to lower the gaze only if the women wear hijab. In fact, logically, a man should lower his gaze even more if the girl is not modestly dressed. Just like women wear hijab irrespective of how the men view them; men have to lower the gaze irrespective of how the women are dressed.
Everyone has to do their own bit to eliminate eve-teasing and create a modest environment.
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