Covered life gives new perspective
Ana McKenzie
Daily Texan Staff
Published: Friday, June 5, 2009
Updated: Friday, June 5, 2009
Mary Kang/The Daily Texan
Spencer Wall, fourth-year English and sociology major, talks about her experience wearing a hijab on Wednesday night at Kerbey Lane Cafe. Wall, a Christian from West Texas, embarked on a personal experience in which she dressed as a Muslim woman for a year, starting in April.
I first noticed Spencer Wall in my religion and society class toward the end of last semester. She wasn't particularly outspoken, but the shawl that covered her hair, neck and shoulders made her stand out in the large class.
I usually gave her nothing more than a completely unconscious glance. But when she revealed to the class the decision that she made on April 27, I suddenly became aware of the attention I gave her.
Wall, a 20-year-old sociology and English senior, decided to assume the characteristics and attire of a "typical" Muslim woman for a year starting in late April.
She wears the traditional veil, or "hijab," and loose-fitting clothing everywhere she goes and does not consume pork or alcohol in public. She avoids eye and physical contact with men and has adopted modest habits like walking with her arms glued to her sides or crossed in front of her to hide her chest.
I witnessed the looks Wall gets on a daily basis when we met at Kerbey Lane on the Drag recently.
She's wearing a hijab splashed with vibrant shades of green and blue. A long-sleeved, black shirt and floor-length aqua skirt reveals only a few inches of skin.
Some who pass us try to be inconspicuous with their intrigue, limiting themselves to quick side glances. But most don't even try to be candid with their exaggerated double-takes or blatant stares.
She passes by a group waiting to be seated, and all of them stare at the back of her head as she walks away. One guy even rolls his eyes.
"It doesn't surprise me," she says when I tell her about the group. "But look around. They're not the only ones."
She insists her decision is not a social experiment but more of a personal learning experience. As a white female from a small, West Texas town, Wall says she wanted to know what it would be like to be part of a "noticeable minority."
"I'm not representing Muslim women or the Muslim community," she says. "I just want to know what it's like to walk in their shoes for a while."
Initially, Wall elaborates on her "learning experience" when people would ask her questions, the most common being "So, where are you from?" She has abandoned these efforts. Now, when people ask about her attire, she simply says she is not Muslim but wears the hijab because she chooses to do so.
This explanation is not entirely untrue, as Wall admits to not being able to leave her home without the clothing.
"I decided a while ago that I was going to try and not wear the hijab for 24 hours," she says. "I couldn't even make it for half that."
Wall says she receives different reactions when she wears the hijab. A man once fell into a display at Wal-Mart because he was staring at her. One day a group of male patrons at the restaurant where she works refused to be served by her. The same group called her derogatory names. But most of the time she said she is just respectfully avoided.
"I wouldn't say guys don't hit on me, but they do so in a very different way now," she says. "It's more respectful, less forward."
The experience has taught Wall to pay attention to smaller details that would make a traditional Muslim lifestyle difficult to follow in the United States.
One day at a clothing store, Wall had to ask for a sheet to cover a gap between the floor and dressing room door so she could hide her bare legs as she changed. Her job as a waitress presents one of the most awkward situations as it naturally entails a lot of physical contact with strangers, which is not allowed for Muslim women, she said.
Wall has grown to appreciate this sort of privacy and, in some ways, respect it. Perhaps the most unexpected outcome of the experience is a newfound devotion to her Christian faith. The Islamic faith requires followers to pray five times a day, the first prayer being at 5 a.m. Though Wall has not yet assumed this tradition, she admits she may in the future, and finds herself praying more often.
"You know we live in a society that is very unconscious of daily religious activities," she said. "Throughout this experience, I have noticed myself becoming much more aware of God."
Throughout our conversation, I find myself wanting to discuss the most obvious topic, but can't bring it up without having to continually justify myself. Doesn't she feel constricted and even oppressed by the practices she is assuming?
Wall's candidness to discuss such issues validates my impression of her. She constantly reassures me to ask even the most probing questions and to present any debate, illustrating a maturity and intelligence uncommon for a 20-year-old.
"This experience has taught me to respect a woman's decision to stay home with her children or wear a hijab or go out and become CEOs," Wall said.
She finishes her sentence, as I notice a young woman staring at the back of Wall's head.
Her eyes momentarily follow the outline of the brightly colored veil and then quickly move away. Instead of feeling sorry for Wall and assuming that the attention is warranted by feelings of resentment or fear, I soon wonder if the girl is instead intrigued by the hijab.
Wall admits to only showing her hair in the most intimate of settings, and I realize that I'm slightly jealous of someone who respects something I easily take for granted.
101 comments
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123456
Muslim guy & loving it
Thu Jul 16 2009 21:04
"This experience has taught me to respect a woman's decision to stay home with her children or wear a hijab or go out and become CEOs," Wall said.
I have nothing to comment just something to share. I truly honor the above statement. I am a muslim man. I live in an Asean Muslim country. I am working in a large public listed organisation in my country. My CEO (#1) and COO (#2) are both Muslim ladies. They are successful and respectful hardworking leaders and professionals. #1 wears hijab. #2 adequately covers her hair with scarf. Both have families and growing children. Our organisation also has ladies, Muslim and non-Muslim, as General Managers and Head Departments. We men and ladies interact professionally on daily basis and we respect our gender limits. We stopped being sexist long time ago as gender does not determine nor control abilities, capabilities and determination. Ultimately we are all striving to make an honest living in this very competitive global and Internet era, while preserving the environment for the future generation.
Fellow Texan
Thu Jul 16 2009 11:19
Fabulous story. I wonder what else we can learn from Islam's women?
I found this site - www Islams Women .com
the girl in black abaya
Thu Jul 16 2009 06:06
urm... we are talking about obedience. to our Lord. islam is a religion which does not force. "la ikraha fiddeen" means "no force in our religion". it's in the qur'an. but Allah asks us to cover our beauty. so that, we are not exposed to bad things such as rapist and all that. Allah is protecting us. covering also makes us feel so special that man will not look down upon us. coverings means respect. as we are not like ordinary woman who show off their beauty freely.
our beauty is only for the one who worth it. our husbands. it's them and our famiy members who can see our skin and hair.
i choose to wear loose clothes. and i also choose to wear hijab. i'm not forced. it makes me feel safe from danger and close to my Lord.
Allah asks us. It's actually us who make the decision. Obedience to God is the point here. HE is not losing anything of our deeds. actually we are the one who loses. Judgement Day is the day where all of us except the one who is obedient, cry of our sins. Hell is the payback.
p/s: Islam is applicable throughout the centuries. nothing is hard in islam. everything is easy. as long as we know how to use it.
Iman
Mon Jul 13 2009 18:44
Islamvoice,
What a wonderful poem. It echoes the sentiments in my own heart.
Ms. Wall,
Thank you for sharing this personal experience with us.
Peace,
Iman
Mon Jul 13 2009 18:27
I am an American Muslim Woman and I wish to let you know that there are DIFFERENCES between men and women, God made us differently, period. This is just an indisputable fact. It is my belief that women should be respected, as do men, and actually all human beings. I chose to cover, I was not coerced, nor was I forced. The purpose of covering is to try and be modest and remind us to remember God in all that we do. Also, you may not know this, however, in Islam, men have a dress code as well. That aspect seems never to be discussed.
On another note, not having much specific knowledge of the issue in France...it seems quite possible that in other countries the "culture" or other people may be trying to force Muslim women to cover or uncover, as has been tried in the past. Either way, it should be a woman's choice. There is no law in any democracy that should dictate to a woman to cover, or not. However, my main concern is America, as I am an American. The main idea is freedom of choice. In Islam, a woman is instructed to cover her hair and her body (hijab), and the sooner, the better.
Think about it, if your main aim is to follow the word of God, then there is no compulsion. Therefore, a woman, if forced to cover, at least initially will not receive any "good marks" with God, because it was not her choice. Who knows what happens after, only God. So it is better to allow the woman to choose if and when to cover. Only God knows what is in the heart and the mind. By the same token, whether a woman chooses to cover or not, it is her choice to make and no human can judge her for that alone, only God can.
As an American Muslim woman my heart is overflowing to hear from so many American Muslim women that have chosen to wear hijab and our other neighbors who cover as well. That is the beauty of America, that we can all live in peace. Hamdalailah.
Finally, it seems that many people appear to be adamant against Muslim women covering their hair. This goes against the freedom of choice that is at the root of American Society. This "fear" or "reluctance" to accept it may mean that people need to open their mind. If they choose not to open their mind, that is also a choice, however it does not give anyone the right to be hateful, disrespectful or discriminatory to anyone else. If you choose not to have an open mind, then do not yourself, oppress others due to your own closed-mindedness, nay ignorance.
This girl has chosen, in my opinion, to do a noble thing. If nothing else, she is literally learning what it is like to walk in other people's shoes. This also makes me very happy and has done a little to assuage the gaping wound that I have been feeling in relation to many fellow Americans who appear to be close minded and sometimes even hateful towards me. There is yet hope for all of us to "live and let live" and maybe, if we open our minds we can all learn a little bit from each other. After all, we are all human beings.
Peace.
Andrew S.
Thu Jul 9 2009 14:19
@James Lange
Hijab does not restrict women. Rather it liberates them from being the sex icons that western culture has made them.
Even in American media, men and women do not dress equally. On American dance shows, women wear close to just their underwear. Everything is skin tight. Meanwhile, most of the male dancers are covered from their ankles to their wrists, wearing more baggy clothing. Call that gender equality? In American media, women are exploited as sexual objects, whereas the hijab provides an escape from that offensive image.
I do acknowledge that America is a secular society that values gender equality, but even before that, it values personal choice. All of the Muslim women of my acquaintance CHOOSE to wear their hijabs.When it comes to the question of a male forcing a woman to wear hijab, I quote the Quran when I say, "There is no compulsion in religion." If they violate that, then they are not following Islam. I would also like to add that Islam also has standards of modesty for men, but due to the disparity between men and women's dress in Western culture, it is not currently an issue. If men were walking around in short-shorts and halter tops, I assure you that male modesty would be at the forefront of our debate.
One last note:
If it is sexist to insist that women cover themselves, is it not also sexist to insist that they take their clothes off?
Manal
Mon Jul 6 2009 15:05
I admire you. And your decision to view life from an entire different angle. An angle that which truly brings you closer to God and the ones you love. I am amazed by some of the comments, truthfully. But I love that YOU have decided to do something for you, so that you can understand others, their lifestyes, and committments. It is truly important to walk in EVERYONE shoes. For we all wear the same ones to a certain extent, No matter what we believe, or who we believe in. You are doing an admirable thing. Not just for yourself, but for other people as well. Always Love and Peace.
amrev
Fri Jul 3 2009 14:57
well said kinza
Your name
Fri Jul 3 2009 08:15
Comparison of Women in the Bible and Quran, not only Jews and Muslim Women are to wear Hijab but Christians too.
Search for The United Muslim Nations International see their directory and the open letter to the Vatican and Synagogue Neitri Karta.
Islam is truly beautiful
peace
Wed Jul 1 2009 12:18
First, let me say that Muslims are encouraged to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. If I am not mistaken there were no conditions or limitations placed on this seeking. Someone made the assumption that Muslims don't try to live in the shoes of others. The media reports what it wants you to hear. So to make an assumption like that is not smart. I read literature on all faiths and find the differences and SIMILARITIES intriguing. I have had dialogue with other Muslims women on what it would feel like to not wear hijab. For many of us that choose to cover because we believe we are obeying God, not covering is not worth sacrificing answering to God on the Day of Judgement for a social experiment.
Just like any religion, your leader or book tells you not to do or do something and you follow it or not. It puzzles me that people get bent out of shape when Muslim women choose to cover. Our covering is no different then Mary, the Mother of Jesus (may Allah be pleased with both of them), Mother Theresa, nuns and other historic biblical images. Please know that women of other faiths were instructed, forced and/or chose to cover as well. Read WORLD history and educate yourself. Especially, ancient religious text. Go to a large research university and read. You will be shockingly surprised!
I accepted Islam as my faith at the age of 27. I started covering before, I made my claim as a Muslim. When I practiced Christianity in my youth, I dressed modestly( didn't show my arms, cleavage, legs or wear tight clothing). So MY CHOICE to fully cover was a natural progression for me. I did not accept Islam because of a man either, but through my personal relationship with God. Before that I always respected women and girls, who covered.
I think if we all focused on our personal relationship with God, we would not have time to worry and be bothered by who wears what and why.
May God bless all, whose eyes grace this page. May God bless us all with patience, tolerance and with understanding of choices people make. I do not believe anyone should be forced to wear hijab or not.
Peace.
Ali
Tue Jun 30 2009 14:04
I think it's important to always understand other people's perspective. It improves dialogue and understanding. However, I have never seen Islamic people attempt to learn other religions for fun. Why is this not encouraged by the Islamic community? I think it would be great and fun for all. I've read many different religion's texts and always learned alot. Try it!
Your name
Mon Jun 29 2009 15:47
I would like to be more precise in some of the points:
1- First, we cannot say parents force their 10 year old daughter to do anything. It is sufficient that parents tell them simply what to do, just as they tell them to go to sleep, to come to eat, and to go do their homework. So at 10-12 years of age, the kid just does it without a sufficiently conscious reflexion on "why", they are just taught this is the way of islam at a young age, especially when living in a muslim country, where all other older girls do it.
2- It is understandable that younger girls at 8-10 years of age, would beg their parents to wear the hijab. In a muslim country where all adult women wear it, it is a sign for the kid to show others that she has grown up, and that she has become a teenager, it's like a ritual of progression from childhood to teenage, so there is a feeling of pride in that. Just as any other kid would go imitate older kids, or even make himself a tattoo or a piercing when they hit 18, just another type of ritual to tell their parents they have become independent for example.
3- Why is there a feeling and will to tell your surroundings that you are "muslim and proud"? I believe that every human, believer in god or not, and in any religion, is by default very proud of what he believes in. We all respect muslims for their religion, there is no need to show it by wearing a hijab, as a reminder for everyone that one is muslim and proud. On a sociology point of view, this behaviour is close to gay pride parades, and gay pride in general, reminding people that they are gay and proud of it; this creates a movement of group or clan, of a network they belong to. Why is there no Mister-average-Joe pride?
4- This point is also very important: does hijab really makes you feel more as a person, and less as an object? I don't think so. Just as any other uniform, one of its purposes is to erase the distinguishing marks between women, bring women on a more equal level physically. It also erases the physical attributes of women, the body lines, the hair and the legs when wearing the long skirt. So in my opinion, hijab makes you more an object, and less as person, hiding many aspects of what makes us human... how about a human-pride?
5- What are your opinions on the niqab and the burqa (please search them on wikipedia to see exactly what they are). They are also a msulim type of dressing, sometimes chosen and sometimes imposed, in many countries. Doesn't this type of dressing take the hijab level even further in the process, by cloaking the the face this time. This type of clothing clearly makes women objects and less human, where the woman is not a persone anymore, where Mrs Smith is not Mrs Smith anymore, but just a "women".
Carine
Mon Jun 29 2009 10:13
"I'm a 38 yrs old Muslim man and I never in my life witnessed what you say is the case (men forcing women to wear Hijab). Does it ever happen? maybe it does. But if so, it must be very extremely rare."
Dear Yasser,
you must have spent your life in a cave in some far-away country if you have never seen a woman being coerced into wearing the veil. I've seen women being insulted by men on the Cairo street because they were not wearing the veil. I've seen some Egyptian women cry because their fiancee or husband was harassing them, sometimes even beating them up because they did not want to cover up. I have heard an Australian imam explain that a woman who is not veiled should not complain if she is raped because she is like meat attracting flies. I have heard of women being killed on the Alger street for not being veiled.
Ms. Hallums
Sun Jun 28 2009 04:59
Ms. Spencer Wall,
I admire your fortitude and bravery as you stepped into a new world of experience to broaden your OWN horizons. God, The Almighty, does as HE wills with all of His Creation. Like the dress of the Blessed Mother Mary, and all those saintly ladies, yours is not something new. Let us all remove our veils of ignorance and open our hearts to the chance at gaining an understanding into such a dress. Whether you think it is oppression, free-will, beautiful or hideous, live and let live. Opinions matter not for only God is the TRUE JUDGE of us all. Whatever her reasons for this experience in the beginning, it is certainly caused a transformation in her outlook of it.
God Bless you and keep you! Amen!
Bruce
Sat Jun 27 2009 19:07
I read with interest this article. I believe that it's nice to understand other people's perspective. I think this will lead to greater dialogue and understanding. However, I have never ever heard of a Muslim person attempt to experiment with another religion other than Islam. Would this be tolerated by the religion? Why is it not encouraged? I have read books of many faiths and always found it to be an educational experience.
Peace to all.
pd ust
Sat Jun 27 2009 19:01
The freedom mean the people can do what they want
That their choice .
Some country allow the woman to be naked but don't allow to wear Hejab
Muslim Girl
Sat Jun 27 2009 15:36
Bismi Allah Alrahman Alraheem.
Hijab is something wonderful. I am 16 and have been wearing the hijab for 6 years. I wanted to wear when I was in 4th grade but my parents said no. I couldn't wait till they said yes and I could finally wear it . It is your identitiy that defines you as being a muslim. When you love something so much and you are so proud of it you want everyone to know about it and see it. It is like a flag that you put up in the sky "I AM A MUSLIM AND PROUD". Hijab is just dressing modestly, in Islam a woman is so precious that she shouldn't show herself to everyone and those who do not deserve her. Why does the west view hijab as opression? Is it so much to ask to be treated as a person and not as an objecet like how the media protrays women. Hijab gives you modesty, integrity, pride, and makes other people respect you and know you for who you are and what you look like. Is it such a big deal for people to see you hair??? Yes, some people do force their daugthers to wear it, but those are minorities, I know, I lived in a muslim country untill I was 15 and I traveled to many places in the world. Hijab brings out your true beauty, and that is what is inside.
Your name
Sat Jun 27 2009 11:43
Most muslim women cover because they don't have any choice. I lived many years in Saudi Arabia and other muslim countries. Parents make their daughters wear the hijab when they get 11-13 years old (starting with teenage). How can they choose freely what they want when they get 18-20 years old, after wearing it for 5-9 years... In order to make a free choice, girls should not cover their hair untill 18-20, get an open education, only then they can make their own personal unbiased reflexion on the subject, and choose to do it or not.
Now for my own personal opinion. I wish that women do not wear anything to hide their hair, it is ultimately wrong. Today women are as equal as men, and hair is nothing to be afraid of. Showing your hair will not put you in danger in public. Showing your hair puts women on the same level as men - there is no difference.
Let us not mention the niqab and the burqa... simply and literally de-humanizing women.
Peace
Shahirah
Thu Jun 25 2009 20:31
may allah guide her to islam . ameen ya rabb.
Hera
Thu Jun 25 2009 17:07
Naveen,
Muslim activities in France likely became "federal business" because of the weeks of rioting and 1000s of cars burned by Muslims in France.I'm sure the citizens who had their cars burned by Muslim rioters demanded federal action.If Muslims were really peaceful and tolerant of other citizens, attempted to assimilate with the secular culture they would find greater acceptance in France. Some of the most successful immigrants in the US are Hindus who despite their difference in dress and culture, learn English, are peaceful, hardworking and fit in with the dominant culture.
