The concept of the veil is known around the world but not many people understand the meaning behind it. There is a massive significance to a single piece of cloth. Before this cultural revolution, the idea of wearing a veil was a woman’s choice. When the Islams took this right away from women it penalized them and made them inferior to others. During the Islamic Revolution in 1980, women were required to wear the veil. Many women hated the idea of it and felt it restricted their freedom, which it did. The wearing of the veil has been imposed, withdrawn, and reimposed within a single lifetime. One of the reasons many people felt the veil was necessary was due to the fact that it could expose sexual desire to ones around them. Women who refuse to wear veils have bene brutally beaten, fined, and potentially sentenced to jail. With the idea that the veil is used for the protection against deviant eyes, it is emphasized that this action was for the protection of men and not women.  

Another reason why women were needed to wear veils was because it represented how religious they were. This idea is highly controversial because some people believe that clothing does not represent how religious one can be. The veil has multiple meanings depending on who interprets it from how subjective meanings of the veil have emerged from “religious conviction and draw on religious imagery.” (Ahmed).    

In the book, Persepolis, the protagonist highlighted how at 10 years old she was required to wear the veil at school and many of her classmates acted out since they did not completely understand why it was necessary. This was due to the leader claiming veils were “symbols of capitalism” and immediately closed down boys’ and girls’ schools, separated them, and made the girls wear veils. 

Citations: 

Milani, F. (n.d.). Veils and Words: The Emerging Voices of Iranian Women Writers. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en 

Ahmed, A. S. (2005). Islam, globalization and postmodernity. London u.a.: Routledge. 

Abu-Odeh, L. (n.d.). Post-Colonial Feminism and the Veil: Considering the Differences. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals%2Fnewlr26