Introduction

The veiling practice in the Islamic religion: Does the veil deny women of their natural rights, or does it represent obedience to Allah? This picture shows a scene from Persepolis where the young girls are forced to wear veils. The chapter explains how the girls did not like to wear the veils, so they took them off. They did not yet understand what they symbolized and why they had to wear them. The picture shows that everybody looks the same in the veil. You cannot tell them apart from each other. I believe by doing this, the author is showing that being forced to wear the veil, it was difficult to express individuality. Currently in Iran, it is against the law for women to appear in public without a veil. Other countries like Turkey have banned wearing the veil. In the Quran, it is said, "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them". The veils are suggested by their holy book to show that they are Muslim, and has been in practice since 13 B.C. As an American male, I understand the view point that the veiling practice is a long honored tradition and shows a commitment to following the muslim religion. However, does removing the veil only allow women to have freedom of expression, or, does it allow females significantly more? I would argue that the veil is something much greater than hiding individualism. The concept of the veil is actually forcing women into an enslavement, one in which all freedoms are denied. Women do not have the choice to wear the veil, they are forced to wear them. This veil is not just a piece of cloth, but it is a prison. The veil of constraint should be lifted. I believe the core principle of freedom is for the individual to have the choice to decide, which could ultimately allow millions of women to unveil themselves and experience a profoundly new way of life.