With attention focused these days on the women of Afghanistan, the role of women in Islam is also being brought up. This is where it gets interesting for me. As you can see from the picture accompanying this article, I am an example of a Muslim woman who observes the “hijab,” or modest dress, that includes covering the hair. Ever since I started dressing this way, I have heard many interesting comments over the past four years:

“Wow – you speak such great English. How long have you been in this country?” Does the fact that I have an American accent tell you anything?

“You know, you don’t have to wear that here. You are in America now, you don’t have to stay oppressed.” Thanks for telling me I am oppressed. Now that I know, let me take off my scarf and frolic about.

And of course, my favorite, “Say hi to Osama for me.” Say hi to the KKK for me.

The role of women in Islam is one that has been misunderstood for years. For far too long the impression has been that Islam is a religion that oppresses women, doesn’t let them go out of the house, get an education or do anything for that matter. The confusion often arises from the difference in the teachings of Islam as opposed to cultural practices found in some Muslim societies.

Islam was one of the first religions to grant rights such as inheritance, divorce and education. For instance, there was never a movement in the Islamic world to include women in higher education since women have always been there. Actually, there are more women Ph.D.’s in the Islamic world than in the Western world (not that Islam and the West are mutually exclusive). If you take a glance at the governments of largely Muslim countries, women are an integral part of them. In fact, women have been the presidents and prime ministers of Muslim countries, something that has yet to be achieved here in the United States.

Another image that is often found is of the “veiled” (and therefore oppressed) Muslim woman. Actually, only two Muslim countries enforce the hijab (Saudi Arabia and Iran) while two majority Muslim countries have actually outlawed it (Turkey and Tunisia). The majority of Muslim women do not observe the hijab, and it as much as a choice for Muslim women in Pakistan as it is for Muslim women in America.

The concept of hijab is also a misunderstood one. I view myself as making a feminist statement by putting on my scarf. By covering, I am saying that I do not want to be judged by my looks, but rather my mind. All too often in our society, women are treated as sexual objects. In most music videos for instance, it is scantily clad women that are most often seen, not scantily clad men. Famous women are mocked for their looks while famous men are not. Linda Tripp and Janet Reno are ridiculed because of their looks, but no one makes fun of the way Newt Gingrich or Trent Lott looks.

The hijab is a rejection of all that. It is not a symbol of oppression, but rather freedom from the over-emphasis on looks and beauty that accompanies our image-oriented society.

The other big question is, what about men? Men also have a form of hijab and guidelines for modesty. If you examine the clothing of men and women in Muslim countries, they are remarkably similar in the amount of skin shown – just that of the face and hands.

Although there is no denying the fact that there are areas in the world where Muslim women are oppressed, denied an education and equal rights, it is a result of the cultural practices of the area and not Islam. The largest numbers of converts to Islam are women who often say they were attracted by the respect that women in Islam receive. It is a religion that has had many female theological scholars, and it is a religion that respects women.

After all, I hardly think I am oppressed.

Lubna Alam is a junior studying history.