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Name: Collins Academy

World Studies

Hijab Essay

Essential Question: Should Muslim women wear the hijab?

Answer the question above in a structured half-page “essay” on the back of this sheet using the information provided in the four articles below. Your essay should have a clear thesis statement and at least three supporting details that support your answer. Before you begin working on your essay, read the four articles below. For each article, decide the point of view of the author and how you can use the article to support your thesis statement.

Article 1: Sumayya Syed

One of the major misconceptions about the hijab (covering of the body except the face and hands) is that young women are forced to wear it by their parents or by male family members.

Sumayya Syed, 16, says that what parents or men want have nothing to do with it. In fact, she astounds people who ask by saying that every woman should have this form of liberation.

Syed maintains that when a woman is covered, men cannot judge her by her appearance but are forced to evaluate her by her personality, character, and morals. "I tell them that the hijab is not a responsibility, it's a right given to me by my Creator who knows us best. It's a benefit to me, so why not? It's something every woman should strive to get and should want."

1. What is the author’s point of view about the hijab?

2. How can you use this to support your answer to our essential question?

Article 2: Rema Zawi

All of the young women interviewed agreed that the advantages of wearing the hijab are many. According to Rema Zawi, 16, "You feel modest...and you feel like you're covered up. You have more self-respect. You have more confidence in yourself that you don't need to care about (how) you look."

1. What is the author’s point of view about the hijab?

2. How can you use this to support your answer to our essential question?

Article 3: Amani Elkassabany

Amani Elkassabany, 30, who is not presently wearing the hijab, has a different view. She applauds those who wear the hijab (especially those who wear it for God and with good intentions), but feels that it is not necessary to wear the hijab to gain respect.

"Just because a woman covers, doesn't mean she is automatically entitled to respect, or has already proven the worth of her mind. Respect must be earned regardless of one's appearance and it is not earned through a dress code alone."

She is also concerned about the restraints wearing the hijab implies, restraints that are exclusive to women. "Both men and women are required to dedicate themselves to God, but it is only women who are expected to demonstrate this dedication outwardly in the form of hijab," she says. "This expectation on the part of [women] is what I find difficult to accept."

1. What is the author’s point of view about the hijab?

2. How can you use this to support your answer to our essential question?

Article 4: University of California Study

One study, done at the University of California, found that media photographs emphasize the faces of men but the bodies of women. In the average picture of a woman, less than half the photo (45%) was devoted to the woman's face. In the pictures of men, nearly two-thirds (65%) of the photograph featured the man's face.

1. What is the author’s point of view about the hijab?

2. How can you use this to support your answer to our essential question?

Thesis Statement

Circle your thesis statement:

Muslim women should wear the hijab.

Muslim women should not wear the hijab.

3 supporting facts from the articles provided that support your thesis statement:

1.

2.

3.

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