Sartorial freedom

By Kaniz Fatima, UK
21 December 2003, 18:00 PM
If I am an adult, if I am living in a civilised society, if I am mentally sound, and if I am to attend an invitation to my friend's house, am I myself not enough to select my own dress, shoes, ornaments, or to decide my hair-style? Am I? If I decide to wear shirt-pants or to wear a short skirt, is there any law in any civilised society to prevent me from doing this? If the temperature is minus four and I decide to dress myself with a tiny blouse six inches deep from my shoulder and two inches above my waist, and a skirt that hangs from my waist and barely covers my thighs, is there any legal authority to blame me or to fine me because I may catch cold or it may cause me fever or cough? I think the answer is "no".

There is no one to force me to change this very personal decision of mine in these countries (as these countries are known as lands of "freedom" in its wider sense, especially individual "freedom" that is assumed as a vital human right.)

I have seen many women in chilly morning or in icy midnight with tiny dresses. Then what is the problem if I decide to have a long coat and pants to cover me properly, and a scarf to cover my head? Or, on top of that, if such a dress is religiously important to me, does it pose any problem to the cohesion of society? If other women have right to uncover most of the parts of their body, why should I be stripped of my right to cover my body properly? Is absolute liberty given in respect of all other dresses (or not wearing dresses) except my dress? Why this discrimination against a dress code that covers our body properly? By choosing such a dress for me, am I causing any harm to others? If not, what is wrong with my selection of dress, which is also mandated by my religion? What about my freedom and liberty? Why should the authority put legal obstacle to deny me enjoying my human rights? Is not such law designed to suppress my conscience that tells me to wear hijab? Is law to protect human rights or to abolish them? Is law to protect freedom of speech and religion or to suppress it? Given that law is for the protection of human rights and freedom, I wish to put a question to human conscience:

I am 27 and have completed my masters degree in two subjects. By profession I am a university teacher; and am living in a western country. Am I not capable enough to choose my own dress? I have taken hijab by choice; nobody has coerced me to take such dress, nor does my family or society have anything to do in this matter. Should anybody force me to take my hijab off?