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Quote by Asra Nomani

“What we argue in the piece is that the headscarf has become a political symbol for an ideology of Islam that is exported to the world by the theocracies of the governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Just like the Catholic Church in the 17th century did religious propaganda to challenge the Protestant Reformation, these ideologies are trying to define the way Muslims express Islam in the world.”

Quote by Asra Nomani

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Asra Nomani
Asra Nomani

Asra Nomani is an American journalist and author recognized for her work on Islam and women's rights. Born in 1965, she has written extensively on the intersection of faith and modern life, particularly focusing on the experiences of Muslim women. Nomani's career has been marked by her bold reporting and advocacy for social change. more

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“What we are saying is we have to be smart about the ideology that is putting this idea into the world that a woman must be defined by her idea of modesty, that she is the vessel for honor in a community. And I believe that we have to be very pragmatic, too, about the consequence of this. Women in Iran and Saudi Arabia are jailed, punished and harassed if they don't cover themselves legally, according to the standard of those countries. So the consequences for many women is oftentimes very dark.”

IfsWorldBelieveIdeasCountryI BelieveCommunityDarkHonorSmartStandardsConsequenceIdeologyDefinedIranModestyVesselArabiaSaudi ArabiaSaudisBeing SmartPragmatic
Author:Asra Nomani
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“The hijab or a variation of the word shows up eight times in the Quran. And it never means headscarf. And so what's happened is that the identity of a Muslim woman especially is being equated to this piece of cloth on her head. And in that ideology there's a very fundamental assumption that people need to think very deeply about, which is do you believe that a woman is too sexy for her hair?”

PeopleThinkingNeedsBelieveMeanShowsPiecesHappenedIdentityHairFundamentalsSexyEightIdeologyAssumptionVariationQuranVery DeepMuslim WomenHijab
Author:Asra Nomani
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“I see certain parallels between the debate over feminism where some women argue that women should not be forced to stay at home and take care of children [and debate about hijab]. And there are other women who are saying you are criticizing my decision as a free liberated women to stay home and take care of my children.”

ShouldChildrenHomeCareCertainDecisionFeminismTake CareArguingDebateMy ChildrenCriticizeParallelsLiberatedStay At HomeHijabLiberated Woman
Author:Ari Shapiro
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“We're talking about everybody's free right to have choice. And so what we're also getting are interesting messages like you really need to obey the command of Allah and put a scarf on your head. And what we caution well-intentioned Americans and others to think about is whether the scarf matches their own values related to issues of honor and shame.”

ThinkingNeedsWellsValuesChoicesInterestingTalkingIssuesLike YouHonorMessagesShameCommandRelatedCautionScarves
Author:Asra Nomani
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