A powerful and thought-provoking lecture from Sr Zara Faris on the topical question of why Islam prescribes the Hijab for Muslim women. Zara discusses and compares the Western context of women with the Islamic viewpoints, making key observations about the values that underpin the perception of women in the west, and explains how Islamic solutions can better the current condition of women.
University of Kent
20th February 2013
The Muslim Debate Initiative 
MAY ALLAH BLESS US WIT JANNAH
At Least there is “One” Muslim Woman Who can speak on the Topic….
Before I illustrate ,why ALLAH ordered women to wear HIJAB, I would like you to read the following story , then I wii accept your judgement ! Consider and imagine yourself , somewhere in a commonplace , a beautiful lady , femme fat ale Seductive lady passed beside you, without being aware , you start today O MY GOD , how beautiful she is , you will feel yourself ready to chase , to flirt her ! Such that behaviour of course is UNACCEPTABLE. Now if we asked the same lady to wear HIJAB and to cover her seductive body with long dress , and then asked her to pass again in front of you , IAM sure that lady will not attract your attention ,and then both of you the lady and any man will not make any fault or mistake that irritates GOD , thus HIJAB is a shield for both women and men , inhibits them from any evil work , I hope I was able to explain why ALLAH has said to prophet MOHAMMED , peace be unto him , ORDER all believer females to don HIJAB , so as not to be recognised , and later no harm , no scathe will be upon them
Zara Faris talks about female objectification and the male gaze, yet she herself is clearly wearing makeup. There is no reason to wear makeup other than to ‘beautify’ yourself. This essentially makes her entire argument hypocritical.
In addition by hiding what you look like doesn’t solve the underlying problem. The hijab does not alter the reality that people are judged by their looks (and there are many men who get by on good looks alone – see Omar Borkan Al Gala) – does she really believe that in Saudi Arabia women are not judged by their looks just because they wear a hijab? In fact if anything it only reinforces these values by not allowing society as a whole to change its attitudes to how we value both women and men.
PS The levels of misogyny in the Middle East are far worse than they are in the West (source: Mona Eltahawy: Why Do they Hate us? FP 2012).