Preview

Evaluate Beauty: Appearance or Inner Self

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1165 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Evaluate Beauty: Appearance or Inner Self
What is beauty? There are two ways you can judge beauty, by appearance (external) and inner (internal) qualities. The noticeable beauty is what is visible on the surface; it does not have as much value as the beauty that is unseen which comes from within and glows outward. Therefore, judging people by looking at their appearance is irrelevant because beauty is more than what we look like. Our experiences in life, our self-confidence and our character traits define who we really are as individuals and not our outer appearance.
A person 's cultural contribution can be part of the aspect of their personality. People have different cultural backgrounds and lifestyles. The way they act, speak, and think may indicate what culture they belong to. Different cultures have different standards of beauty, as well as people within the same culture. If we all had the same type of culture, cultural diversity would become nonexistent, and the world would be a very boring place. Therefore, people should be determined based on what they contribute to their culture, not by their appearance. Naheed Mustafa, a Muslim woman, wears a hijab because in their culture, it gives back women 's "ultimate control on their bodies." (104).
According to Mustafa:
Wearing the hijab has given me freedom from constant attention to my physical self. Because my appearance in not subjected to public scrutiny, my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has been removed from the realm of what can legitimately be discussed. No one knows whether my hair looks as if I just stepped out of a salon, whether of not I can pinch an inch or even if I have unsightly stretch marks. And because no one knows, no one cares (105).
This quote expresses how the hijab is important and Mustafa 's feelings when she wears it and why she wears it. Despite of this, she is still seen as strange women and even a possible terrorist because of what she wears. There is no reason for a person to judge a Muslim woman, who wears a hijab,



Cited: Mustafa, Naheed. "My Body Is My Own Business." The Mercury Reader. Ed. Janice Neuleib et al. Boston: Pearson Publishing, 2005. 104-105.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the exposition we meet our protagonist who is a young women of Islam who wears the traditional veil that muslim women are advised to wear under the law of the Quran were it says, “And tell the believing women to reduce some of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which necessarily appears thereof and to wrap a portion of their head covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women.(Quran).” Some women are not wearing veils. As readers, we come to the conclusion that the protagonist is a faithful woman of Islam. The veil is a symbol of power to women who wear it because they have the gift of modesty and can show their dedication to Allah. What is interesting is that even though the veil is supposed to cover the body and keep men from giving attention to a woman’s body, men are drawn to the women in veils because they are “enticing” and have an “alluring shape, and make the observer yearn to uncover the secrets which lie beneath them (Ayyoub 98).”…

    • 938 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Naheed Mustafa, a young Muslim who began to wear the hijab once she blossomed out of her teenage years, finds it difficult to apprehend the fact as to why society views her differently compared to other girls her age. Due to the mere fact that she wears a hijab, she gets a “whole gamut of strange looks, stares, and covert glances.” Because she lives in Canada, which adapts the Western culture, wearing a hijab is not very common. Because of this Naheed and many others like her, are often viewed as outcasts and treated differently. This takes a huge toll on one’s identity which can be either negative or positive. However, Naheed abides by her choices and wishes to make a positive change out of it.…

    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nine Parts of Desire

    • 1250 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The specific topic of this book is the oppression of women. Its overall purpose is to understand the women behind the veils and why the Muslim women take up the hijab. The purpose is also to show how political, religious, and cultural factors shape the women’s lives. It is written for the average westerner because they have been exposed to more negative and one-sided views about the religion, however they are clueless about what really goes on in the religion of Islam, which concludes that there are many stereotypes and judgments on the subject. Brooks is probably used to this because she was raised in Australia as a Jew. Knowing about the Jewish background and how they were discriminated against could have been an important factor in the writing of Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women. New York Times reports that “She wanted to avoid the many judgments and assumptions, but add a valid account of the women in the Muslim world.”…

    • 1250 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    To Veil of Not to Veil

    • 696 Words
    • 2 Pages

    It appears that some people of the west fail to do before making assumptions about Middle Eastern oppression of women, many stop to ask a Muslim woman what she thinks about wearing a veil. In their case study Ghazel and Bartkowski talked to twelve veiled women and twelve unveiled women in Austin, Texas and asked them questions surrounding the controversy of the hijab. Islamic women’s motivations for veiling seem to vary dramatically. The range can be broad as expressing their strongly held conviction, to critique western culture, for strictly religious purposes, and to be viewed not just as women, but as intellectual equals. Some of verses in the Qur’an and Hadiths (Islam’s holy texts) say that women must wear to hijab to not tempt men and that to be a good Muslim woman she must conceal her body. This belief makes women overall much more modest and submissive. The Islamic religion according to the article is very much a patriarchal religious institution and some of the bureaucratic men in the society are said to see the veil as a way to keep women subservient in their society. This appears to be the central reason why unveiled women do not wear a hijab. They believe that because the head covering wasn’t originally created by Islam they shouldn’t have to wear it to achieve spiritual welfare or be considered of higher…

    • 696 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay on Difference

    • 776 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Secondly, Sultana Yusufali addresses the audience about the hijab controversy and that hijabs are banned from being worn due to the ignorance of today’s…

    • 776 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mona Eltahawy in "My Unveiling Ceremony," believes wearing a hijab (headscarf and clothing that covers the whole body except for the hands and face) is a form of oppressive behavior expected of women, and illustrates in her essay her experience with her loss of identity, resulting in her choice to stop wearing her hijab as symbol of empowerment and freedom. The following three points supports why Muslim women should not wear a hijab.…

    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Catherine Meckes, a Canadian journalist argues that the Hijab does not ultimately liberate a woman. She feels that it is a way of hiding behind bars so one does not have to deal with the realities of life. This is untrue. My argument is that wearing a Hijab doesn’t hide you from the realities of life. In fact, it helps you face them. Wearing a Hijab, doesn’t mean you “give in” to the battle over men’s natural temptations by objectifying yourself. It shows that you want to be loved, appreciated, and, most of all, you want to be respected. You aim to gain this respect not from the appearance of your body, but the contents of your personality and character. Like what Martin Luther King Junior said, “I have a dream where one is not judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.” The Hijab can help get this message across throughout the globe.…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the essay “Shrouded in Contradiction” by Gelareh Asayesh discusses the distention of gender in her Islamic society. She expresses her feeling toward wearing a hijab and how it’s not a big deal until it is. “None have been more daring than I. I've wound my scarf into a turban, leaving my neck bare to the breeze. The woman in black is a government employee paid to police public morals. ''Fix your scarf at once!'' she snaps. ''But I'm hot,'' I say. ''You're hot?'' she exclaims. ''Don't you think we all are?'' I start unwinding my makeshift turban. The men aren’t hot,” I mutter. Her companion looks at me in shocked reproach. “Sister, this isn’t about men and women,” she said, shaking her head. “This is about Islam.” I want to argue. I feel like a child. Defiant, but powerless. Burning with injustice, but also with a hint of shame.” In this excerpt, she clearly expresses the way that a hijab is about a lot more than a religious article of clothing. It’s a societal definition of genders. She expresses the way that the hijab can become complicated do to the societal views. She feels a strong sense of injustice because on a hot scorching day by the sea short, as a result of their sexuality women have to endure the heat in silence under there hijab. When she expresses her discomfort, she is reproach by a women officer. She reminded her; that the hijab has nothing to do with being a woman or a man, but is about being an Islamic woman. Thus, lies the contradiction, gender does play a role within the Islamic religion and society. This dictates the way in which a woman should dresses, and is expected to behave.…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    She speaks in great detail how the hijab is a lightning rod for ridicule by others who are less enlighten. “I get the whole gamut of strange looks, stares, and covert glances”. However, it is her source of freedom to disengage from the physical values press upon women within western society. “My appearance is not subjected to public scrutiny, my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has been removed from…

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Garments were arranged to display the patterns and quality of fabrics on all layers and add bulk to the body image. The more former the occasion or higher the status of the weaver, the more layers worn, with richer materials further indicating wealth.” Explained in Charlotte Jirousek article Islamic Clothing. Wearing the hijab was crucial while in public due to the exposer of the body. Any woman that was unveiled was viewed by men as a naked woman. Women should be covered to protect what is considered the men’s property at all times unless around immediate family in their homes. That is why “Women wear the Hijab around strangers (especially males) that they do not consider as part of their family. It is believed that this lessens the chance of them having bad thoughts about them, this includes sexual desires. They believe that the external part of a person is not important but what it inside.” Said in the article Why Do Woman Wear Hijab, Maureen. Women started to adapt to their cultural upbringings, they believed this was a way to keep themselves treasured. Some Islamic woman seen no harm in this, they didn’t feel as if the men dominated them, or were obeying them as their property. They felt as if all women should feel the need to be veiled so they’re not perceived as just a sex object. They would like men to be attentive to their personalities and mind not their looks. Today, women have more of a choice to be veiled. There are a lot of women who use the hijab and not the gown due to the evolving changes in fashion and liberal few points. They feel that it denies the women the freedom to decide on their own…

    • 1451 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Saudi Arabian Women

    • 1489 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Saudi Arabian women should feel free about the way they present themselves in public places. There’re a lot of rules and regulations about what women can wear and do in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Women aren’t allowed to drive, they must always have a guardian, and there are separate buildings and lines for women and men. For example, women must cover her whole body in public and in front of men. In the essay “Saudis in Bikinis” by Nicholas D. Kristof, talks about a time where he was in Saudi Arabia, and women were wearing a abayas. An abayas is a long black cloak worn by Muslim women, it covers the whole body head to toe, but their eyes. Kristof calls them, “black ghost”, it’s part of the women’s culture to wear abayas, "’it's the way God wants us to dress’" says Umm Ranya, an Iraqi who lived in Baghdad”. The women feel it’s a must to cover their bodies, to show respect to men and to God. But if an Arabian women didn’t believe in God would she still wear an abaya. We have the freedom to wear any type of clothing no matter what religion or gender. But how the Arabian women are required to wear an abayas, they have no choice. My thoughts on being a women in Saudi Arabia are unbelievable, there are so many boundaries. A women’s main priority it to cook, clean, and take care of their children while their husband are at work. It appears that women have so many restrictions because of their gender. They are not able to do things like a Saudi Arabian man could do. An Arabian man can drive, work, have the freedom to wear what she pleases and have the ability to be independent. “Nicholas D. Kristof, in his essay “Saudis in Bikinis” provides a substantial argument that Saudi Arabian women should be able to have the same equal rights as men in their own country.…

    • 1489 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nine Parts of Desire

    • 1371 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The specific topic of this book is the oppression of women. Its overall purpose is to understand the women behind the veils and why the Muslim women take up the hijab. The purpose is also to show how political, religious, and cultural factors shape the women’s lives. It is written for the average westerner because they have been exposed to more negative and one-sided views about the religion, however they are clueless about what really goes on in the religion of Islam, which concludes that there are many stereotypes and judgments on the subject. Brooks is probably used to this because she was raised in Australia as a Jew. Knowing about the Jewish background and how they were discriminated against could have been an important factor in the writing of Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women.…

    • 1371 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Growing up in a Muslim home, I understand what Islamic women go through their whole lives to be accepted not only in their religious community but in modern society as well. As Tabassum Ruby mentions in her article, Listening to the Voices of Hijab, the meaning of the Hijab can be interpreted in a different way depending on whose perspective it comes from. A woman who wears the Hijab may see it as a “religious obligation” while a Muslim woman who doesn’t wear it may see it as a “cultural symbol” (Ruby 43). The women that…

    • 1588 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Beauty Is Subjective

    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Beauty could be defined as an outward apperience.According to William Shakespeare(1588) “Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye”. A lot of people cave into beauty as being a thing they look at. Beauty is something that brings their eyes happiness like Stendhal(1871)said, “Beauty is the promise of happiness”. They lust after someone because of the pleasure they see out of the situation. They might not know it but they are looking at if you have straight teeth, a "normal" size nose, how defined your cheeks are, how sharp your chin is, how much you weigh, how fit you are, the shape of your body, and a lot more. To me, I feel this is the wrong way to think. I might on occasion do this but it is not right judging people like that. God made everyone equal and they should all be treated equal.…

    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In spite of the fact that a generally simple read, My Body is My Own Business take one who does not destroy the hijab of her customary range of familiarity. Mustafa says all that needs to be said when she says, "Regardless, individuals have a troublesome time identifying with me."…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays