Djamila
Bosnjakinja
PART-TIME HIJABIS
Many Muslim women, myself included, are part-time hijabis. In fact, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and throughout the Balkans, most Muslim women are part-time hijabis.
I can say this with absolute certainty because - whether we're speaking about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or the Sandzak of Novi Pazar, or Albania, or Turkey - most Muslim do not wear the hijab in their daily lives - but a vast majority do while at Mosque. Thus, the hijab is something Muslim women in these countries wear part-time.
The question then becomes why?
To answer that question, we first need to understand what the hijab means and represents for Bosnians and other Balkan Muslims.
The hijab is not a part of traditional, Islamic practice in much of the Balkans. Even during the Osmanli Empire, our veils were simple and did not completely cover the hair, nor any the face. Balkan Muslims, like all Balkan people, tend to be very nationalistic - "our way" is the "right way", and the hijab simply isn't "our way".
You also have, among Balkan Muslims, many of the same misconceptions and prejudices about the Middle East as exist among European Christians. The hijab, for Balkan Muslims, is sometimes considered a primitive, Arabian concept with no place in a modern, Islamic society. This sentiment, held by a portion of society, affects society as a whole. It is not at all uncommon to hear Bosnian Muslim men lament the hijab and refuse to consider marrying a woman who always wears one. This atmosphere in society not only allows some women who do not wish to wear the hijab to discard it, it even forces some women who may wish to wear one to decide against it.
There is also the cultural role of women in society. Our oldest poems and hymns contain phrases like, "We raise a toast to our girls, such beauty, charm and grace! There surely is no treasure as beautiful as a woman of our race!". Historically, and still today through culture, Balkan Muslims of both genders are very proud of what they consider to be the exceptional beauty of their woman. Think what you will about this, but it's a common thread in Christian cultures in the Balkans as well. Ask anyone - an Slovene, a Bosnian, a Greek, a Turk - and you will always get the answer, "our girls are the best". Beautiful women are, culturally speaking, something equivalent to the flag or another national symbol. It's not something people are willing to mask.
Then there is the Hanafi tradition that deems the hijab is not required by Islam. Most Balkan Muslims come from a Hanafi or Sufi heritage, and in this corner of the world that meant fat more emphasis on the substance of Islam rather than the ritual professed by what are sometimes considered to be more primitive, simple-minded Muslims. It makes me skin crawl a little to say that, but it's accurate in many cases.
So, the question now becomes why a hijab it at all?
The hijab is considered by many devout Muslim women to be a sign of respect, that is why there are certain situations where you can expect to see most women wearing a hijab. Devout Muslim women are usually the only ones who go to Mosque, and they do believe it is important to show respect in a House of Worship, thus most Muslim women at mosques wear a hijab. At events like weddings and funerals, devout Muslim women will also wear a hijab - but the percentage of women dressed in such a way is a minority because the crowd always includes a less devout majority.
The hijab also has an element of rebellion. Young women will wear a hijab in the same way they'll become promiscuous, as a means of rebellion against their parents, perhaps even society as a whole. You'll often see wives wear hijab to punish their husbands - many times I've worn hijab for a week or more because my husband and I were fighting. That one is more difficult for me to explain, it's more subconscious.
The hijab is, by some, considered elegant and beautiful. It is worn as a fashion accessory.
So, that's the story of the millions and millions of part-time hijabis in the Balkans.
I can say this with absolute certainty because - whether we're speaking about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or the Sandzak of Novi Pazar, or Albania, or Turkey - most Muslim do not wear the hijab in their daily lives - but a vast majority do while at Mosque. Thus, the hijab is something Muslim women in these countries wear part-time.
The question then becomes why?
To answer that question, we first need to understand what the hijab means and represents for Bosnians and other Balkan Muslims.
The hijab is not a part of traditional, Islamic practice in much of the Balkans. Even during the Osmanli Empire, our veils were simple and did not completely cover the hair, nor any the face. Balkan Muslims, like all Balkan people, tend to be very nationalistic - "our way" is the "right way", and the hijab simply isn't "our way".
You also have, among Balkan Muslims, many of the same misconceptions and prejudices about the Middle East as exist among European Christians. The hijab, for Balkan Muslims, is sometimes considered a primitive, Arabian concept with no place in a modern, Islamic society. This sentiment, held by a portion of society, affects society as a whole. It is not at all uncommon to hear Bosnian Muslim men lament the hijab and refuse to consider marrying a woman who always wears one. This atmosphere in society not only allows some women who do not wish to wear the hijab to discard it, it even forces some women who may wish to wear one to decide against it.
There is also the cultural role of women in society. Our oldest poems and hymns contain phrases like, "We raise a toast to our girls, such beauty, charm and grace! There surely is no treasure as beautiful as a woman of our race!". Historically, and still today through culture, Balkan Muslims of both genders are very proud of what they consider to be the exceptional beauty of their woman. Think what you will about this, but it's a common thread in Christian cultures in the Balkans as well. Ask anyone - an Slovene, a Bosnian, a Greek, a Turk - and you will always get the answer, "our girls are the best". Beautiful women are, culturally speaking, something equivalent to the flag or another national symbol. It's not something people are willing to mask.
Then there is the Hanafi tradition that deems the hijab is not required by Islam. Most Balkan Muslims come from a Hanafi or Sufi heritage, and in this corner of the world that meant fat more emphasis on the substance of Islam rather than the ritual professed by what are sometimes considered to be more primitive, simple-minded Muslims. It makes me skin crawl a little to say that, but it's accurate in many cases.
So, the question now becomes why a hijab it at all?
The hijab is considered by many devout Muslim women to be a sign of respect, that is why there are certain situations where you can expect to see most women wearing a hijab. Devout Muslim women are usually the only ones who go to Mosque, and they do believe it is important to show respect in a House of Worship, thus most Muslim women at mosques wear a hijab. At events like weddings and funerals, devout Muslim women will also wear a hijab - but the percentage of women dressed in such a way is a minority because the crowd always includes a less devout majority.
The hijab also has an element of rebellion. Young women will wear a hijab in the same way they'll become promiscuous, as a means of rebellion against their parents, perhaps even society as a whole. You'll often see wives wear hijab to punish their husbands - many times I've worn hijab for a week or more because my husband and I were fighting. That one is more difficult for me to explain, it's more subconscious.
The hijab is, by some, considered elegant and beautiful. It is worn as a fashion accessory.
So, that's the story of the millions and millions of part-time hijabis in the Balkans.
