1. How Close is the Hijab to Other Religious Headscarf Identities?

The principle of wearing a head-covering for modesty, spiritual devotion, or identity is structurally very similar across faiths. Islam is continuing a long-standing human and Abrahamic practice rather than introducing an anomaly:

• Christianity: Catholic nuns wear a veil or habit as a sign of religious devotion and humility, an act widely viewed as sacred rather than oppressive. Many traditional Eastern Orthodox and Apostolic Christian women cover their heads during worship or in daily life. Furthermore, standard Western religious art almost universally depicts Mary (the mother of Jesus) wearing a veil.
• Judaism: Observant Orthodox Jewish married women practice head-covering (Kissui Rosh) using scarves (tichels), snoods, or wigs (sheitels) to express modesty (tzniut) and signal their marital status.
• Sikhism: Both men and women in Sikhism cover their heads; men wear the turban (dastar), while women often wear a headscarf (chunni or dupatta) as a mandatory sign of respect, equality, and devotion to God.
• Hinduism: In various traditional Indian cultures, women practice ghoonghat—draping the end of a sari or a scarf over the head and face as a gesture of respect toward elders or deities.

2. Why is the Hijab Singled Out as “Oppressive”?

Despite these clear parallels, the hijab receives disproportionate scrutiny. This dynamic is driven by several geopolitical, media, and socio-cultural factors:

A. Orientalist and Colonial Legacies

Historical European colonialism framed non-Western cultures as “backward” or in need of “civilizing.” Western colonial narratives frequently depicted Muslim women as passive victims needing to be “saved” from Muslim men—a theme that persists in modern political discourse to justify foreign interventions or restrictive domestic policies.

B. Misattributing Politics and State Coercion to Theology

Certain authoritarian regimes (such as Iran or the Taliban in Afghanistan) legally enforce head coverings and penalize non-compliance. These state-mandated laws are widely criticized by human rights advocates and Muslim scholars alike, who note that forced worship contradicts the Islamic principle that “there is no compulsion in religion”. However, Western media often conflates these specific political regimes with the global practice of Islam itself, ignoring the millions of women worldwide who freely choose to wear the hijab as a personal act of faith.

C. Selective Media Framing and Visual Hyper-Visibility

Because the hijab visually identifies a woman as Muslim, it becomes an easy focal point for anti-Muslim bias. Media portrayals disproportionately feature covered women in contexts of conflict, extremism, or subjugation while omitting the everyday reality of hijab-wearing scientists, politicians, athletes, and professionals.

D. Double Standards Around Religious Freedom and Autonomy

When a Christian nun or an Orthodox Jewish woman covers her hair, it is generally recognized as an expression of personal faith, agency, or tradition. Conversely, when a Muslim woman covers her hair, external observers frequently assume she lacks personal agency or was forced into it by a male relative—erasing her individual autonomy and choice.