As described at the beginning the first chapter The Holy Veil, Brooks tells of her personal experience with hijab. While throughout the chapter, as well as the entire book, women are strictly told to cover their hair, not to allow their long tress to show. Yet as quoted in the Koran, as stated on page 21, �Tell the believing woman to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms.� The passage is simple and direct by saying to only preach the following to those who believe and who wish to follow the idea that is stated. The second part of the passage says that women should be modest in their approach, and should cover themselves, as not to entice men.
The Koran takes this believe a step further by stating that a woman�s voice is so alluring that she must whisper. Once must begin to wonder then why such strict ideas are, in some parts of the Middle East, forced upon all women. The over all feel I received after having read the book was that covering oneself was optional, or expected, but not a capital crime, however I might have been mistaken. In any case cannot help but understand, sympathize and even pity men who force their wives and daughters into covering up their yards of long hair, their flawless complexions and petite bodies�all traits of a woman which are considered to be extremely alluring and attractive in American society. These men use the Koran, the holy text of their religion as advantage to faithful and endearing wives who wish only to please their spouse.
The pure jealousy and rage which men fill with when another man looks at his wife or girlfriend in America often leads to physical violence, domestic disputes, affairs, divorce and in some cases, death, suicide and murder. The Islamic believe of covering up perhaps is the solution to this ever present domestic problem. While covering up the female population will certainly not result in an end to extramarital affairs, it gives no temptation to the men, as there is nothing to gawk and stare at.
With this argument, one must stop to wonder if a parallel idea should be brought forth for men. Should they also be forced to cover themselves? Who is to say that a man�s voice is not also alluring and sexually stimulating? Can the sight of a man�s muscular arm not drive a woman to cheat on her husband, even if death is the sentence? On the other hand, are women stronger than men are? Do they have les sexual desire? Do they have more sexual will power? Or are they expected to simply deny their urges while men are allowed the luxury of not having the carrot dangled before them while men are allowed to take the stick their wives or daughters if they do choose to peruse the prize?
At the age of nine, young girls are expected to take on the responsibility of being a woman, while boys of the same age are allowed to not study the Koran. It is not until a boy reaches fifteen that he is required to pray five times a day, though he can still call himself a Muslim and while is sister has been praying and following the strict rules that govern the Islamic world since she was nine! Brooks explains that the reasoning behind this is that boys are not mature enough to assume the role of a man, while girls are mature and ready six years their junior. While boys are not expected to marry at a young age, girls are married off, often without their knowledge.
Six years old is the youngest age stated by Brooks when Aisha is wed to the Prophet Muhammad. Brooks quotes a statement by Aisha, �It fell into my heart that I was married.� Aisha and the Prophet do not consummate their marriage until she nine�supposedly old enough to take on the responsibilities of womanhood�however, how mature can a nine year old be? Certainly not ready for marriage! How can a person state that a nine year old is a woman? A girl who still plays with dolls and prefers to playing on swings cannot much less bear children, than she can take on the full tasks of a grown woman.
The belief of girls maturing before boys and women being covered up to avoid the prying eyes of men both state how men are privately allowing themselves to be seen as the weaker and less powerful sex. They must use brute force, threaten death and often twist their words of the Koran�which many uneducated women cannot read. It is sad to say that for many years, Islamic women have been spoon fed the male version of the Koran, as women, up until late, were not allowed any type of formal education. Those that were fortunate enough to be allowed permission to receive an education picked out those who could not afford one, and further still, picked out those willing to leave the country to study.
Islamic men might state however that the woman�s place is in the home. To bear children, watch over the family and the household while the man enters the world to work. If this is true, and the Koran deems it so, how could so many women throughout history, American or not succeed in their field of study or expertise? Madame Curie, Amelia Earhart, Susan B. Anthony, St. Joan of Arc, and Harriett Tubman are just a few of the many women who set out on their goals and achieved great things for all mankind. They overcame many odds, and though they may have been bound by laws and regulations, they found ways to break free and to accomplish their goals, even when society, their peers and superior figure were against them.