Resonant case of 25-year-old Susanna Ismailova from Crimea which has legal proceedings with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine for the right to be photographed for the passport with her hijab on became an occasion to numerous discussions in mass-media, basically by people who are not acquainted with the instructions of the Quran and the canons of Islamic religion. An aticle "Hijab. What then?" ("Zerkalo Nedeli", No 4 (784), 5 -12 February, 2010, the author: Lyudmila Zlobina) induces to explain to the Ukrainian reader what is hijab for a Muslim woman and what message it carries.
Islam is religion covering all aspects of human life for the sake of harmony in the society and human relations. Instruction to wear hijab was necessary for protection of rights of the society and the woman in particular. That is why the time has come, and all Muslims could imprint in their hearts the following words, "Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful" (The Holy Quran, 33:59). It is obvious that hijab is not just a religious symbol, but carries out a religious function - protection of a woman, preservation of her chastity and demonstration of her humility to God. Besides, in the Quarn it is stated, "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty " (The Holy Quran, 24: 31). As we see, the Quran contains the general instructions for a woman to be covered. It is important to understand that in Islam there are two main sources of dogma - the Quran and Sunna – the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore for the concrete definition of the instruction about covering of a female body it is necessary to address to Sunna. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told to Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr (peace be upon him), "O, Asma! As soon as the girl reaches the age of puberty, nothing from her body should be seen (to non-mahram men), except this and this (and he pointed to his face and hands)". The given quotations from the Quran and the authentic hadith are enough to consider wearing of hijab as a holy duty for each Muslim woman, an integral part of her belief. Therefore, the statement that, "The Quran does not contain the accurate requirement to wear hijab or a veil" will be wrong. To understand a certain religious prescription one should study the Book of Allah, addressing for a concrete definition to the practice of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) as it was shown on the example of hijab.
Besides, it is necessary to distinguish the cultural traditions which developed in this or that territory, in this or that society, and religious instructions. Religious instructions demand from women to cover all parts of the body, except hands and face, and the clothes should not be transparent or tight. It is actually everything, and the rest, whether it be color or style, depends on the tradition.
The category of forbidden for women includes also use natural or artificial wigs as an ornament or to hide one's own hair. For this reason the wig or a chignon cannot be alternative to covering of hair by a scarf. The wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) Aisha said that, "The Messenger of the Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those who attach (hair) and those to whom they are attached". These actions are regarded as falseness and deceit, forbidden in Islam in any displays.
It is also not acceptable that a Muslim woman has her photo on the passport done by her husband or someone of her relatives. After all, the matter is not only in the one who photographs. The passport will be submitted to various establishments, where the photos are attentively checked to be convinced that the bearer of the passport is really its owner. And in the consent with the above-stated words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) no one, except close relatives of a woman, should see her uncovered.
The author of the article "Hijab. What then?" notices that, "Normally the spiritual leaders of Islam allow women to be photographed on the passport with their hijab off - as an exception and necessarily... And only radicals strictly forbid to be photographed with hijab off..."Are those, who follow the rules of religion, radicals? Defending necessity of hijab, Muslims once again show their humility to the Supreme, unlike those who adapts their worship for conditions of the morally spoilt world. In the modern world there is a substitution of concepts. Permissiveness and immorality is even more often named as freedom; egocentrism is represented as the right of a person, modesty is for a long time considered to be a complex, and religiousness - a sign of backwardness. Similar substitution of concepts is especially brightly shown in the case with Muslims - is persistence in upholding of the right to a freedom of worship already became a sign of radicalism!? What then? Not to be considered as "radicals", Muslims will be required not to build mosques with minarets, to shave off their beards and to remove hijab?
Among the major principles of Islam is equality between a man and a woman on the basis of mutual respect and confidence that the life will be harmonious only when relations are built on the basis of peace and mutual benefit. Islam is against everything that undermines honor of a woman or deprives her legitimate rights - whether it is a word, or a duty. Islam opposes exploitation of a woman or considering her as an object of sexual desire. These principles were confirmed at signing of the Charter of the European Muslims (Bruxelles, the Federation of Islamic Organizations of Europe).
Strangely enough it sounds for modern "emancipates", but hijab is freedom. The covered woman is perceived from the point of view of her unique personal individuality, she is protected that the first and frequently defining impression about her develops on the basis of her appearance or, as it is fashionable to say, sexuality. After the Second World War the Western society welcomed a dear guest - the sexual revolution which confirmed false concepts of freedom: a woman is free, when she is undressed and follows her instincts, and a woman is not free, when she limits herself to the concept of modesty. Besides psychological and social harm, in particular degrading of a man on the level of animal instincts (the overwhelming majority of advertising appeals to this, isn't it?), this ideology led to growth of the number of sexually transmitted diseases. At the same time in the Muslim countries where the woman wears hijab, there is no place for reflex behavior; after all, the woman in hijab is the keeper of moral values. In our country every fifth couple suffers on infertility, which principal causes are defined by the experts of the Ministry of Health as sexually transmitted infections and abortions. It is necessary to search for original causes of it in all-permissiveness and immorality, directly influencing a demographic situation in Ukraine, and in the whole Europe.
Further, the interdiction of hijab with a view of preservation of good breeding of the state, that is accurate differentiation of the state and religion, is illogical. The government in such a society cannot propagandize or become the opponent of any religion, and should provide a freedom of worship to all people. It is declared in the item 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine, "Everyone has the right to outlook and the freedom of the creed... Realization of this right cannot be limited by the law but in the interests of protection of a public order, health and morals of the population or protection of the rights and freedom of other people. The church and the religious organizations in Ukraine are separated from the state, and school - from the church" The item accurately specifies that the personal rights and freedoms can be limited only if they disturb a society. A woman who wears hijab does not represent threat to a public order, and, as it is shown by the above, promotes improvement of a society and increase of level of morals of the population.
The author writes that, "The Muslims will demand more and more rights for distribution of their religion that nowadays is observed in the Western Europe". Judging by the title, this opinion is the key, and the given quotation, is, seemingly, the answer of the author to the question "what then?" Fears of people who do not trouble themselves to learn about Islamic religion from primary sources, and use one-sided information represented by mass-media, force them to think that the purpose of Muslims is at any cost to bring the whole world to Islam. Whereas, actually, their basic duty is explanation to the rest of the world the content of Islamic message. When Muslims informed the people about the content of their religion and have shown them the true, not deformed image of Islam in word and deed, to each person are given options - to believe or not, to accept Islam or not. To be beyond this duty and to apply for the further imposing of Islam means not to obey the order of Allah, "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error" (The Holy Quran 2:256). Moreover, deprivation of people of possibility to make their own choice completely contradicts the Divine plan about estimation of acts of each separate person according to his intentions, "Yet no faith will the greater part of mankind have, however ardently thou dost desire it." (The Holy Quran, 12:103).
Muslims of Ukraine as a part of the European Muslim community strive to be a constructive component of the Ukrainian society, trying to combine harmoniously their Muslim identity with the duties of a citizen. The requirement for preservation of the Muslim identity induces followers of Islam to address for help to the corresponding bodies in cases when there is a threat of their originality. And it not simply unreasonable requirements. As it is declared in the mentioned above Charter, the followers of Islam in Europe consider as their duty to work for the well-being of the society, and their inspiration in this field should not be smaller, than with what they demand their rights. Islam orders the believers to play an active role in a society - promoting its development, taking the initiative and trying to benefit to another people. At the same time they should observe the laws of Allah, and wearing of hijab for a Muslim woman is one of such laws.
In our case the right to be photographed with hijab on is defended by the inhabitant of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. It is necessary to consider that the Crimean-Tatar people are the native people of Crimea practicing Islam on their Motherland and reviving as a complete community with its features and requirements. With the end of repatriation of the Crimean Tatars the process of their integration into the Ukrainian society started. Adaptation of the legislation taking into account religious requirements of the given society becomes a step to the ethnic Ukrainian Muslims. It will confirm sincerity of intentions of the Ukrainian state declaring democratic values. Turkish thinker F.Gulen neatly noticed, "If democracy starts to consider people as a whole, without neglecting the spiritual part of their existence and their spiritual needs, without forgetting that the human life is not limited to this material world, and all people strive to eternity, it can reach the peak of perfection and bring even more happiness to the whole mankind". Being inspired by such understanding of their religious beliefs, the Ukrainian Muslims, from their part, will work over introduction into life of Islamic principles of equality, tolerance and justice and actively promote well-being and prosperity of all Ukrainian people.
Tatyana YASTREMSKAYA, especially for "Islam in Ukraine"
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