The Sacred Double Standard

 

The Sacred Double Standard: When Modesty Becomes "Oppression" at the Intersection of Faith and Prejudice

A Catholic nun walks down the street in a habit covering her hair, neck, and body. She’s hailed as pious, devoted, a beacon of spiritual conviction. A Muslim woman walks the same street in a hijab and modest attire. She’s labeled oppressed, brainwashed, or a threat to secular values. This glaring contradiction isn’t about modesty—it’s about whose modesty we deem "civilized." The dissonance reveals a deep-seated colonial hangover, racialized Islamophobia, and a failure to respect women’s agency when their choices defy Western expectations.

The Anatomy of a Hypocrisy

• The Turtleneck Test: As Iranian-American activist Hoda Katebi notes, non-Muslim women in high-necklines and long skirts are called "elegant" or "professional." When Muslim women wear identical silhouettes—adding a headscarf—they’re interrogated about patriarchal control or terrorism. Katebi recounts online harassment demanding she justify her clothing: "Why do you allow men to tell you how to dress?"—a question never posed to nuns or fashion influencers.

• Fashion’s Selective Fetishization: When Julia Fox sports a headscarf for Vogue France, the magazine declares "Yes to the headscarf!"—despite France’s ban on hijabs in public schools. Meanwhile, Muslim girls as young as seven have had hijabs violently ripped off by teachers . Balaclavas trend as "edgy" winter wear, but niqabs worn by Muslim women are legislated against as "anti-social".

Colonialism’s Long Shadow: The Weaponization of Women’s Bodies

The framing of Muslim modesty as inherently oppressive isn’t accidental—it’s geopolitical. As scholar Leila Ahmed documents, colonial powers (like the French in Algeria) targeted veiling to "liberate" women from "barbaric" Muslim men, justifying military occupation. This "white savior" playbook persists:

• In 2021, a French mayor banned "burkinis" (full-coverage swimwear), claiming they symbolized ISIS—ignoring Muslim women’s testimonies that they enabled athletic participation 1.

• U.S. politicians like Carolyn Maloney donned burqas in Congress to advocate invading Afghanistan, reducing complex faith traditions to propaganda for war.

The message is clear: Muslim women’s autonomy is only respected when it mirrors Western norms. When they assert religious identity, their agency is denied, and their clothing becomes a battleground for xenophobic policies masquerading as secularism.

Faith, Feminism, and the Fraud of "False Consciousness"

Western feminism often falls into the trap of "liberating" Muslim women on its own terms. Activists like FEMEN insist hijab-wearers suffer "false consciousness," unable to comprehend their own subjugation. This ignores:

• The Diversity of Muslim Women’s Voices: Nigerian writer Fadilah Ali describes her hijab as a "symbol of resistance" against cultural erasure, despite harassment at university. Zahra Aljabri, a Muslim CEO, started a modest fashion brand to celebrate beauty on her own terms.

• The Limits of "Choice" Framing: While many Muslim women wear hijab voluntarily, reducing it to only "choice" risks erasing its spiritual significance. As one essay notes, Muslims don’t say they "choose" to pray—it’s an act of faith. Demanding Muslim women justify hijab through liberal individualism imposes a Western lens on religious practice.

The Data Disproves the Dogma

The modest fashion industry—driven largely by Muslim consumers—is projected to reach €72.5 billion in Europe by 2025. Brands like Uniqlo, M&S, and H&M now offer hijab lines, recognizing economic power secular critics ignore. Meanwhile, studies show Muslim women in STEM, politics, and business thrive while wearing hijab:

• Indonesia, where modest dress is common, had a female president by 2014.

• Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman’s hijab never hindered her activism.

Yet bans persist: Quebec bars hijab-wearing teachers from "authoritative positions," France prohibits under-18s from wearing hijabs, and the UK debates burqa restrictions—all under the guise of "secularism" or "safety". These policies don’t free women; they exclude them from public life.

Toward a Truer Liberation: Respect, Not Rescue

The solution isn’t complicated:

1. Center Women’s Voices: As Theresa Corbin writes, "Muslim women are not interested in being told what our struggle is". Listen to those living the experience.

2. Reject Cultural Imperialism: Modesty exists in Judaism (tichels), Christianity (habits), and Hinduism (ghunghats). Singling out Islam exposes bias, not principle.

3. Separate Coercion from Conscience: Oppression lies in denying autonomy—whether forcing women to cover or uncover. Support Muslim women fighting mandates in Iran, and those defending hijab in France.

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The next time you see a woman in modest dress, ask yourself: Why is her clothing a referendum on her humanity? Until we confront the racism and colonialism underlying our reactions, "modesty" will remain a proxy for whose faith we fear and whose freedom we refuse to see. The nun and the hijabi share a commitment—only our prejudice treats them differently.