A discursive analysis of Hijab removal: Identity and piety

Abstract

To veil and wear a proper dress are among the commands of Allah to Muslim women, stipulated in several verses in the Quran. The term hijab or jilbab is the most important term related to that issue. In Indonesia, wearing a hijab is identical to Muslim women’s identity and reflects their piety. However, when one decides to unveil, the negative stigma is unavoidable. This article examines women’s perception of the Quran on veiling command based on two aspects. To begin with, the women’s understanding of the encouragement of wearing hijab and the women’s perception of the verses after deciding to put off their veil. In this study, the theory of religious piety and identity is applied as a conceptual framework and discursive analysis as a method of analysis. This study will present a discursive analysis of women’s understanding of the veiling concept. Particularly on their motivation for wearing hijab, veiling experience, and unveiling reason.

Paradoxes of (un)veiling and the extended self: the experiences of Arab-Muslim women in Kuwait

“…Similar to Syahrivar’s (2021) findings, this theme shows that women may reject the veil to reduce self-discrepancy, be distinct or to gain personal control in a society where men have control over what the females wear. Relatedly, while the veil is believed to be associated with an Islamic identity, veiled women do not always portray an Islamic attitude (Yunianti, 2022), particularly when forced to veil. The nonmovement, nonverbal and micro resistance strategies used by many hijabi Muslim women (Harkness, 2019) suggests that the hijab is shifting from being a religious symbol to an identity marker, reflecting personal rather than institutional ideologies.…”

“…It is further argued that social media influencers play a pivotal role in commodifying the hijab and transforming it from a sacred to a fashion object (Karakavak and Özbölük, 2022). That said, there is lack of research on women’s motivation for (un)veiling and their associated experiences (Yunianti, 2022). Existing research primarily focuses on the experiences of hijabi or non-hijabi women (Karaman and Christian, 2022), however, “records of the lived experiences of women who unveil [or take off the hijab] remain scarce” (Izharuddin, 2018, p. 156).…”