The Muslim Veil in North America

Abstract

When it comes to Muslims in the West, nothing is a more sensational visual symbol than the hijab. Due to the current Muslim and non-Muslim fixation on it, scholarly examination of hijab and related issues is necessary. The Muslim Veil in North America examines some of its historical, sociological/ anthropological, and theological aspects. Part 1 engages with the veil’s hyper-visibility in Canada. Since the book does not engage with the American experience, I am not sure why the title refers to North America. I enjoyed part 2 immensely, and will use it as a reference on the subject. The bulk of this section explores the historical development of the veil’s theological status and nature. This book is different from, say, Maudoodi’s Purdah, which sees the veil in its contemporary form as a product of historical processes. This book is dedicated to diasporic Muslim women, although introductory material in various chapters addresses readers unfamiliar with Islam. Undergraduates will appreciate its accessibility in comparison to most academic texts, and it will make the subject comprehensible to lay readers. Unfortunately, this means that the book wavers between being an academic (education, anthropology, and sociology) and a lay read. This is not because the entire book is tailored to different kinds of readers, but because its two parts are rather disjointed. Part 1 addresses a more lay and introductory social science-related reader with basic information; part 2, on the other hand, is a highly specialized examination of exegetical and hadith history. The editors, in addressing a gaping void in the literature, possibly attempt to do too much: specialized theology, history, politics, anthropology, and sampling of “voices.” I would have preferred it to be more selective. Also, “let the voices speak” is a commendable approach, but after a certain point we should go beyond it. There is also a line between “reportage syndrome,” writing without an adequate theoretical framework, and skillful academic writing, which allows contextualized voices to be heard by fellow academics within the social sciences. I would also have preferred that the theology and sociology chapters be connected by common threads ...