Agree. Especially when you come under radar of the haraam police.

100% agree.
The religious inverse is also a danger as I said in my own comment…and that inverse can also become an obsessive preoccupation with women’s sexuality and what defines it…

With a disclaimer of course: that it is done of a woman’s own FREE WILL.

If however it is mandated by a government, political/armed group or even through intense social/marital pressure…then doesn’t it just become the inverse of the overly sexualized society wherein a woman is constantly worried and obsessed about whether she is covered well enough or religious enough? Same judgements, criticisms, etc. if she is not attainting the standard?

Great article! While this topic has been explored by our community many times, it’s always nice to get a reminder of this aspect of hijab.

However, I would also note that the over-sexualization of our culture has not failed to hit our community either in some respects. It seems that so many people in our community are more and more concerned with women’s appearance on the other side of the coin. How well is her hijab pinned? Is there a sliver of skin showing? Is a stray hair peeking out somewhere? How tight or loose is her clothing? If any of these aspects of her dress are less than perfect, she is regarded as some horrible sinner with no redeeming qualities. And if she doesn’t wear hijab, well, forget about it. It seems like these days how a woman looks determines how good of a Muslim she is, with no other factors taken into account. While more and more men seem to have forgotten their own hijab, women have been placed more and more under the microscope. Men are less likely to take responsibility for modesty and lowering their gaze and more apt to blaming a woman for dressing “immodestly.” So while I applaud this article’s stance on one side of this issue, the other side ought to be discussed as well.