Veil of Fears

Genre: Persuasive

Purpose: To inform those who are not familiar with middle eastern culture of the history and background of the burka and why Islamic women veil themselves.

Central Message: The custom among women of the middle east to veil themselves when out in the public has been a tradition that has rooted from moral beliefs rather than Islamic beliefs, but is a tradition widely practiced by muslims. The purpose of the veil isn’t just to hide the face of the woman, but is done out of moral beliefs and respect. These moral beliefs include wearing the burka to save oneself for a man that is in the clan, providing power and unity amongst the clan brothers.

World View and Assumptions: Many people have incorrect views of why Islamic women veil themselves such as: a way to debase women’s rights, a way to control wives or women, and often see the burka as a body bag for the living.

Use of Tools and Evidence: First of all, the article had a lot of historical facts of why the women wore the burkas, giving a logical basis of why they do these things, such as “Villages in Afghanistan are organized into kin-oriented areas, and the veil needs wearing only when a woman is among men from outside of her kin group.” “When Muslim women veil, they are saving themselves for marriage to the men of their own kin group. In an important sense, this need to protect family honor and preserve oneself for an advantageous marriage to a man of the lineage is a key to the rise of Islamic revivalism.” Also He expands the topic towards family, stating that “This willingness of a "band of brothers" to pool their labor and wealth is the key to the strength of the lineage.” This will reach out to those who are emotionaly supportive of having strong families, and relationships.