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REVISTA IEEE 11

331 Alexandra Ainz Galende A closer study of the discourse of niqabi women… Block II: the religious dimension of the http://revista.ieee.es niqab The questions focus mainly on the principle of inerrancy and the principle of ahistoricity. —— As arguments to support the use of the niqab, the women cite the Quran and the Sunna, but do not say where exactly in the Quran or the Sunna this obligation is stipulated. —— Three interviewees mentioned that the surah of the Quran where this appears has sparked much controversy within the Muslim community; the others overlook this detail. —— As role models for the niqab, they speak of the Prophet’s wives and the women of that period. —— Eight out of twelve of the interviewees are convinced that the niqab is the ideal and «correct» way to «cover oneself». The others also speak of the possibility to wear a hijab, claiming that this is legitimate and acceptable in the eyes of Allah. —— All state that it is the «Islamic sages» who settle disputes in relation to the interpretation of the surah. Table III: religious dimension of the niqab. The political dimension of the niqab When asked about their ideal society, all unanimously agreed that it would be the times of the Prophet, referring to an idealised past that they hold as a paragon. All spoke of the Shariah as a model of justice, pointing out that what we have in the world today is not Shariah, particularly in relation to terrorist groups and their ideologies, which they reject. From these women’s point of view, a perfect society is one which guarantees the rights of individuals based on Islamic precepts. These Islamic precepts would ensure that every woman could walk on the street wearing a hijab or niqab without being molested. Similarly, they stress that men would be educated in the values of Islam to ensure that they fully respect women, as they are required to do, at least in their opinion, by the Quran and the Sunna. When the women were asked whether there are currently many men with Islamic values who support them in their endeavour to practise niqab, they said yes. In particular, they spoke of the men they had met through the Internet, especially Facebook, who have been very supportive of their decision to practise niqab and, in other cases, to continue learning about good Islamic manners and practices. The following excerpt sums up what was said in the previous paragraph very well:

REVISTA IEEE 11
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