Often times, my peers or acquaintances will joke that I am always complaining about womens' role in Judaism. Perhaps they think my desire for equality is far fetched and dumb or they just like to mess around with me as they know I identify as a feminist and think it's some type of joke, but whatever it is, I don't like it. I do not like when others misjudge my intentions, like I am fighting just to fight or that I am searching for something that does not exist. What I want people to know is that I am looking for how to be myself in my religion. I don't want to wear a mask or hide who I am by merely accepting whatever I hear but instead I want to find my place as a woman in Judaism.
"Aleh does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a veil", is what Abudawud, an interpretation of the Kuran, preaches. In other words, what this quote means is that once an Islamic woman has reached a certain age where she is able to reproduce, she must shield her face or her hair (depending on the type of veil) while praying to her God (Aleh). This quote makes me upset. To me, it sends an idea to any woman from age thirteen and up that she must cover herself when in the presence of holy things. This quote essentially tells women that they must wear a mask when connecting with their religion, hiding their natural bodies and faces, as if they are something negative. While I respect women who wear hijabs and believe in modesty as a part of their religion, it's so difficult for me as a woman that is interested in the fight for womens rights to think of someone growing up in this religion who may not agree with the wearing of a veil. Its also upseting to think about how there are most likely many women who blindly accept this idea that they must cover themselves, as if their faces are in some way a bad thing.
However, another thought in my mind is even more prominent when I read this quote. I think about how despite the fact that I must also deal with a barrier during prayer, the mechitzah, I am lucky that my religion does not ask me to hide my face. This is not to compare the religions of Judaism and Islam, rather it is to say that the two religions' perspective on women do differ in several ways. The mechitzah exists foe reasons that I may not agree with or even fully understand but despite this, it gives me pride that the mechitzah does not disregard the women of my religion completely. Even with a mechitzah to separate us, women are still involved in the service as strong and powerful individuals with faces. Judaism as a religion recognizes the beauty of womens' bodies and faces as well as their inner souls.
It's interesting how the concept of a mask is relavent in so many different ways. In general, masks are worn to hide something. In plays, actors wear them to be someone who they are not. In certain religions, veils or face coverings are worn to ensure the secrecy of what is beneath them. No matter the scenario, masks serve the purpose of covering something up. In the case of this quote which says the Islamic God does not accept prayers from women unless they wear a mask, the mask represents concealment. It symbolizes the idea that women must conceal themselves and their faces, as if they are something that cannot be exposed. While I truly struggle to grasp this idea and how it could be viewed as a moral law, I feel grateful for my ability to show my face in my own religion, without the fear that I am doing something wrong by being my full, unmasked self.
