hat the struggle for equality has not ended” (477). In defense of her choice of dress, Naheed Mustafa blamed the Western world for the true oppression: “feeling that one has to meet the impossible male standards of beauty if tiring and often humiliating” (481). Mustafa says she donned the hijab because it freed her from the constant scrutiny of physical appearance that many of us have become accustomed to. Each woman differs greatly in her attitude toward the hijab, and many likely share the same feelings as both women. Feelings of self worth, faith, and ones perception of the society around them all contribute to the final decision reached about the hijab and what it means.The situation faced by women in Afghanistan is a problematic one. In an ideal conflict there are only two sides, what is right and what is wrong. In this conflict, however, there are many different layers, comparable to that of an onion. For instance, a fact that never comes to light in our western media coverage is that men also face a dress code, and stricter rules of conduct. By law, a man is required to wear a beard, keep his hair un-styled, wear a turban and a shalwar kameez (A long tunic) (Marsden 91). What the Taliban doesn’t seem to consider however is that not all men are capable of growing a beard. If a man is caught disobeying Taliban edicts, he is just as susceptible to their wrath as a woman. Although assuming a burqa or hijab is not the most tasteful thing and quite likely hated, at least it is easy to do. A man who cannot grow a beard must hide his face which is difficult as the male must lead the female and be the financial breadwinner. Many women also, Like Ms. Mustafa, choose to wear the burqa or hajib as a proud sign of their religion, or to make themselves less of an object. It is hard for Western society to be empathetic to a woman’s plight when not only did she choose it, but revels in it. Finally, it is impossibl...
