Commentary to Arab/Muslim Vignette #2

This is another vignette which demonstrates a need for greater cultural competency.  (Cultural competency involves increasing our awareness and knowledge of other ethnicities and cultures as well as learning to see our own biases and stereotypes that come into play as we interact with people from a different culture.)  Hijab -- the tradition of wearing a veil in various forms -- is a religious practice relating to modesty, and is observed by some but not all Muslim (which is preferred to “Moslem”) women.  It takes a variety of forms, ranging from a scarf over the head to a burqa covering the entire body.

Although in some cases women are required to wear hijab, for example, in Afghanistan, it is often worn by choice.  Valerie is assuming the woman is forced to wear the scarf.  Valerie also assumes that the Muslim woman is married to an Arab. The majority of Muslims are not Arab so there’s a good chance that both her assumptions are not accurate. (The largest group of the world’s Muslims live in Indonesia; only 12 percent of American Muslims are Arab Americans.)

There is a tendency for us to view and judge others through the lens of our own value system.  From the position of living in the United States in the early 21st century, it may be difficult to see the practice of modesty for women as a choice as opposed to something imposed by the patriarchy.  It's impossible to make a judgment either way without knowing a lot more about the woman and her situation.  The main point here is that we often assume things about those culturally different from us without really knowing that much about the culture.  Once we realize how much we don’t know, we are more likely to start from a place of respectful curiosity.

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