McRee Kelsi McRee Professor Filbeck English 114A December 5 2013 Women and the Veil Womens hair

emanates rays that excite men. Thats why women should cover their hair! If in fact it is really more civilized to go without the veil, then animals are more civilized than we are (Satrapi 74). For so many years and even to this day women in different countries have been forced to wear a veil, or the traditional name, Niqab. In many countries, the veil is a religious symbol but in others it is a form of oppression and forced by the government. The graphic novel, Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi portrays this controversy through the eyes of a young girl, Marji, living her teen years during the Iranian Revolution. Marji goes through

many hardships during the time of the Revolution. She tries to just live a normal life growing up as a teen and living through terror and destruction almost all of her life. Marji is oppressed and forced to wear a veil because the government has decided this law. Her family has no religious beliefs to the veil what so ever. Just like Marji, women all over the world are forced to wear this veil and live life in hiding for example Saudi Arabia. In Persepolis, Satrapis message about women wearing the veil is shown as oppressive and unnecessary. Based on research from women in Saudi Arabia, I agree with Satrapis message because in this country, Saudi Arabia women are forced to wear the veil and are treated lesser than men. In the book Persepolis, Satrapi portrays the meaning of the veil as meaningless and oppressive towards women. She shows this through her years as a young girl and all through her years growing up to be a teenager. Going into your teen years is hard enough as it is but to have

McRee so many rules and laws that prohibits you from making your own decisions. This is where the veil comes into play. Ever since 1980 when the Islamic Revolution took place all women and girls were forced to wear a veil. When Marji was ten years old she was attending a bilingual school that was later shut down. It was said that there were symbols of capitalism, and this sparked a cultural revolution. Boys and girls were separated in schools and the veil became very prominent. Marji didnt really enjoy wearing the veil, and neither did her friends. Outside at recess Marji explains that, We didnt really like to wear the veil, especially since we didnt understand why we had to (Satrapi 3). Marji grew up struggling do understand the meaning of the veil and why she was forced to wear it. She witnessed her mother protesting the veil and going to multiple demonstrations to stand by her beliefs that the veil was a form of oppression.

Marji started to believe this but is still confused. Marji doesnt know what to think about the veil, Deep down I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde (6). Marji is forced to grow up quickly and understand the true dangers around her because of the revolution and for even not wearing her veil. Everyday routines like shopping and picking up groceries turned into brutal attacks out on the streets. Marjis family was very modern so her mother chose not to wear a veil in public. Her mothers car broke down on the street so she was waited for her husband and Marji to pick her up. They find her crying running towards their car after being harassed by two men on the streets. In a depressed state she explains, They insulted me. They said that women like me should be pushed up against a wall and fucked. And then thrown in the garbage (74). Men of the law were ruthless and had no boundaries of which they werent allowed to cross. Women were verbally abused in public all for not wearing a piece of cloth around their head. Women are forced to hide behind this veil and no expression really allowed because of the amount the veil covers. Many women would tend to break the rules, just

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like Marjis mother for example. Marji would tend to follow in her mothers footsteps, and as she got older, she understood the oppressiveness of the veil and why her mother would choose not to wear it. She would wear what she wanted to wear and even where the veil how she wanted to wear it even though this could potentially dangerous. Marji was on her way to illegally buy a few music tapes when Guardians of the revolution stop her. These women harass her and say, Lower your scarf you little whore! Arent you ashamed to wear tight jeans like these? (133). Marji was let off easy and was able to go home. Guardians of the revolution can detain people for hours if they want to, or even for days, all because Marji was expressing herself in her own way through her clothes and her Michael Jackson pin. She was verbally harassed and thrown around in the street all for not wearing her veil low enough on her face. This is no way for a teenager to grow up and to not be able to make your own choices about something as simple as clothing is horrible. We see this tragedy in other parts of the world still going on to this day. Women in Saudi Arabia are oppressed each day by being forced to wear a veil or the traditional term Niqab. Women are treated as lesser to men and are seen as almost non-existent. If you are a woman in Saudi Arabia, you know that you are not allowed to sit with men in the same restaurant or even walk next to them down the street. These women are forced to hide behind this piece of cloth and also forced to stand out at the same time. Just like Marji in the book Persepolis, women are taught to hide behind the veil and stay unnoticed with no opinions or thoughts. In the article, I was forced to wear the Veil and I Wish no one else had to Suffer, written by Nesrine Malik, she is forced to live the norm and wear the veil everyday of her life even though she doesnt want to. She lives in oppression and is forced to wear the veil for no other reasons than the fact that it is the law. Just like Marji, she is religious but also feels as though she is modern and shouldnt be forced to wear the veil. In this article she states that, I

McRee would rather no one wore a Niqab. I would rather that no woman had effectively to disappear, from a young age, because that is the norm in her family (Malik). She feels like the veil makes

her disappear and lesser of a person. It is purely a symbol of oppression and how they are forced to feel. Not only is it harmful to the emotional state of many women, it is a very uncomfortable piece of clothing. In Persepolis, Marji never enjoyed wearing her veil because she wanted to feel free and be able to go out and not be standing out because she is wearing the veil. Just like Marji, Malik found the veil uncomfortable also. She says, I would rather that no one had to go through the discomfort and social awkwardness of dealing with a woman whose face you cannot see. I would rather that Islam be purged of the Niqab and all its permutations (Malik). To this day women are continually treated as lesser human beings, which is far from fair. Everyone was created equal and should be equal no matter your religion or what part of the world you come from. In the article, From the archives: In Saudi Arabia, a view from behind the veil, written by Megan K. Stack, women are treated as lesser every single day, just going out on daily errands and getting coffee together. In this article Stack says, Starbucks had another, unmarked door around back that led to a smaller espresso bar, and a handful of tables smothered by curtains. That was the "family" section. As a woman, that's where I belonged (Stack). Not only were women not allowed to sit with men, but also they were not allowed to even sit in the front of the coffee shop. This is similar to Marji because she was forced to be separated from boys all though out her schooling. Boys and girls were separated in schools and even to this day men and women are separated everywhere in Saudi Arabia. The veil is a symbol of oppression. It helps to show the differences between men and women in this world and to show that women are lesser and not as important as men. Marji

McRee struggled growing up in a world that was so cruel to her and where she felt the oppression head on when being forced to wear the veil. Even to this day women all around the world are feeling this way and treated as lesser human beings. Satrapi portrays this through her life story and showing people the cruelty of the world.

McRee Works Cited Malik, Nesrine. "I Was Forced to Wear the Veil and I Wish No Other Woman Had to Suffer It." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon, 2003. Print. Stack, Megan K. "From the Archives: In Saudi Arabia, a View from behind the Veil." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 06 June 2007. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.