While Westerners typically view Islam as a religion in which women have few rights and generally low social status, it must be remembered that there is a tremendous variety of practices within Islam. Just as in Christianity, which contains many different denominations that range from very liberal to very conservative and fundamentalist, Islam displays a great number of varying interpretations, some of which are extremely conservative with respect to women, but many of which are quite liberal. Indeed, in some respects, Islam may be the more "progressive" faith with regard to the independence and equality of women. As your textbook points out on page 302, "European women had to wait more than a thousand years to acquire property-holding rights that were guaranteed by the Qur'an as far back as AD 700."

It is not surprising, then, that there should be considerable debate, both within the Muslim world and beyond it, over the veiling of women (Hijab) in Islamic societies (See "Cultural Insight: The Veil" on page 303). For many non-Muslims, the veil is regarded as a symbol of women's oppression in Islamic societies, since it seems to deny them any self-expression and keeps them hidden within public spaces which are, in turn, viewed as spaces dominated by men. The Web is an ideal place to consider the Hijab from the perspective of Muslim women, because it offers a unique forum for the expression of ideas and opinions. The following sites offer views that, contrary to typical non-Muslim views, provide evidence of an active debate among Muslim feminists over the meaning and politics of Hijab.

• After reading through some, or all, of these essays, what do you think of the idea of Hijab? Do you think the veil could be, as Chopra argues, "a liberation from the shackles of male scrutiny and the standards of attractiveness"?
• In a similar vein, what do you think about Nilufer Goal's assertion (in the Frontline article) that the veil allows women to be boundary-setters with regard to men's sexual self-control?
• Imagine for a moment if all the women in your school suddenly started practicing Hijab of some form. In what ways do you think people's attitudes toward women would change as a result? Do you think the result be positive or negative for women, or both?

Other Web-based resources on women in Islam include: