Abstract
This chapter presents some of the findings from a study carried out to investigate identity and integration of university-educated Muslim women, who are either Spanish-born or have been resident in Spain since childhood or adolescence. The article focuses on what the hijab, veil or headscarf means to these women, and compares whether or not their views differ from the images offered by mass media, which portray the hijab as a symbol of oppression of women of Muslim faith. The first part of the text describes the characteristics of the women who participated in the study, and justifies the choice of location for the fieldwork. The second section sets out the methodology used, explaining the advantages of in-depth interviews and group discussions. The final section explains the use of the hijab as a tool to assert identity, and challenge both the patriarchal system and the western feminist discourse.
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Notes
- 1.
Participants use the term headscarf, veil or hijab indistinctly. Nevertheless, for a matter of consistency, in this study I will only use just the term of hijab.
- 2.
The theological criteria for considering whether a person is practicing or not, is the observance of the three basic pillars of the religion: (1) to believe in one God and in all of his sacred books and prophets, (2) praying five times a day, (3) fasting during the month of Ramadan, (4) paying the zakat, which is an alms that everyone pays to the poor according to the donor’s income, and finally, (5) completing a pilgrimage to the Mecca at least once in life, if possible (Muhammad 2003). Yet, to feel as a Muslim does not necessarily mean that one observes all religious duties. Many participants do not practice all the duties and still tell that they consider themselves as Muslim.
- 3.
The diversity shown by these participants is just a small part of the wider heterogeneity that exists among women of Muslim faith from different countries throughout the world (given the fact that in this study, there are no women who wear the hijab out of obligation, although they are widely represented in the media).
- 4.
Spain is relatively new to immigration in comparison to other European countries, such as Great Britain or France (Colectivo Ioé 2002). There are no official statistics on the number of Muslims in Spain, even though some research suggests that a million of Muslims citizens live in Spain (Bolado 2002; Pérez-Díaz et al. 2004). This study relies on the report published by UCIDE (Unión de Comunidades Islámicas de España) (2010) and the information offered by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE, www.ine.es) to produce the following table (Table 15.1 about here).
- 5.
The interviews were recorded, with prior permission from all participants, and later transcribed using the Olympus DSS Player program. An Olympus DSS file was created for each interview. The average duration was one and a half hour. Anonymity of the participants has been respected at all times. All names that appear here are fictional. All extracts are direct translations of the literal transcriptions. The content has not been altered.
- 6.
On this regard, some of them referred to the video “Because he is Muslim” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJQvRYioWYc&feature=player_embedded#at=11, last accessed October 2, 2009) that denounces how the criteria used to criticize Muslims are praiseworthy qualities in people of other religions.
- 7.
See for instance http://www.republica.com/2012/08/08/rebelion-autonomica-y-rechazo-generalizado-a-la-cuota-sanitaria-para-inmigrantes-irregulares_533179/ [last accessed March 2, 2014].
- 8.
See http://www.livestream.com/islamicfeminism?t=1294931209000 [last accessed March 2, 2014].
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Adlbi Sibai, S. (2015). Narratives of Spanish Muslim Women on the Hijab as a Tool to Assert Identity. In: La Barbera, M. (eds) Identity and Migration in Europe: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. International Perspectives on Migration, vol 13. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10127-9_15
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