UH students set great example for cultural appreciation

Houston is an international city.

The first time I came here, the number of cultures represented in Houston shocked me. UH is one of the most diverse universities in the nation, and that is something to be proud of.

Across campus, many of UH’s female Muslim students wear hijabs or burqas, and many of our male Jewish students wear yarmulkes. These are signs of that UH students embrace their right to freedom of religious expression.

This right to religious freedom is inalienable, something all humans have in equal amounts by virtue of being alive. So long as their beliefs do not condone harming others (thus interfering with other peoples’ human rights), every man and woman has the right to speak, act, dress and eat in a way that is in line with his or her religious beliefs. If a Jewish man believes he should wear a yarmulke while going about his daily life, then no power, government or otherwise, should be able to stop him. If a Muslim woman wishes to wear a hijab or burqa, then she has every right to do so.

Most Western cultures seem to embrace this concept only. For Judeo-Christian religions, virtually all forms of religious wear are considered acceptable in public. In some German provinces, Muslim women cannot wear headscarves to work, but Catholic nuns can wear their habits to teach anywhere in the country. Parts of the Netherlands and Belgium have similar laws. Considering how similar a nun’s habit is to a hijab, this is a purely discriminatory law, aimed at singling out a religious belief that varies from the European norm.

No democratic government can force its citizens to follow a single set of religious beliefs and still call itself democratic. Just as the government cannot force people of all faiths to wear Christian crosses regardless of their personal codes it also cannot force women to dress in a way that goes against their moral codes while staying true to, its foundations.

In France, students are not allowed to wear burqas to school and, this month, the French Senate will vote to decide whether or not to allow burqas in public places. Supporters of the move argue that wearing the face-covering garments goes against the ideal of women’s equality. However, taking away a woman’s right to choose her own outfit is not the way to make her an equal member of society. Only by ensuring that she is not forced to wear or not wear a specific piece of clothing can the French government ensure that each Islamic woman enjoys equality to other citizens.

Many opponents of traditional Muslim clothing argue that the burqa, an outer garment that often covers all but a woman’s eyes, are simply too confining and oppressive, and that no woman would willingly wear one. This is untrue. While in many countries where conservative Islam is the norm women face massive societal — and sometimes governmental — pressure to don burqas, there are also women who, for reasons both religious and personal, make the individual decision to wear a burqa regardless of what society thinks. This is especially true of the women who wear burqas in Western society.

This is likely just another sign of Islamophobia that, while existent before 9/11, has become more and more evident since the terrorist attacks of nine years ago. For whatever reason, people are afraid of those who openly express beliefs that are different from their own. Even though the vast majority of Muslims have nothing to do with the radical sects that support terrorist attacks, many Americans and Europeans have pointlessly chosen to blame the attacks on the religion as a whole.

Despite the controversy internationally, the University of Houston and the city it resides in still seem to be an open, friendly environment for people of all religious and cultural backgrounds. Students wear hijabs and other religious garments proudly as they walk between classes, something they cannot do in other parts of the world.

Casey Goodwin is a mechanical engineering sophomore and may be reached at [email protected].