Women in Jordan: Observations

In an effort to contradict some of the negative stereotypes of Islam that I've heard perpetuated across my sphere of acquaintences, some of my posts will be dedicated to observations about life in an Islamic country. Jordan is, admittedly, one of the most moderate among the Islamic nations of the world; I don't dismiss the reality of serious problems with human rights, religious freedom, etc. that exist in the Islamic world. However, I hope that by sharing some simple observations about life here in Jordan, I can show that real people live here: real people, people with real friends, problems, personalities, and genuine dedication to their religion and their God. Just as not every Christian in the world is defined by the actions of the KKK, and just as Latter-day Saints hope that others will not think of them synonymously with Dan Lafferty, it is important to see Muslims as people and as Muslims; as the generous and god-fearing people that they are.

Veiling and Modesty:
Veiling is a common practice in Islam, considered a sign of modesty. In Jordan, women's dress can be divided into four main groups:
1-Completely covered from head to toe, leaving only the eyes and the hands uncovered
2-Head covered with hijab (veil), wearing a long, flowing dress, leaving the hands uncovered
3-Head covered with hijab wearing Western-style clothing (with long pants, and long or short sleeves)
4.Head uncovered, wearing Western-style clothing

I have taken a (very unscientific) survey over the past few days, counting the number of women that fall in each category.

On my trip from my apartment to the bus stop, about a 20-minute walk, I saw 93 women:
Completely covered: 5 (one even had her eyes covered with an extra piece of fabric)
Hijab, with traditional clothing: 34
Hijab, with Western-style clothing: 40
Western-style clothing: 14

Sitting on the campus of the University of Jordan, I saw 174 women in the 15 minutes that I was counting:
Completely covered: 3
Hijab, with traditional clothin: 43
Hijab, with Western-style clothing: 76
Western-style clothing: 52

You can see that veiling is not something that women are forced to do here, because a very substantial minority of women choose not to veil.

I once asked an Egyptian friend why she didn't veil. She said "The veil isn't something that you're forced to wear; it's between you and God whether you will wear it or not." I'm beginning to see the veil as a way that women choose to express their faith, a choice that they make to show their dedication to God. It shouldn't be hard for us to accept their modesty and their dedication to their religion, expressed by an outward sign such as a hijab.