ABSTRACT
The past decades have witnessed a growing popularity among young Muslim women born and raised in the West to cover, which has led to debates. On the one hand, many opponents claim that women cover because they are forced or pressured by their families and religious leaders. Some feminists also claim that the hijab represents oppression of women (see Hoodfar, 1993). On the other hand, several proponents argue that it represents more complex issues related to identity, and in some cases, political statements (Shakeri, 2000). The debate tends to centre on why some Muslim women choose to cover. It is however important to stress that many Muslim women do not cover. Many are not practising and several practising disagree with the idea that covering is mandatory in Islam (Furseth, 2011; Moors, 2009, Read and Bartkowski, 2000).
