Veil and Emancipation of muslim women in Sama Wareh’s Poem P.O.W (Poor Oppressed Woman): An Islamic Feminist criticism

ABSTRACT

“Poor Oppressed Woman” is a poem talking about the struggle of Muslim women to defend her right. The first person in this poem fights for her freedom to choose what she believes. Wearing veil is one of the emancipation that she attempts to fight in order to Muslim women will get freedom in every element of the life.

The purpose of this research is to show that veil is not oppressive treatment to Muslim women in their life but it is a form of emancipation as described in Sama Wareh’s Poem “Poor Oppressed Woman”. The second purpose is to describe the advantages of wearing veil in Sama Wareh’s poem, “Poor Oppressed Woman”.

The researcher uses Islamic Feminist Criticism which is taken from Margot Badran’s thought to analyze the poem. This theory aims to fight for women’s rights, gender equality and social justice using Islamic discourse as the highest standard. Margot Badran explained that there are three approaches in doing feminist hermeneutics. First is revisiting ayaat of the Qur'an to correct false stories in common circulation. Second is citing ayaat that unequivocally enunciate the equality of women and men. Third is deconstructing ayaat attentive to male and female difference that have been commonly interpreted in ways that justify male domination.

After doing analysis, the researcher finds out that wearing veil is a form of Muslim women’s emancipation. Being covered and wearing veil for the first person in this poem do not mean that she is oppressed. Moreover it is precisely being one of emancipation for her. It is one of the basic rights that she wants to reach. Wearing veil is her right to choose and one of the freedom that must be fought by everyone. Beside that she also wants to emphasize that each form of women’s emancipation that she did is to impress herself and her God only although she struggles for her emancipation. In addition, this first person is able to give high respect and appreciation to other people who have different ideas with her.

The second finding is there are two advantages of wearing veil in this poem. First is Muslim woman who wears veil make themselves appreciated and worthy through their personality and human quality, not from their physical appearance. Second, they are able to get freedom to choose and free from fashion command.