In comparing the two essays: Shrouded in Contradiction by Gelareh Asayesh and An Identity Reduced to a Burka by Marayati & Issa, I found a big difference in approach and attitude. "Shrouded" is one woman's struggle with the mixed emotions of wearing traditional Islamic garb. Asayesh longs for the days when women in Tehran could choose what they would wear. She is somewhat rebellious because she does not like being told she must, when the men can wear what they please.
In "Burka", the authors are taking a defensive stand against western perception and stereotyping of Islamic women, especially when it comes to wearing "the veil". "The press tends to view Muslims...simplistically", is their claim. They resent the Western world's "obsession" with the "the veil" and the misconception that the only reason Muslim women wear their religious clothes is out of obedience to the powers that be. Throughout the Islamic world, however, the opposite is true. Some Islamic nations such as Turkey view it as rebellious. According to Marayati & Issa, more importance should be placed not on what a woman wears, but "by the dedication, knowledge, and skills she brings to the task at hand".
Both essays are educational for a person unfamiliar to the stories behind the Burka and hijab (Islamic covering). "Shrouded" is simply one woman's peeve, and an and the other is more of a rant filled with a brief historical lesson and hostile defense against stereotyping Muslim women.
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