was reading on the history of veiling, and its interesting that it is as complex as i thought it was…and my previous illiterate (by that i mean drawn only on experience or observation) conflicted feelings about hijab are indeed historically founded. how there was native resistance against the veil, then a colonial interest in de-veiling. In some cases, there was mass unveiling all over the middle east in efforts to decolonize + modernize. In some cases, resistance to the colonial interest in de-veiling resulted in an attachment to the veil in meaning different than before. Rather than religious, it was as a marker of cultural and national identity. Areas where mass de-veiling had happened in efforts to decolonize and modernize, eventually there was a grassroots interest in veiling again. Which was co-opted by religious agendas who then legally mandated veiling…. resulting in again, grassroot efforts to de-veil (which is the present). Also that, class has always played a role in who favors it and opposes it. Didn’t find anything on Pakistan though.
