Topic > A Thousand Splendid Suns: Women's Oppression and the Veil Controversy

The veil controversy is not just limited to France or Europe, but has spread throughout the world. In any case, the veil is not just limited to general debate, but has expanded to provide superior representation in a number of literary texts. It has proven to be such an extraordinary problem nowadays that similar episodes, however in selected texts, are used as a theme or argument in the works of contemporary scholars and enrich the literature. The Afghan writer Khaled Hosseini individually addresses with incredible competence the burning issue of the discussion on the Shroud in his novel A Thousand Splendidi Suns. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay There is a depiction of the veil controversy in the novel. In this novel Hosseini presents the use of the hijab and thus the discussion of the burqa during the reign of the Taliban in his nation. In the novel, the Taliban government has made the burqa mandatory for all Muslim women in Afghanistan. The dissent came from supporters of the radical Northern Alliance. Before the rule of the Taliban, it was not mandatory for Muslim women to wear the burqa. Khaled Hosseini showed or introduced in this novel a large number of female characters who wore the burqa during the communist government just before the Taliban came to power. For example, towards the beginning of the novel, one might discover the presentation of the burqa through the protagonist Mariam's mother, Nana, who “wore her best hijab for him (Jalil)”. Mariam is also discovered wearing "a green hijab over her hair" before and during her wedding season, which she used as a weapon to protect herself from "all the shameful secrets of her past." All three spouses of Jalil-Khadija, Nargis and Afsoon also wore burqas; and the women who visit Jalil's house most of the time also wear "hijab". All these women wore the burqa by their own free decision or due to the burden of the family, however the government never interfered in this matter. In doing so, Mohd Asim Siddiqui aptly points out that “It is to Khaled Hosseini's credit that he does not offer a simplistic perspective on veiling, his ideas driven by his concern for verisimilitude” (Siddiqui, 84). There is immense complexity in this sense between the countryside and urban lifestyles of women. In provincial territories most women “cover up completely,” but in urban regions women are “modern”: yes, modern Afghan women married to modern Afghan men who didn't mind their wives walking among strangers with made-up faces and nothing on their heads. However, when the Taliban came to control the presence of such freedom it came to an end. They approved another set of guidelines for women with a particular warning of the burqa as the standard of dress for Muslim women. As indicated by the new laws, women are not allowed to wander around the city without reason. In case a woman leaves her house, she should oblige a 'mahram' who is a male individual of the family. And above all, under no conditions can a woman expose her face and must not neglect to wear the burqa. “Under no circumstances will you show your face. You will cover yourself with the burqa when you are out. If you don't, you will be beaten badly." This has scared women in Afghanistan so much that even secular-minded women do not dare to go out without wearing a burqa. In this context one can refer to the case of Laila's class teacher, Shanzai, who is also known as Khala Rangmal by her students. In the midst of the government of.