Hijabs: The Islamic Narcissistic Supply

Submitted by Prashant (United States), Feb 5, 2022 at 18:20

Dear Dr Pipes, I think modern psychologists must research how Islam manages to control so many diverse people around the world in so identical ways. I am, of course, not a psychologist but two terms from pop psychology can explain some of what is going on regarding Hijab in the world today.

On your forum, reader 'A very concerned reader' (AVCR), was the first to use the term 'Narcissist' in the context of Islam. Roughly speaking, a narcissist is a confrontational person who uses confrontations to insult and dominate his/her opponents and to perpetuate his selfish agenda. The term 'Narcissistic Supply' is used to mean when a Narcissist deliberately seeks confrontations from his victims so he can benefit from the resulting confrontation. It is said that a narcissist's victims can never win a confrontation with him and the best option is to refuse to provide the narcissist the supply that he needs by avoiding his baits.
Muslims living in free societies are using Hijabs as their narcissistic baits: they intentionally make unreasonable demands with respect to burkha and hijab and when these demands draw attention, Muslims use them to perpetuate the confrontation.

The India of 1970s and 1980s and before barely knew anything about Hijabs. Very traditional Muslim women in that era wore burkhas and people mostly left them alone. Not-so-traditional Muslim women dressed like everyone else and also did not draw any attention.

Today, as I write this message, Muslim girl student all around India are protesting (boycotting classes) for their right to wear hijabs in classrooms. Many women-only schools in the state of Karnataka in India are experiencing Muslim students showing up to classes wearing Hijabs in violation to the schools' long standing dress codes. When the schools object to this violation, Muslims enjoy the confrontation, perpetuate it and make it a national political issue. It is becoming a national political issue. This is exactly what Muslims want so they can continue to play victims.

The world should stop giving Muslims their narcissistic supply. We need to encourage Muslim women to wear Hijabs and Burkhas on warm days; if they feel uncomfortable, all the better! If a Muslim woman wants to be photographed in a burkha for her driver license, the society should encourage it. What can be better than a Muslim woman who missed her flight because she could not prove their identity? If a Muslima sister fails to prove her identity during a traffic stop and ends up in the county jail, why should any one else but her husband or one of his other wives sweat? If a fully covered Muslim woman cannot find a boyfriend nothing can be better than that; we will save one nice non-Muslim man from being forced to convert to Islam for marriage. And, yes, Muslim women must play sports in Hijab, lack of peripheral vision will only help the opponents. Not to mention the heat of a tennis court! Dear WNBA, when is your draft for Hijab-clad women? And, I do not even want to go into the burkini territory; I will rather swim with a tuna than with a woman in Burkini. I will never have to convert to Islam because I have no risk of falling in love with an Islamic dolphin.

On the other hand, if Muslim women want to shed burkhas, naqabs, burkinis, and the hijabs so they can mingle with other smart young people who are excelling in the sciences, engineering, music, sports and finance, that is a lesson that she needs to learn by themselves. May the Islamic world see the light of the day! Until then, I strongly support Muslim women wrapping themselves is as many layers as they can afford.

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