In a recent BBC documentary about Islam and women, a young Muslim woman (who wears hijab) was asked whether hijab is a form of oppression.34 Her response was absolutely chilling:

“For someone to tell me I have to wear the hijab, if someone tells me to do that, I’m taking my hijab off. If you’re going to force me to wear the hijab, I’m taking it off. I wear this out of love, this is my identity, this is something that I love and I wouldn’t even say that I do it because my God tells me to do it. Everything that my God tells me to do, He gives me a choice, I’m doing it because [I] want to do it and I love it. It’s part of my religion and I own it.” The scary thing is, many younger Muslims will not understand why this is so objectionable. They will not recognize the kufr implied in a statement like this. This is the subtle corrosive power of liberalism that deeply affects people without them even realizing it. How could you think, “If God tells me to do something, I won’t do it”? Well, it makes sense if you have been indoctrinated. If you are forced to do something, then that takes away from your “autonomy.” It takes away from your ability to “freely choose.” And anything that reduces your freedom and liberty in this way is evil. To take away your ability to choose is to take away from your identity, from who you are. “And what could be worse than that?” asks the young Muslim who is steeped in the social-justice-warrior infused identity politics of the age, promoted by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

The sticking point is here:

But doesn’t God command us to do certain things and prohibit us from other things? And aren’t there steep consequences for not submitting and obeying to God? This is precisely what force and coercion are! It is through this line of reasoning that those Muslims affected by liberalism face two options. Option 1: God is evil (wa na`udhu billah) or, Option 2: God is not evil, but God doesn’t command us or prohibit us in anything either. Both options are kufr.

The way out of this dilemma is to critique liberalism and to deconstruct concepts like freedom, autonomy, coercion, etc.