The recent study undertaken by the Queen Mary University in London shows what many from the Muslim community have known for a very long time. After a study undertaken on both a 1000 white and Bangladeshi teens from the ages of 11 to 14, the overwhelming results showed how the mental health of those who chose to stick to more traditional clothing from their cultures tended to have less mental health issues. The results also found those young teens who choose to integrate thus mixing their clothing with that of the indigenous culture in this case, western style clothing tended to have far more mental health stresses.

Although it would be unrealistic to believe that clothing alone can determine the mental well being of any group within society, this study raises a very important debate regarding the notion of identity and acceptance which is prevalent within liberal secular culture. The sociologists who undertook this study by their own admission believed that it would be those who had integrated who would have far less mental strain.

They however accepted that close family and community ties within the differing cultures in this case Bangladeshi who are majority Muslim, would have allowed a stronger sense of support and comfort to young female teens. This coupled with a strong sense of family values, and the upholding of morals amongst young Muslim girls that is now on the increase within this demographic studied may answer the question of why this is the case.

It therefore comes as no surprise that when Muslim girls and boys are consciously making the decision to either come back to the Islamic way of life thus adopting the dress, the values and all the rules of Islam it leads to not only a sense of belonging but also maturity and understanding as to the purpose of their lives guiding most, if not all the decisions they then make as adults.

And while the media are constantly lambasting young Muslims for becoming radicalized and creating this myth that young girls particularly need liberating from oppressive lives behind a ‘burka’, it fails to find solutions for young British teens and the endemic culture of binge drinking, eating disorders and a general sense of worthlessness that seems to pervade young female teens in the western cultures. Recent studies have shown that the aspirational drive of young females now only reaches as far as wanting to become famous/ celebrities or becoming models rather than aim for professions such as medicine, law or the like, and this despite the fact that girls are still on average doing better in academic achievements than boys of the same age.

The impact of the pervading culture on women’s identity is clearly apparent as noted by journalists such as Ariel Levy who describe a "raunch culture" - a phrase describing how the sex industry has now become mainstream - after ten years of exposing girls to ideas such as ‘girl power’. Thus reinforcing the prevalent objectification of women at an even younger age. The recent controversy about push up bras for 7 year olds is proof of this.

And the very powerful values of being an individual and looking out for yourself seemed to have created an atmosphere where relationships, the definition of success and how you view yourself are then based on a shallow and pretentious yardstick which has lead to problems of eating disorders, teenage pregnancies, and even children being prescribed anti depressants.

Fundamentally the mental health and general well being that Islam stresses comes from Islam successfully allowing women to believe that their worth is tied up in the quality of their personalities to be full and active members of society participating in all areas of life without sexualizing her or placing the emphasis on her looks. This coupled with a sense of honouring and protecting her rights under Islam, can only produce well grounded young women who have aspirations and the confidence to go forward and be productive citizens. And even though there is no Islamic society which exemplifies this as yet, there is in fact a growing tide of young Muslim women coming back to this model and baring testimony to this fact already.

Allah (swt) says,

(Sura An Nahl:97)