Can anyone out there tell me why some Muslim women choose to wear the headscarf? Is it actually stated in the Koran? Or is it just oppression of women?

I can answer your question.

First-off, I want to point-out that there is no law in Islam that forbids women to drive, for example. Women aren't oppressed in Islam, not if it's followed properly. Sadly a lot of countries, including the wacko Saudi Arabia, invent their own rules.

About the veil: Islam has rules about how people are supposed to be dressed (for both men and women). The clothing shouldn't be very tight so it doesn't press against your body/figure, and it has to be humble/modest. And it shouldn't really catch your eye from a million miles off (like no unnecessarily flashy colours). Men have to cover everything from the navel to the knees, and for women clothing has to cover everything but the hands and face. In a nutshell, it's for people to maintain their dignity.

Is it stated in the Koran? Not explicitly. It talks about it but it's expanded on in Prophet Mohammed's teachings (the 'hadith').

Would they get rid of the headscarf? Depends on the person. A lot of women don't wear it to begin with. Others wear it just because. Some people decide to wear them when they're as young as 12; others don't until they're 80. It's all a matter of faith. But it's not a sign of oppression; Islamic women certainly don't view it as such. I'm pretty sure of that.

thanks, that makes sense.

I understand that we have different values, but in many Arab countries, women are still oppressed in so many ways. now some are beginning to campaign for more rights, ie. the right to drive. without the influence of male family members, would Muslim women get rid of the headscarf?

I'm not Muslim, so I could be completely wrong on this, but in my understanding, women choose to wear the hijab as a way of not only promoting modesty but also demanding respect from people, including men. It's a way to be seen as more than just sex objects.

That, I believe, is just part of the reason why some Muslim women choose to cover up. There are other reasons out there, but many of them do not have to do with oppression. Remember, you are looking at this at a Westernized perspective, so what you see as oppression may not actually be considered oppression but instead freedom in other countries. And, if I remember a movie I saw correctly, what we view as freedom-- being able to flaunt women's bodies-- other countries view as oppression.