Women’s veils

Head coverings and veils are still worn in several religions today, including Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism.

In the Arabian Peninsula, Islam originated as a small faith community. The prophet Mohammed (c. 570–632 CE) founded the community in Medina. It expanded from there via the Middle East to Saharan and Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asnia, and a variety of communities around the Arabian Sea. Islam made considerable inroads into Europe once it was established in the Middle East and North Africa.

Scarves and veils of various colors and shapes were worn in innumerable cultures long before Islam emerged in the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century (which includes present-day Saudi Arabia). Head coverings are still worn in several religions today, including Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism.

Islam has risen to become one of the world’s major religions since the seventh century. It affected and assimilated some local veiling conventions as it extended from the Middle East to Saharan and Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and many various communities around the Arabian Sea. However, certain Islamic regimes, such as Iran, have only recently begun to force all women to wear the veil (in Iran it is called the chador, which covers the entire body).

Critics of the Muslim veiling tradition contend that women are often obliged to cover their heads and bodies because they do not want to. Many daughters of Muslim immigrants in the West, on the other hand, claim that the veil represents devotion and piety and that wearing it is a personal choice. It is a matter of religious identification and self-expression for them.

Headscarves come in a variety of styles.

• A range of comparable headscarves are referred to as hijab. It is the most often worn veil in the Western world. One or two scarves that cover the head and neck make up these veils. Many Muslim women in the Arab world and abroad wear this traditional veil outside of the West.
• The niqab covers the entire body, head, and face except for the eyes, which are left open. The half-niqab, which comprises of a headscarf and facial veil that leaves the eyes and part of the forehead visible, and the full, or Gulf, niqab, which leaves just a narrow slit for the eyes, are the two main forms of niqab. These coverings are especially popular in the Gulf States, despite their popularity throughout the Muslim world. The niqab has sparked a great deal of debate in Europe. Some politicians have urged for its prohibition, while others believe it obstructs dialogue or poses a security risk.
• The chador is a full-body-length shawl that is hand- or pin-tied at the neck. The head and body are covered, but the face is plainly exposed. Chadors are most commonly black and are most popular in the Middle East, particularly Iran.
• The burqa is a full-body veil that covers the entire body. The wearer’s complete face and torso is hidden behind a mesh screen, and vision is only possible through a mesh screen over the eyes. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the countries where it is most widely worn. Its use was made mandatory by legislation under the Taliban administration in Afghanistan (1996–2001).

What are the origins of the Islamic veil (or hijabin in Arabic) requirement? Is the veil worn by all Muslim women? Is it necessary? Are all veils the same, or do they come in a variety of shapes and sizes? Finally, what concerns does the veil elicit in some Western countries? According to sociologist Caitlin Killian, the veiling tradition has been impacted by many religious interpretations as well as politics in the past and present.

While women must be modest, the area they must cover varies depending on the source and ranges from “the bosom” to the entire body except the face and hands. The veil serves as a technique of separating men and women, as well as suppressing male sexual urge…. Muslim men are likewise encouraged to dress modestly and cover their bodies from the waist to the knees.

An immodest lady causes humiliation not just to herself but also to her male family members in several Islamic countries…. The veil, on the other hand, predates Islam and was worn by women of all faiths. It was also strongly tied to social class: wealthy women could afford to hide their entire bodies, whereas poor women who had to labor [in the field] either modified or did not wear veils at all.

Today’s diverse kinds of Islamic clothing reflect local customs and differing interpretations of Islamic regulations. As a result, Muslim women in France wear a variety of clothing and headdresses. Many people don’t wear anything that identifies them as Muslims. A number of immigrant women observe modesty by wearing long-sleeved shirts and skirts that reach the ankles, rather than traditional dress (i.e., North African).

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Some women just wear brilliantly colored scarves on their heads, allowing their hair to show; others pin unicolor veils securely over their faces; and still others dress in long, flowing Islamic clothing, covering their entire face except for their eyes on occasion. The girls at the center of the debate normally dress in Western attire and cover their hair with a veil pinned around their faces.

Long before their arrival in France in the 1970s, women’s clothing was a source of contention. Muslim women were urged to remove their veils and imitate European women by French and British invaders. As a result, during independence and movements in Algeria and other North African and Middle Eastern countries, the veil became a symbol of national identity and antagonism to the West.