Islamic Culture: Our Veils Are Our Freedom

Walking down the streets of India, Iran and Afghanistan you see women covered in veils and wonder how they cope with it. The weather is always very hot and very humid and these veils, known as Hijabs (literally meaning "to cover up" in Arabic) are black and fully cover the body. The veils are to be worn when in the presence of men that you are not married to or related to. Muslims take the Qu'ran to be the literal word of God and say that it clearly states that both men and women should dress modestly. The Qu'ran also asserts that women should not display their beauty to anyone but their husbands.

"Tell the faithful women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not display their beauty except what is apparent of it, and to extend their scarf to cover their bosom." -Qu'ran, 24:31 (English translation).

What is considered modest for a man is much different than that of a woman. Modesty for men means covering the body from the navel down to the knee. Hijabs for women cover everything but the face, hands and feet. Traditions across the world vary and in some countries, where there is an issue of human rights, women have the choice of whether they want to or how they want to cover themselves.

It has been widely believed that women wear these veils because they are inferior to men. It is important to note that the wearing of these veils is not indicative of a woman's status in society. Men and women's obligations, according to the Qu'ran, are very similar. Women do not lose their identity by wearing these veils. In fact, the veils can reveal much about its wearer including their status in society, where they are from and even their marital status. There are three different types of veils.

Hijab
A Hijab is a headscarf that covers the face, neck and hair. Its veil covers the entire face except for the eyes and is worn for religious purposes. The Qu'ran refers to the Hijab as "khimar" to avoid the confusion that has been associated with the term Hijab.

Chador
The chador covers the hair and the entire body but leaves the face uncovered. The chador is commonly linked to traditions in Iran.

Burqa
A Burqa covers the entire body, including the face and hands, leaving only the eyes open with a mesh covering so that its wearer can see and breathe. The Burqa is mainly seen in Afghanistan today.