Which women wear burkas

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Most Popular. From 'Back in Black' to a trillion dollar debt, is the government's conversion to Keynesianism complete? Too many young African-Australians are in jail. Then came the explosive showdown. Site Map. She is "not under an obligation" to cover her face but does so because it is "emulating" the Prophet Muhammad. So, how does she respond if asked to remove her covering for security reasons?

It's quite painful [to hear]. In , BBC News' Shaimaa Khalil wrote about why she stopped wearing her headscarf, only to put it back on again when she became the Pakistan correspondent. She said the number of women wearing them in the West is increasing in part because girls begin to wear them before they reach puberty and many were not given a choice.

Muslim scholars have long debated whether it is obligatory to wear the burka or niqab, or whether it is just recommended. There have also been more liberal interpretations which say any headscarf is unnecessary, as long as women maintain the sartorial modesty stipulated in the Koran. That holy text addresses "the faithful women" who are told to shield their private parts and not to display their adornment "except what is apparent of it".

Scholarly disputes revolve around what this last phrase means. Does it refer to the outer surface of a woman's garments, necessitating that she cover every part of her body - ie don the full niqab? Or does it give an exemption referring to the face and the hands, as well as conventional female ornaments such as kohl, rings, bracelets and make-up?

The latter interpretation has been adopted by some of the most prominent scholars from Islamic history who favour the hijab - headscarf - option. But there does seem to be consensus that the figure is likely to be low. These are both estimates by experts working in relevant fields, but until specific research is carried out, it will be difficult to know how prevalent the full-face veil is.

What we do know is that in the census, Muslims represented 4. Using the most recent population estimates, this would mean there are roughly 1. In other European countries, the figure also appears to be low. In , a French Interior Ministry report estimated that just 0. In the Salafi point of view, women are required to cover their entire body when going out in public or when with non-mahram men. Some interpretations have left room for exceptions for blind, gay, and asexual men.

Yet, despite all of these, most Islamic scholars agree that women should not cover their faces. There is no single reason for women to wear a burqa. It must be understood within a particular social context. Some women wear it to show their view on sexual modesty or as a rejection of the western views of sexuality. People from different countries have varying reception towards the burqa. Even in Islamic countries, the burqa might come across as too extreme, catering to those who might be following the Safali.

In Afghanistan, the women wear the chadaree which strikes a lot of similarities with the burqa but leaves a small opening for the eyes. Before the Taliban took over, chadarees were rarely worn in the cities and public spaces. Some countries have banned the use of Burqas because it might pose a security risk. In , Italy banned all clothing that covers the face of a person in an effort to combat domestic terrorism.

So are bans of full-face veils justified, or are they a human rights violation? Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar.