A Burqa is an outer garment worn by women in Islamic societies for the purpose of concealing their bodies and/or face. It is mostly worn when a woman leaves her home and she has to wear it until she is back in her home.
Where is a Burqa worn?
Burqa is worn throughout Middle Eastern nations and the Muslim nations around the world. Many liberal or democratic governments are not so strict about wearing the Burqa. One such famous example is Turkey, where secular ideas prevail and give people the freedom to choose if they want to wear a Burqa. Meanwhile, in stricter nations, women are told to wear the Burqa and failure to do so can result in beatings, harassment or other worse punishments.
Who wears a Burqa?
Obviously a woman wears a Burqa but more specifically, conservative practicing Muslims wear it. Girls are not supposed to wear a burqa until she hits puberty but this notion is not practiced as girl as young as six are made to wear the Burqa to get them used to wearing it. There have also been instances where men wore the Burqa to escape from the police or to hide their identities from the authorities. One such famous incident occurred at the Red Mosque siege in Pakistan.
What are the different styles of the Burqa or names?
Burqa falls under the category of Hijab. This is a Arabic word which means to veil or cover and refers to a women’s head and body covering gear. In Saudi Arabia, women a loose robe called abaya and a face veil called niqab while in nations like Tunisia or Turkey, Muslim women tend to wear only a headscarf. In Iran, they take a step further and the “fashion police” mandate all women to wear loose clothing – preferably black or a while robe – when going out and women are also supposed to wear either a full face veil or scarf. If the dress code is not followed, it results in punishment. In order to accommodate to the modern word, Islamic teachers allow women to wear a “Burqini.” A Burqini is a swimsuit for women and it covers the entire body. The only exposed parts are the feet, fingers and the face. Chador is also a full body cover for women. One of the extremes of Burqa is the Afghan Burqa, which was enforced by Taliban. This burqa covers the entire body in a loose clothing and even the face (including eyes) are covered with only a grille for the women to look through.
What does Quran say about the Burqa?
First of all, it depends on which Islamic scholar you ask. They are all in disagreement as to what extend Quran advocates this. However, the Quran does urge men and women to dress and behave modestly in society. The Quran does not specifically mention the Burqa or tells women to wear such extremely confining clothes. The Ulema or the Scholars do agree that the Quran says women should not wear extremely revealing clothes. Modern day muslims base their authority regarding the Burqa on the Hadith or collected traditions of life in the days of Muhammad the prophet. But a noteworthy objection is that Hadith describes 7th century Arabian life, which should not be imposed on modern day Muslims world wide. Muslim communities also argue that women are to dress modestly but should not be forced or punished to wear a Burqa. This is why many Muslim communities have different preferences regarding the application of the Burqa.
The West and Burqa
The issue of Burqa has been a source of problems for western nations. Some call it Islamophobia but the real reason is the issue of security. This is why France banned all forms of religious clothing and articles in the schools throughout the nation. Netherlands also banned the wearing of face-covering Burqa. There have been instances in USA where Muslim women wanted to get her drivers license but refused to take off her Burqa (face veil). This generates a problem because identification of a person becomes troublesome especially when the person is wearing clothing to cover their faces. As mentioned earlier, there have been instances of terrorists and criminals wearing the Burqa to hide from the police and authorities so a security issue is generated. Women’s rights groups, both Islamic and secular, have also begun to actively fight what they see as the subjugation of women. Within the Muslim community, conservatives and Islamic feminists have used Islamic doctrine as the basis for discussion of women’s rights, drawing on the Qur’an, the Hadithand the lives of prominent women in the early period of Muslim history as evidence. Muslim Bengali writer Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain criticized the hijab and the Burqa in her utopian fantasy Sultana’s Dream. Iranian-American novelist Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, Marjane Satrapi, author of the graphic novel Persepolis, and Parvin Darabi who has authored Rage Against the Veil are some of the famous opponents of compulsory veiling. So far, Turkey and Tunisia are the only Muslim countries where the law prohibits the wearing of hijab in government buildings, schools, and universities. Saudi Arabia and Iran are the only countries that enforce the dress code strictly with severe punishments through the religious police.
The Future of Burqa?
There are both the opponents and the supporters of Burqa out there but many Muslims are starting to agree that such enforced dress code is not necessary. Unlike historical times, many nations have begun to lessen their enforcement of the Burqa. Women are also no longer required to wear the Burqa (only some Muslim nations) even though they are encouraged to wear modest clothes such as a headscarf (most of Islamic states). Liberal Muslims and women’s rights groups are advocating for the compulsory enforcement of the Burqa to be stopped so a women (and girls) are given the choice to decide if they want to wear the Burqa or not. Currently, this issue or topic is hotly contested by the Islamic scholars, Muslim Communities and the Western nations. However, as Islam moves into the modern age, one can only speculate as to what the future of Burqa will truly be.
thank you so much! an indifferent view! you gave the facts and didnt call it a prison! thank you!
hello everybody in da universe
Burqa was invented during the reign of Habibullah of Afghanistan. It diminishes women abilities and confidence to drive, work along side men and be modest.
YES! I agree with Bri. Thank you!
These women will always stand apart from modern society. They move to the US and bring 12th century mores with them. This is not being disrespectful to others’ culture; merely being sensible.
It’s good to get a more impartially written view to read, thanks!
We see a lot of fear mongering, and read about how this or that supposedly affects our rights, which I personally think is silly considering my experience attempting to understand prejudice.
I meet a lot of people who have various degrees of prejudice, as a woman who’s worked as a Laborer and now getting into MMA, I hear many “opinions”. I think it depends more on whether or not the individual is willing to realize there’s more out there than neat little boxes everyone fits into or not, Other women wearing burkas doesn’t affect how I’m treated because it’s up to every individual to treat other individuals as a new and different person than they’ve met before. People who see everyone as individuals don’t usually tromp on the freedom and self worth of others and those who want the easy answers tend to step on others, push people to act in accordance with how they’re comfortable with their world being, and generally think they know what everyone else is all about based on a few little details they can quickly collect.
I’m not a rule, or an exception. Just me.
i agree whith that
When a person’s face is completely covered he/she loses the ability to communicate effectively with others. We use our whole face to communicate. I have trouble believing that anyone would choose to be disguised in a Burqa. If they do choose it, that’s fine, but if their religion or their male partner are enforcing this extreme covering, then as a woman, I feel compelled to condemn the Burqa.
I was brought up in a muslim family from Pakistan during the 80’s. We never saw anyone wearing a burkha or niqab (or Hijab) outside of the TV… nowadays, on pretty much any street in London or city with a large muslim population, you see them all over the place.
I support people’s right to dress as they chose – but at the same time, I can’t help but feel that the people who dress this way in the UK are either chosing to turn away from the society they are a part of, or being forced to wear it by others… both concern me for very different reasons.
The third group (the smallest) have the argument, (i.e. from the women who wear them), that it helps them to be closer to Allah… but anyone who needs a symbol to get them closer to Allah is really not getting the point of Islam itself, – and instead the views, beliefs and perceptions of another person who has promoted the idea that Islam dictates the wearing of it.
ass
The Burqa debate needs to focus on national security and not on the human rights issue.
In a world that is less safe than at any time since the second world war,it is simply unacceptable that people are moving around in our society that we are unable to establish their identity.
I believe that people should not be told what to wear, but it is important to be identified (especially for security reasons). I am also concerned by the reasons behind why the women wear the Burqa. Not so much the human rights side of things but the fact that some women just feel weird when they don’t wear it. It has become a routine, and some people just aren’t willing to break it.
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But what is the actual real reason behind WHY they have to wear it? Is it just like a jealousy thing or is it a staple part of their faith?
I HAVE SOME MUSLIM FRIENDS AND THEY WEAR IT. I OFTEN FORGET WHO IS WHO..NO JOKE BUT THEY USE TO THAT. FAIR ENOGH IF YOU WANT TO WEAR IT HOWEVEVA MAKE SURE IT IS AFOR A VALUABLE REASON AND YOUR NOT BEING PUSHED. ALSO FORCE YOUR BELIEVES UNTO OTHERS AND FORCE OTHGER TO BE LIKE YOU BECAUSE YOU THINK YOUR FAITH IS CORRECT. PLEASE RESPECT EACTH OTHERS FAITH BECAUSE BRITAIN IS NOT A MUSLIM, COUNTRY HOWEEVER THEY HAVE TAKIN MUSLIM PEOPLE IN PROMOTING MULTICUTRALISM, NONETHELESS IFG YOU GO TO SOME MUSLIM COUNTRIES YOU WILL NOT SEE ONE CHURCH. ANYWAYS THE MORAL IS RESPECT
omg.
thanx 4 making this site, its great.
heey guys, i’m a school student studying about women’s rights in afghanistan. I think that it’s their choice if they want to wear the burq. But if they don’t want too they shouldnt be forced too.
Burqa is plain stupid im a muslim and i wear just the hijab and that is allowed no where in the quran mentions about wearing burqa only dressing properly and appropiatly that is islam so anyone think burqa is islam guess what its not its just trouble in humantiy ther are many stupid muslims out ther that talk nonsense and make up nonsense go straight to the source and find out like the hadeeth and quran not from what people say.
I belive that the Burqa should be banned souly for the secruity reasons what is the piont of having drivers licencse if you can not even idetify you the person is on the card or even the person holding it i mean men could escape so eaisly from the police
that exact point was made by pollitcle cartoonist Mark Knight the other day were it depicts Julia Gilard sneaking away from some journalists under the cover of a burqa identifing the saftey issue
Thanks to Ebey Soman for a very informative article. I also appreciate Raymon’s comments about his experiences and opinions.
Thanks guys for all your comments and feedback – I appreciate it. Keep sharing this article and I hope to write more informative articles you guys enjoy!
this is retarded
Thank you. I have seen better articles, but this was okay. There are three reasons why I think it should be banned. 1.) Security reasons. 2.) Health of the women. and 3.) Women’s rights.
Yes, I know that the last two sort of go together, but it depends upon the angle you are looking at it. 1.) Men have been caught, in several different countries, wearing burqas while running away from the police. 2.) There are major health issues that go along with this. Such as vitamin D deficientcy, obesity, and respiratory problems due to lack of air circulation. 3.) These women have been forced to wear this, sure some of them do want to wear it for reasons of hidding their figure. (obesity) Or maybe because they are so used to wearing it that now they feel unmodest in public unless they ARE wearing it. There is also the rights of the people around them. We have a right to see this person, just as this person has a right to see people around her. Anything could be hidden underneath that thing called a burqa: knives, bombs, guns, etc.. or maybe nothing at all. But we do have the right to know if they are hidding some dangerous weapon or even for reason of wanting to befriend her. Still, (in my opinion) the burqa must be taken off.
Thank you.
-Anonymous
(and p.s, guess what? I’m only 13 and I, yes, even me, a thirteen year old, understand this.)
Ok so Basically it is not essential for women to wear the burqa. So I dont get why they are in a western culture and expect to bring their laws here and we bend to accomedate them.
I mean if they love wearing the Burqas fine. But when you enter a bank, car, or any other place that needs you to show your face. Then do so. Otherwise go back to your country were you can get away with all those things.
I mean lets face it if western relegions were to go to a muslim country and read the bible or set up a church. You would be killed. So how come they cant come to a western country (muslim men included) and respect our beliefs and our culture. Not trying to change us to muslim extreme belief.
this is why they have such a bad rep.
It’s allowed for a muslim women to show her face for security issues, passports, and the like. In the past the muslim countries where home to everyone of all kinds of religions and it was peaceful, but nowadays the leaders there are not really following the religion correctly.
It’s not right for a muslim to force someone to convert to a muslim in Islam. And by the way Fedup, islam is not a extreme religion, I mean look what the Christian nuns are wearing.
A muslim woman’s outfit and a nun isn’t all that different, except if the muslim woman decided to cover her face, and get more reward from her lord. In all the pictures of Mary (who Christians call mother of Jesus) who does she resemble? What’s she wearing?
Real muslims respect other people’s culture and beliefs, but some just go sooo extreme as to even force some people to turn muslim. The bad reputation stems from the people who call themselves muslims and doing all sorts of things muslims shouldn’t do. You shouldn’t judge, just read my article called “Don’t Judge” for more info.
Well researched and written. Good to see you stuck to facts and avoided hysteria. Well done!
I’m stuck on this one. While I believe in freedom to wear whatever you want I don’t like to see people cover their faces in public. I find it rude and insulting that they do. I do think people would not like it if I walked round their neighbourhood in a full face balaclava and bovver boots. I also find it insulting for people to think I would not be able to control my sexual urges if I saw a woman without her veil and I also find it well distasteful if not insulting when some women wear crop tops and short skirts when sartorially perhaps it is somewhat inelegant, ewe! So wear a blanket round you and cover your hair if that is your thing but please keep your face visable!
This one was nice to read . By the way I am Sikh I don’t know much about Islamic rules so I might be wrong .I read the Quran and trying to go through some hadiths .if you read the Quran no where it says the burqa is mandatory . It is imposed by the man on the women . No offense to Muslim brothers and sisters .what I found is that most of these hadiths are written by the followers ,some of them even after 200 years of death of Mohammad . If Mohammad would have written it or asked someone to write the Hadith then he would not discriminate with women so much .I read that women are not supposed to cut there hair even if permitted by there husband .it is against the creator to cut thr hair .why is it not against the creator for men when they cut there hair ?. In Sikhism we have similar rules Not to cut hairs ,they were clearly written by our lord guru govind Singh . They are equal to men and women .Why dont Muslim scholars change those rules and give the women some freedom .all these rules in Islam is written later not at the time of Mohammad .for security it should be banned .how the he’ll you can take a picture of driver with burqa .Muslim scholars have misguided there religion for long time .it is time to change these scholars who impose these kind of rules particularly on women .
Thanks god I am not born to Muslim parents .
hi
This is an interesting piece!
There is much controversy in the UK, right now.
I personally, would like to see the Burka banned. Banned from existence in MY country, at least. I find it offensive, and a social barrier. British (lol) Muslims, as they refer to themselves make little, or no effort to integrate into our Western culture. If their Muslim values oppose the West, so much, why are they here?
Its a very good you open it this subject bro.. People has to understand that niqab or burqa its a choose not an islamic rule,,, A woman choose to wear or not. Prophet Mohammad (Pbuh) said that its recommended for very beautiful woman to cover her face, but,,,,, its not an obligation, is a recommendation! So,,,, means its a choice not an obligation!
What happened in Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia with niqab or burqa this is custom, not an islamic rule from Qur`an or Hadith ( Prophet Mohammad`s way).
Anyway,,, burqa or niqab should be any woman choice to wear or not, a choice not an obligation, custom or not!
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Its sooo funny that people are saying the burqa should be banned for security reasons…
one could also argue to band hoodies and makeup disguises :/
anyways I am a Muslim who does not wear a Burqa as my God has
not mentioned that i should in the Quran but when someone chooses to wear it then i will not stop them
because isn\’t it our choice to wear what we want too?…well i least thought so
and the thing about Muslim not mixing with the rest of society???….
I love being part of the society but each time i am reminded
that the society will not accept me because of these stereotypical views..it hurts
anyways all these people talking about a communication barrier, has anyone ever tried speaking with someone with a burqa because i am sure they will not be the way you imagine them to be and if they are then they will represent the minority….
finally Dubai is a Islamic nation yet they accept western cultures
so why are we being so stereotypical again???
Western nations have no place getting involved in this debate, other than the security issue that was pointed out. This is an argument to take place within the Muslim community and I feel like Westerners are overstepping their bounds in trying to voice an opinion on it.
Over stepping the `Bounds` says Kara, well lets talk about bounds a little. Are these the same Bounds Islam is crossing declaring our Christian God False?, or is it the `Bounds` Islam is crossing when calling our `Heroic Armed Forces` Child killers and Women Rapers? Or possibly the `Bounds` Islam is crossing Killing teachers in Afghan so they can keep women subservient?. You see Karla we live in the West, here as you Muslims know we have `Free Speech` so this Issue of the Burqa can be talked about whenever we wish. So your wish for us all too not talk about it, as you said should only be talked about within `Muslim Communities`. Just goes too show why it should be BANNED in the West. We open our doors too you and your communities, we protect you all the same as we protect our own, we feed you if you cannot feed yourselves and give you education and a better place too live. However your communities have there doors closed, ungratefully Closed, Burqa = Closed…….Closed = BANNED!
This article was featured on the Journal of International Media & Entertainment Law by Professor By Claire Wright (Harvard Law School Professor) titled “Censoring the Censors in the WTO: Reconciling the Communitarian and Human Rights Theories of International Law”
This is a very interesting topic. Btw, i am a Muslim all my life and i\’ve just started wearing wearing hijab as i realized that it is my obligation as a Muslim woman and also an identity to my religion. I dont wear face-covering burqa or so because it is not obligated. Our God does obligate humans to cover their body as it is stated in the Qur\’an as well as the Hadith. It just comes in a different way for men and women. As i know, our Prophet in Hadith said that women who have reached their puberty must cover their body…except face and hands. So covering one\’s face is not an obligation. As someone told me that it is the \’culture\’ in the Middle East countries for women to wear burqa, besides they are told to wear so, the dry and windy climate made them to cover their face so that their eyes wont be easily irritated by dust.
As Kara said about over stepping the bounds, i believe as muslims we should welcome discussions from other believers who want to know about Islam. Yes, it is not their right to forbid us to use hijab and so on, but it becomes our duty to explain and clarify the meaning of Hijab or other issues for us as Muslims. That\’s why we have cross-religion discussions or something like this blog…^_^
As for Karl, the \’bounds\’ mean not to interfere in what people believe in and feels to do as long as it doesn\’t harm other people of the same and different believes. As you wrote that Muslim crossing the bounds by declaring that \”Christian God\’ is false, wouldn\’t you have the same thought about our God? That\’s why it becomes your belief or religion. We have belief that the religion we embrace is the true one. As Muslims have faith that God Almighty is one, wouldn\’t it be weird if we accept other God(s) of different faith to be true?
On top of it, I respect every religion and the believers…^_^
Worn, worn and will wear it. And more and more. Look at yourself. Where you are, and where the burqa? She was and will be, but you can always die, but the burqa remains. That was the case in reality.
It is understandable that the governments of Western countries to feel that wearing the burqa is a safety concern. Recently, a woman wearing the burqa in the USA refused to take her burqa off to take a government issued photo. If the government was to “allow” this woman to not remove the burqa, who is the say that she can use the government issued ID to give to someone else for illegal use? How does one know WHO is in the photo and not someone else? In this particular instance, refusing to remove the burqa is absurd.
Burqa is an un-neccessary dress for Women. It represents discremination aganist our mothers, sisters and daughters. Muslim world needs to educate Muslims to have serenity in their eyes and respect for woman in their heart. Eyes are our lamps, if eyes are pious the whole body is pious. Islam mainly beleive in hiding things under the rug to promote Muhammadanism. Muslim women are our sister/mothers/daughters. Law of the land provides protection to every woman of any religion or culture. NO need to hide your face from your fellow citizines. I agree there are some other parts of our body needs to be decently covered.
Any muslim who believes that quran is the word of God must know that Hijab is Mandatory upon women for their own safety. In da same way, men are supposed to lower their gaze as dat iz their purdah. ol dis iz clearly mentioned in da quran and it is to be done only dued to Allah s fear n to please Him……n not bcoz sum1 iz pushing it down ur throat….what people fail to understand iz dat a burqa protects a woman n safeguards her modesty. wattabout women who wear revealing clothes n den complain of being harrassed? Why learn things da hard way when Allah has set down guidelines for da whole of mankind for our own gud……..?? Alhamdulillah
May the people of the world have the courage to envision FREEDOM – in its purest form – some day.
And freedom doesn’t mean bans or impositions or judgement. Just freedom to let people and government decide how they want to live their lives and what guidelines to follow. As long as women want to wear the Burqa and feel that it enhances their respect for the religion and protects their best interests, then there is nothing wrong with it.
muslim women are not oppressed in any way by our God, we beleive in the holy quran and muhammad pbuh the reason why we should cover up is to be modest, and to cover up i mean dress in loose clothing and wear the hijab. thats it final. but if some woen choose to wear the burka its their own choice for whatever their reasons, who are we to judge we do not know ther situation. manymuslim people follow customs and silly traditions but dont understand the wrds of the quran, which effects the muslim community. but its not for me to judge and i dont have any problems when talking to a person wearing a burqa, why should you?
i wear the hijab becus i dont want men to gaze at my hair or my chest my hijab is a symbol of my faith and my modesty.
The bottom line is, that it is offensive to the intellect to talk of women in these “walking coffins” in the same sentence with the words “choice” or “rights.” Reluctance to criticize or stand up to the burqa, shows a willingness to abando…n these women to their fate, which is morally equivalent to apathy over voiceless suffering. ‘Liberals’ or ‘idiots’ terrified of appearing not ‘pc’ hide behind the smokescreen of non-judgmentalism of other “cultures,” but that logic would have absolved slave owners in the “culture” of America before the civil war.
It is not about saying what clothing women can and can’t wear because the burqa is not an article of clothing. It is a tent that is thrown over clothing, that functions like a ball and chain.
Full coverage of the face with a burqa is not about religion; it is about an ideology that is in opposition to gender equality.
We;re talking about fundamental liberties here.
i am doing a speech 4 skool about reasons u shouldnt band the nikab plz help me and plz give me sum points… i am 13, lebanese, live in australia/perth, thx and i really need help asap
Salam
i think the burka is intimidating
YOUR ALL BLIND… OR YOUR ALL A.I. EITHER WAY… YOUR ALL BLIND
Burqa is for safety and security of women, consider two ladies one with burqa and other without burqa going home and if a group of drunken people encounter them whom do they tease or try to rape? With burqa the lady’s status is treasure under safety.. without burqa she looks as garbage on the street. we see in US around 89000 rape cases or sexual assault has been registered for the year 2009 where as in Saudi Arabia where burqa is practised the figures are no where closer..