Burqa
For the traditional coat that may be worn by men of the Caucasus region, see burka.A
burqa (also
burka or
burqua) is a type of opaque
veil sometimes worn in addition to a
headscarf by
Muslim women observing
purdah.
Similar to a
niqab, the burqa covers the wearer's entire face except for a small region about the
eyes. A
full burqa or
Afghan burqa is a
garment that conceals the entire body. The full burqa includes a "net curtain", which also hides the wearer's eyes. During the
Taliban's
reign in
Afghanistan, women were required to wear a full burqa.
Women in some Muslim societies or subcultures wear burqa because of
exegetic interpretations of the
hijab. Standards for modest dress (
sartorial hijab) for Muslim women and men vary greatly depending on the cultural context.
In the
Netherlands, school officials once forbade
students from wearing a burqa, arguing that
non-verbal communication is required to teach the
syllabus.
In April 2006, two girls were suspended from a school in
Bonn,
Germany for 14 days for wearing a burqa. The schools director argued that the "peace in class" had been disturbed and that school requires communication where pupils' faces can be seen. Additional reasons were that wearing a burqa makes chemistry and sports lessons impossible.
A
court in
New Zealand ruled that women cannot wear a burqa while providing courtroom
testimony. To compromise, the Islamic Women's Council endorsed a policy that allowed Muslim women to be hidden from public view by a screen.
In
Italy, hiding one's face while in public has been forbidden since
1975. An anti-
terrorism law passed in
2005 imposes increased fines and prison sentences for violators of the law. Some believe that lawmakers specifically intended this clause to prevent women from wearing burqas. [
1].
In April 2006 an official in
Holland's biggest city,
Amsterdam, announced that he wanted to introduce legislation to ban unemployed women who wear a burqa from receiving welfare payments if it prevents them from finding a job.[
2]
*
Islam and clothing*
Life under Taliban rule*
List of religious headgear*
Sultaana Freeman – a woman who sued for the right to wear a veil in her United States driver's license photo
*
Chador*
Yashmak*
Liberation by the Veil By Sehmina Jaffer Chopra
*
Hijab - An Expression of Freedom?*
NPR article "Dutch Weigh Ban on Traditional Islamic Dress," All Things Considered, January 31, 2006*
Burqa sewing pattern
