About Islamic Women Clothing
Source (google.com.pk)
Islamic dress in Europe, notably the variety of headdresses worn by Muslim women, has become a prominent symbol of the presence of Islam in western Europe. In several countries the adherence to hijab (an Arabic noun meaning "to cover") has led to political controversies and proposals for a legal ban. The Netherlands government has decided to introduce a ban on face-covering clothing, popularly described as the "burqa ban", although it does not only apply to the Afghan-model burqa. Other countries, such as France are debating similar legislation, or have more limited prohibitions. Some of them apply only to face-covering clothing such as the burqa, chador, boushiya, or niqab; some apply to any clothing with an Islamic religious symbolism such as the khimar, a type of headscarf (some countries already have laws banning the wearing of masks in public, which can be applied to veils that conceal the face). The issue has different names in different countries, and "the veil" or "hijab" may be used as general terms for the debate, representing more than just the veil itself, or the concept of modesty embodied in hijab.
Although the Balkans and Eastern Europe have Indigenous Muslim populations, most Muslims in western Europe are members of immigrant communities. The issue of Islamic dress is linked with issues of immigration and the position of Islam in western society. European Commissioner Franco Frattini said in November 2006, that he did not favour a ban on the burqa.[10] This is apparently the first official statement on the issue of prohibition of Islamic dress from the European Commission, the executive of the European Union. The reasons given for prohibition vary. Legal bans on face-covering clothing are often justified on security grounds, as an anti-terrorism measure.[11][12]
Ayaan Hirsi Ali sees Islam as incompatible with Western values, at least in its present form. She advocates the values of 'Enlightenment liberalism', including secularism and equality of women. For her, the burqa or chador are both a symbol of religious obscurantism and the oppression of women. Western Enlightenment values, in her view, require prohibition, regardless of whether a woman has freely chosen Islamic dress. Islamic dress is also seen as a symbol of the existence of parallel societies, and the failure of integration: in 2006 British Prime Minister Tony Blair described it as a "mark of separation".[13] Visible symbols of a non-Christian culture conflict with the national identity in European states, which assumes a shared (non-religious) culture. Proposals for a ban may be linked to other related cultural prohibitions: the Dutch politician Geert Wilders proposed a ban on hijabs, in Islamic schools, in new mosques, and in non-western immigration.
In France and Turkey, the emphasis is on the secular nature of the state, and the symbolic nature of the Islamic dress, and bans apply at state institutions (courts, civil service) and in state-funded education. These bans also cover Islamic headscarves, which in some other countries are seen as less controversial, although law court staff in the Netherlands are also forbidden to wear Islamic headscarves on grounds of 'state neutrality'. An apparently less politicised argument is that in specific professions (teaching), a ban on "veils" (niqab) is justified, since face-to-face communication and eye contact is required. This argument has featured prominently in judgements in Britain and the Netherlands, after students or teachers were banned from wearing face-covering clothing. Public and political response to such prohibition proposals is complex, since by definition they mean that the government decides on individual clothing. Some non-Muslims, who would not be affected by a ban, see it as an issue of civil liberties, as a slippery slope leading to further restrictions on private life. A public opinion poll in London showed that 75 percent of Londoners support "the right of all persons to dress in accordance with their religious beliefs".[14] In another poll in the United Kingdom by Ipsos MORI, 61 percent agreed that "Muslim women are segregating themselves" by wearing a veil, yet 77 percent thought they should have the right to wear it.[15]
Hijab by country
Main article: Hijab by country
Female art students in Afghanistan.
Hijab-wearing Bangladeshi women shopping at a department store in Comilla, Bangladesh.
The hijab has different legal and cultural statuses in various countries. There are currently four countries, including France (since 2004), which have banned the wearing of all overt religious symbols, including the hijab (a Muslim headscarf, literally Arabic "to cover"), in public schools and universities or government buildings.[16]
France
In April 2011, France became the first European nation to ban the public use of veils, both face-covering niqabs and full-body burqas.[17] The law was passed unanimously asserting that face-covering Muslim veils are contrary to the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity on which France is founded.[18] Sharp criticism had accompanied France's nearly year-long debate on banning burqa-style veils, with those opposed saying, among other things, that the entire process has stigmatized the nation's estimated 5 million Muslims – the largest Muslim population in western Europe. They also claim it is a political ploy because only an estimated 1,900 women wear veils that hide the face.[18] A 2004 law also bans Muslim hijab headscarves and other prominent religious symbols from being worn in state schools, but does not apply in universities.[17]
Turkey
Turkish women who want to wear the hijab – the traditional Islamic headscarf covering the head and hair, but not the face – to civil service jobs and government offices will be able to do so now that the Turkish government has relaxed its decades-long restriction on wearing the headscarf in state institutions.[19] The new rules, which don’t apply to workers in the military or judiciary, came into effect in 2013, and were put into place to address concerns that the restrictions on hijab were discouraging women from conservative backgrounds from seeking government jobs or higher education.[19] "A dark time eventually comes to an end," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech to the parliament. "Headscarf-wearing women are full members of the republic, as well as those who do not wear it."[19]
Syria
In 2011, Syrian President Bashar Assad reversed a decision that bans teachers from wearing the niqab. The move was seen as an attempt to appease religious conservatives in the Sunni majority as he faced down the uprising challenging his authoritarian rule. The government had banned the veil in July 2010.[17] Syria was the latest in a string of nations from Europe to the Middle East to weigh in on the veil, perhaps the most visible symbol of conservative Islam.[20]
Pakistan
In Pakistan, the topic of the hijab is extraordinarily controversial. The veil is constantly a topic of debate and has been for decades now. The PewResearchCenter gathered information on several countries, including Pakistan, and came back with results on how people’s perceptions of the veil differ across the world: “In Pakistan, there is an even split (31% vs. 32%) between woman #3 and woman #2, who is wearing a niqab that exposes only her eyes, while nearly a quarter (24%) choose woman #4.” [21] The results show that there is still a lot of debate about what type of dress women perceive to be most appropriate, and it seems that the debate will continue to go on for many years to come.
Egypt
Egyptian store keeper in Cairo wearing a hijab.
On January 8, 2014, the PewResearchCenter conducted a survey of Muslim women in various countries.[22] An overwhelming eighty-nine percent of Egyptian women who responded to the survey believed that women should show their face in public. Ten percent of the survey participants believed that women should be fully veiled when in public. Compared to other countries, Egypt is not as conservative as others, but only fourteen percent of the women surveyed believed that Egyptian women should be able to choose their own clothing. Compared to six other countries, Egypt was last in this category; the statistic (eighty-four percent) suggests that Egyptian women, in general, do not believe that women should have freedom to choose their clothing.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is one of the few Muslim countries in which women are forced to cover in most parts of the country.[23] In Saudi Arabia, women feel that they need to cover completely in public[citation needed]. They do not expose themselves to people who are not family members. A Saudi woman is allowed to unveil and show her hair only in front of her father, husband, brother uncle, father-in-law and grandchildren. She is not allowed to uncover in front of her brother-in-law. This information was gathered from a video excerpted from a television documentary and posted by an individual on YouTube, about a Saudi woman who was found to represent the popular view of Saudi women and how Saudi women live their everyday lives.[24]
A survey done in 2011 by the Pew Research Center asked women of different Muslim countries to choose which of several dresses they think are most appropriate for their country. Among Saudi women, 11% of women said a fully headed burqa is most appropriate, 63% of women said the niqab that only exposes the eyes is appropriate, only 8% said a black hijab covering the hair and ears is appropriate, 10% said a less conservative white hijab covering the hair and ears is appropriate, a small 5% said an even less conservative hijab that is brown and shows some hair is appropriate and a mere 3% said not wearing any covering was appropriate. The niqab is the dress that the highest percent of Saudi women felt was appropriate dress for women in Saudi Arabia. In accordance with these statistics, the Saudi woman that is used in the video, cited above, to show the popular view of Saudi women was wearing this niqab that only exposed her eyes.[22]
Hijab in the Americas
United States
Sources indicate that veiling has become a recently increasing phenomenon in the United States and the Western world. Due to its prevalence, the hijab and other forms of Islamic dress are a source of discussion and controversy amongst Western governments. Former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, banned the use of the burqa, an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions to cover their bodies when in public, as he deemed it a form of enslavement. On the contrary, President Barack Obama in response to Sarkozy's actions said that all western countries should avoid dictating what women ought to wear. In a press conference he said: “Our basic attitude [in America] is that we’re not going to tell people what to wear”. Sarkozy offered his support for the rights of Muslim women and argued that his laws would preserve their liberties by preventing others from forcing them to wear clothing such as the burqa or hijab. He said that wearing a “head scarf” is permitted only if women are wearing it on their own accord.[25]
Despite Obama's and the United States government’s apparently tolerant stance on Islamic dress, there exists many negative stereotypes concerning the hijab in America. Muslim-American citizens have complained that the hijab is loaded with negative connotations. In the West, many have viewed the hijab as a symbol of oppression, subjugation, repression, and the allegiance to fundamentalist beliefs which are imposed under Sharia law.[26]
A Muslim-American woman in the Christian Science Monitor offered her own anecdote. She referred to a time when she was taking the subway to school and scared the woman sitting next to her to the point that she exited the subway car. Another Muslim-American woman told CNN that she has been referred to as a terrorist, a nun, and has often been asked if she is allergic to the sun. Along with arousing suspicion amongst American citizens, many wearers of the hijab have been criticized by fellow Muslim-Americans such as their parents who are often befuddled by their choice to continue following Islamic cultural traditions while in the United States.[27]
The Muslim-American women who choose to wear religious clothing such as the hijab hold divergent opinions concerning their decision and the ensuing response from the American community. Some refer to the hijab as being “locked in a cage” while others view it as an expression of personal freedom. Many talk of it negatively and cite instances of social angst, such as the inability to effectively establish relationships with men, and discuss how these sorts of issues have caused them to ultimately stop wearing religious garments. On the contrary, many Mulism-American women do not want the pity of their fellow citizens and wish to have it known that they do not wear the hijab out of submission. Instead, they view it as a symbol of beauty that offers them a sense of identity and allows for the exploration of their religious faith.[28] The New York Times published a flip-book of incredible photographs of Muslim women dressed in different levels of modesty.
Canada
In 2011 the Canadian government made it illegal for women to wear face-covering garments at citizenship ceremonies, because the judge must be able to see each person's face reciting their oath. In 2012, the Supreme Court issued a rare split decision on whether women could cover their faces on the witness stand. Four judges said it depended on the circumstances, two said witnesses should never cover their face, and one said a Muslim witness should never be ordered to remove her veil.[17] Canada is considering a wider ban on veils in government offices, schools, and hospitals.[29] The provincial government of French-speaking Quebec this year has proposed a law that would outlaw all religious regalia — including Muslim scarves and veils, turbans, Jewish skullcaps and Christian crucifixes — from state buildings.
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Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
Islamic Women Clothing Abaya Designs 2014 Dress Collection Dubai Styles Fashion Pics Photos Images Wallpapers
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