The Muslim Veil in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example

The Muslim Veil Muslim women have used the hijab to cover their faces and chest as a sign of modesty, these hijabs are usually to avoid the gaze of men towards a woman’s sensitive parts such as her breasts as they are worn due to the presence of men whom they are not related. This paper will look at three types of hijabs that are worn especially by the Muslim women. People have always confused hijab as one among the types of headscarves that are worn by Muslims however it is the collective name of all such headscarves. The hijab is the most common form of veil that is worn in the western nations and in the Muslim world especially in the Arabian countries and other countries dominated by Islamic religion. One form hijab is the niqab, which cover the whole person and leaves only a small gap intended for the eyes. The aim of this dressing is to maintain social order and familial peace therefore the Islamic religion requires the female Muslims to cover themselves fully especially in their interactions with men whom they are not related to since the Muslim religion considers a woman’s hair as half her overall beauty. There are two types of niqabs that are used by the Muslim women, one is the half niqab, which consist of a headscarf and a face veil, the facial fail veil covers part of the face leaving the eyes and the forehead uncovered. The other type of niqab is the full or Gulf niqab that covers the entire face leaving a very narrow space for the eyes, this type of niqab is common in the Muslim countries especially the Gulf States where it is widely worn. The other type of hijab is the burqa, this veil usually has no space for the eyes and the wearer sees through a special mesh screen. The veil is part of the Islamic religion especially among the women who are required to wear it always especially when going out of their residences. Since the seventh century, Islam has grown to be a major religion in the world having followers in almost all the countries in the world. As the religion spread across the globe especially in the Middle East, Saharan and the sub-Saharan Africa, central Asia and to other communities and tribes within the Arabian Sea, it adopted the cultures and traditions of those communities regarding the veil while in other instances it influenced the practising of veiling in the communities in the region. However, in the recent past some countries, which are governed by the sharia law such as Iran, have made it mandatory for the women to wear the veil, which they call ‘Chador’ and it covers the entire body. The niqab originated in Greece from the Byzantine Christian world in the Persia, and Muslims, especially in the first century of the religion were not much concerned with the way women dressed and the introduction of the veil came only in the second century. In the first century, the women who were veiled were mainly those in the urban regions and the nomadic and village women were not required to wear the veil. Wearing of veil especially among urban women and women of the higher social classes was considered as a sign that the families the women came from could be able to sustain her. This was based on the interpretation of the quaranic message ‘draw their veils over their bosom’ which was considered to mean that women should cover their breasts with a veil to avoid attracting men with their physical beauty. With the growth of the Islamic religion, a lot of rules were made that curtailed the freedom of women in public, for instance during the period of mamluks in Egypt, strict rules were made that required the women in the country to observe the strict dress code of the veil and not to participate in public activities. Shopkeepers were even urged by the authorities not to carry out any business transactions with women who had not observed the guidelines in wearing of the veil and were requested to turn their backs towards them when such women approached their stores until they left. With time reformers and liberals started opposing the idea of use of veils in women, inspired by the progress that the western nations had made which they wanted to emulate and they thought that changing how the women were treated in their countries would be a step in the right direction. The liberal movements pressed for abandoning of some traditions and customs including the wearing of veils by women as it was seen as a way of keeping women from participating in public activities. The spread of Islam in the seventh century in the Middle East, Saharan and sub-Saharan countries, central Asia and to other ethnic groups and communities within the region led to adoption of some veiling customs of those communities while some communities also adopted the Muslim veiling style. Only in the recent past that some countries such as Iran, which are governed by the sharia law, have put in place regulations that require the women to wear the veil when they are in public. Organisations that championed for women right were also on the forefront in advocating for the change of the Muslim dress code; however, this was not part of their main agenda as they were more concerned with the championing for the women’s political right and legal reforms (Winter, 38). The main problem that the women had with the veil was not the dressing itself but the ideology behind the dressing which was meant to relegate women to seclusion and curtail them from participating in the public affairs. With the current trend that is aimed to reviving and creating new Islamic movements, women who belong to the Islamic faith have continued to wear the hijab although not as strictly as in the middle ages. For instance in Saudi Arabia, women are requires strictly to wear the Abaya; this Abaya covers the whole body as it is aimed at protecting the women from prying eyes especially from men which may lead to them being raped or sexually harassed. The Abaya in Saudi Arabia is black in colour and is designed to cover the while body, in order to cover the face, women use the niqab or the veil depending on their state. The sharia laws in Saudi Arabia require that a woman should wear the niqab every time she goes out in to the public or any time that a guest whom she is not related to comes to visit in her house. Initially the women of Saudi Arabia used to wear plain black Abayas, however, in the recent times with the change in fashion that trend is no more and the Abaya is more appealing with options to choose designer and embroidered Abayas. These beautiful Abayas have made women from all over the world to go to Saudi Arabia to shop for them as they give the Muslim women wearing them a loyal, dignified and stylish look. There are a lot of varieties of Abayas to choose from in Saudi Arabia depending on the design and since it is widely accepted that women in all parts of the world love to shop, Saudi women are no different and I find their taste more stylish and superior compared to other women. This is because of the way they have mixed culture and style to produce stunning Abayas that can be worn by all Muslim women. Works cited Winter, Bronwyn. Hijab & the Republic: Uncovering the French Headscarf Debate. Syracuse, N.Y: Syracuse University Press, 2008. Print. Read More