Chapter 17The Veil Controversy

Global Issue 5

The Veil Debate

• The practice of Muslim women wearing head coverings has become extremely controversial– Institution of veiling bans– Public debates

• The veil has become a symbol (to much of the world) of backwardness and oppression toward women

• To understand this debate one must take a multidisciplinary approach

[Figure 16.1 - The practice of Muslim women wearing head coverings has become extremely controversial throughout the world. Photo by Mark Allen Peterson.]

Variety of Veils

• Many different kinds of face and head coverings that Westerners often term “the veil”– Hijab – head scarf that covers the head and neck– Khimar – head-to-midriff covering with an oval for

the face– Niqab – a dress that covers the entire body,

includes a face veil, gloves, and sometimes an eye screen

– Burqa – variation of the niqab worn in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan

The Veil in Modern History

• Long been a politically charged activity• Public unveiling by educated women in Egypt

was not welcomed in the 1920’s and 1930’s• Some countries, like Turkey and Iran, sought to

ban veiling to impose Western modernity• By the 1970’s mostly older women wore veils• In the 1980’s, a shift back toward veiling, a way

for women to show their value outside of attractiveness

Concerns About Veiling

• Secular concerns– People are upset with the display of religion and worry it

disrupts the secular outlook of a state– Conundrum:

• Social pressures to wear the veils are unacceptable? • Social pressures to dress seductively are unacceptable?

• Integration concerns– Some believe one must integrate to a certain extent into

your host society• Security concerns– Seen as inherently undemocratic by some and can be seen

as a security threat

Arguments for the Veil

• Serves a practical purpose– Regulates the body’s temperature– Protects the face from sun, wind, and dust

• Demand’s respect from others and teaches discipline to the person wearing the veil

• Is a form of expression about lifestyle choice and life events

• Has economic advantages– Don’t have to get hair done to look acceptable– This fails in some places….designer veils for example