Veiled Women

Debates surrounding the wearing of the veil by Muslim women are becoming increasingly salient in many Western European nations. The Koran maintains that both men and women should dress modestly. However, the most contested issue is that of how women should dress. The two most quoted passages in the Koran relating to women's clothing outline:

However, there is little consensus as to exactly how these injunctions should be interpreted. Traditions of veiling vary widely across Muslim societies and are reflective of cultural as well as religious commitments. Many women do not practice any form of veiling and argue that it is not a religious compulsion but is to be understood more as a cultural practice. In Europe the majority of women [Page 686]who choose to veil wear the hijab. This is generally interpreted to mean a square headscarf that covers the hair and neck. Other forms of veiling are more concealing, such as the niqab, which covers the entire face, leaving only an aperture for the eyes, or the burqa, which also covers the eyes with a translucent layer of cloth. It is these latter forms of dress that have become most controversial in Western Europe and North America.

European countries have responded to the increased visibility of the veil in a number of ways. In France, the veil was prohibited in state schools in 2004 as part of a ban on the wearing of all religious symbols. In 2006, the Dutch and Italian parliaments both debated legislation that would forbid the wearing of dress that concealed the face of the wearer. In Britain, while there is no formal ban on any Islamic dress, state schools are free to set their own uniform policy and may prevent the wearing of the veil. These growing restrictions have been challenged in the form of protests, court cases, and tribunals by some Muslim women who claim that they represent a breach of their human rights.

The objections to the veil stem from a number of sources. For some the veil is an issue of gender equality. They regard it as indicative of practices within Islam that are oppressive to women, that enforce their seclusion, deny their rights, and ensure the maintenance of patriarchal control. In other cases, debates surrounding the veil reflect the growing tensions concerning segregation within Western societies. Current policies favoring multiculturalism and the free expression of religious identity over previous policies of assimilation are increasingly being questioned. This is particularly evident in the political climate following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ongoing threat of terrorism and extremism. Such arguments are frequently invoked in debates in the Netherlands. Here the wearing of the veil is regarded as a barrier to successful integration and mutual understanding. In other societies, most notably in France and Turkey, the veil is regarded as an infringement upon longstanding traditions of secular nationalism.

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