The Reality of Niqab and Burka

The niqab and burqa, both forms of face veils worn by some Muslim women around the world, have been a matter of debate within the Muslim community as well as in the West. The face veils have been a center of debate for Muslim scholars on whether women are obligated to cover their faces on top of already wearing a hijab, or the headscarf, which is accepted by all the scholars as mandatory upon women. The debate among many legislators in the West is similar as they debate whether women who wear the face veil should be allowed to do so in public settings. Those who oppose the right for women to wear the face veil do not understand the significance of this piece of clothing but rather judge it based on the stereotypes that are circulated; in order to clear out this misconception of these veils, there must be an effort for people to teach and to learn about what the niqab and burqa signify.

The niqab and burqa, although both face veils, differ slightly. Niqab is the face veil that exposes the eyes but covers the rest of the face. It is a separate piece of cloth that is usually strapped on top of the hijab; however, some women who wear niqab just use the end of their hijab to cover their face by pulling it from one side of her to the other and pinning it to the fabric on the latter side. On the other hand, the burqa is the face veil that covers the whole face including the eyes. Similar to the niqab, it can be both a separate piece of cloth that is strapped on or the end of the hijab that is thrown over the face. The fabric used for the burqa is either mesh-like over the eyes or a thin fabric like chiffon so that the woman can see through it.

Face veils have existed before the introduction of Islam into the Arabian Peninsula. Evidence of face veils can even be found in the Old Testament, particularly in the Book of Genesis. The Bible states that “when Judah saw [Tamar], he thought she was a prostitute for she had covered her face” (English Standard Version, Gen. 38.15). This is clear evidence that veiling the face has been in existence since before the origin of Christianity. This particular verse from the Old Testament shows that women covered their faces not out of modesty but rather to accentuate or publicize their sexuality. This verse alone shows that covering the face was not rather an Islamic innovation but was rather a type of clothing that predates Islam.

The niqab and burqa are a matter of difference of opinion amongst the scholars of Islam. The Sunni faction of Islam is usually divided intellectually between the teachings on four major scholars of Islam, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Ash-Shafi’i, and Imam Ahmed ibn Hambal, whose schools of thought, or “madhab” in Arabic, are relatively named Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hambali. On the topic of the face veil, “the only madhab that believes that it is obligatory that women cover their faces and hands is the Hanafi madhab” (Syed). Of the four schools of thought, only one believes it to be mandatory. However, within two of the other madhabs, there is still disagreement on this topic, specifically in the Shafi’i and Hambali madhab. The reason for such a difference in opinion amongst these scholars is that it is never clearly stated in the Quran or in the Hadiths, or quotes of Muhammed, the prophet of Islam. It is only narrated by the companions of Muhammed that only his wives were required to veil their faces but it is accepted by all the scholars that the wives of Muhammed were held to a different standard than other women. The Quran calls out to the wives of Muhammed directly by saying “Oh wives of the Prophet, you are not like any other women” and then continues to tell them how they must act to differentiate themselves from other women such as talking loud and low but honorably (Quran 33:32). This verse directly shows that the wives of Muhammed have different rules to follow than other Muslim women. After combining that with the fact that there is nothing in the Quran or Hadith that says women should cover their faces, it proves that wearing a face veil, although mandatory upon the wives of Muhammed, is optional for Muslim women, as most scholars will argue.

The face veil has also been the center of debate for many politicians in many western countries, especially in those of Europe. Certain countries such as France have outright banned wearing niqabs in public settings. In 2011, France was the first European country to ban wearing Islamic face veils, both the niqab and burqa, in public and those who break this law are subject to being fined (Foster). Other countries with similar bans include Belgium and Bulgaria. France has also included a law that states that anyone who forces someone else to wear a face veil will be fined €30,000 (Foster). Putting the ban and this together, it is clear proof that the incentive to create this ban was because of the opinion that women who wear the face veil are actually forced to do so and do not wear it because of their own freewill or choice.

Wearing a niqab is opposed in several different ways. In most instances, opposers to wearing the a face veil argue that niqab and burqa represent the misogyny and female oppression of Islam, that it is a matter of security, and that veiling the face is intimidating and can be hard to communicate with the wearer.

The first argument opposers of niqab and burqa propose is that wearing the veils is misogynistic and is a representation female oppression. Many opposers argue that to have women cover their faces is a sign of being “backward”. Without fully understanding the significance of the niqab and burqa, people assume that these veils are oppressive after seeing certain groups like ISIS and the Taliban forcing women to cover up their whole body including their face. No man or woman should be forced to do anything they do not want to do; even from a religious perspective, doing something without wanting to do it will not be of any benefit to the person. For someone to be rewarded for doing something “they must understand the significance of the action they are doing” (Syed). However, although instances like this do exist and there are women who are forced to wear the face veil, many women choose to do so. Looking at the infamous blue burqas in Afghanistan, people are quick to label all women who wear a burqa and niqab as oppressed. However, if the focus is changed and directed towards the women who wear the face veils in Somalia or Yemen, the story is much to their disappointment, the exact opposite. Women in such places wear these face veils as a show of status by showing that they are wealthy enough that they can afford to cover their whole body, whereas women who are not as well off would disregard the veil (Killian). The extra piece of fabric in these communities is not oppressive but rather a symbol of pride and wealth. Traveling through different regions, one can notice other incentives women have to wear this, such as piety and modesty. Although there are unfortunate cases of women being forced by others to veil their face, many others do choose to do so out of pride. To only focus on one group and ignore all the other groups of women to get a point across is unprofessional and ignorant. The act of automatically labeling all women who dress a certain way as oppressed without hearing the voices of others is rather oppressive as those other women are automatically silenced and others do not get to hear their perspectives. Many women do choose to wear a face veil because they think it’s beautiful. Whether they see it as a marker of affluence or just as a modest way of dressing, they shouldn’t be told to undress because one group is forced to wear it. To deny women the right to cover their faces is a move against giving women rights even though opposers to the face veil will say that it is liberation to take off the face veil.

The second argument against those who veil their faces is that it is a matter of security. The argument is that because the face is not visible, it is harder for security officials to do their job. However, this is false because as most people follow the opinion that the face veil is optional, those with this opinion will have no problem uncovering their face for security reasons in airports and such places. However, even for those who follow the opinion that the face veil is mandatory, they would be willing to lift their face veil in a private area for a female officer. Although this may be a hassle, it should be fairly easy in places such as airports. When people are patted down, there is usually a male and female TSA agent to pat down their respective gender. Traveling through the Middle East, one can see how the face veil is accepted. In most airports in the Middle East, there is a special room for women with the face veils to get security checked. In that room, the agents are other women and no men are present. No one can see inside as the windows on the room are one-way and only the women inside can see outside but not the opposite. In points such as passport control, the main way of identification is fingerprints of all ten fingers. If there is a need for facial identification, the women can either lift their veil or request to be taken to a room and reveal her face to a female agent or officer. Although it may seem like a hassle to do so, it is for the comfortability of everyone. In the American University in Cairo, women were not allowed to wear face veils. The university can be a potential target for Islamic militant groups so because of this fear, administration and security feared a face veil can be used as a disguise for an attacker. However, this is absurd because all students and staff must “already pass through a metal detector and show identification cards to guards to gain access” (Johnston). Although students and faculty are still allowed to wear hijab, the niqab is a sense of comfort for many women and also as piety. To deny her the right to cover her face is a move against the right to freely practice religion.

The third argument against the face veil is that it intimidating and that it is hard to communicate with someone who has their face veiled. To be fair, facial expressions do make up a large part of conversations. However, this is not the only important aspect in a conversation with others. There are other aspects that are key to a conversation such as the tone of the voice. Also, this is the wrong generation to be making such claims. Many people have conversations over email or phone calls. In the former, the tone of the person cannot even be detected at times and there are no facial expressions seen in either of the two cases. To use the argument that it is hard to communicate with someone because they have their face covered is thus moronic seeing that these opposers always have conversations with others without seeing their faces. These women are not incapable of communicating; it is rather the other opposer who is choosing to be stubborn and choosing to make communication harder.

As stated before, many women are unfortunately forced to wear the niqab and burqa. They are forced to cover their faces without a say in the matter. However, a whole group should have to suffer consequences because of a smaller group. There should be action taken to help out those women rather than to say that everyone who wears a face veil must take it off with discomfort and unease for the comfort of a few. There should be work to make everyone feel comfortable and to give women the right to choose as they wish. Living in countries such as Paris and Belgium, people should make use of their resources to help out others rather than having an outright ban. Starting hotlines to help out women who are oppressed would be extremely beneficial. Having a number that women and men can call if they are in an oppressive relationship would help out many women. Also educating others about gender equality would be extremely beneficial. Many people fail to see through other people's’ lenses so the decisions they make for their spouses or partners are only based on the little perspective they have.

By telling women that there will be a fight for feminism by dictating what women are allowed to wear and what they are not allowed to wear is not feminism but rather female oppression. A woman who bares all her skin is just as much of a feminist as someone who chooses to cover up all of her skin. What is important is that they love and support each other as women. Although society may make it appear as though it’s the opposite, what a woman wears does not define her. What defines women is what defines men: success.

The niqab and burqa have existed for centuries and it is worn culturally and religiously. Unfortunately, many countries have chosen to be ignorant and have an outright ban for something they do not understand out of fear. Not willing to learn more about the topic or listen to women who choose to wear the veil, politicians have viewed the veil as oppressive and incompatible with western ideals. The next step that must be taken is to give voices to those women who choose to wear the veil and to show that not all women are forced to cover themselves as many would argue. People should not create discomfort in people for the comfort of others. Rather, there must be an active effort to learn new things and to accept new ideas.

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Works Cited

Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. The Holy Quran: text, translation and commentary. New Delhi: Kitab Bhavan, 2015. Print.

Foster, Alice. "Where in the world are the burka and niqab banned?" Express.co.uk. Express.co.uk, 07 Dec. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

Genesis. Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2001. Print.

Johnston, Cynthia. "Egypt court rules against U.S. university on face veil." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 09 June 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

Killian, Caitlin. "The Other Side of the Veil: North African Women in France Respond to the Headscarf Affair." Gender & Society 17.4 (2003): 567-90. Web.

Syed, Ahson. "Niqab and Burqa ." Personal interview. 23 Mar. 2017.