The Banning of the Burqa - Assignment Example

The vocabulary surrounding the burka is wide and worth acquainting ourselves with it. The West defines all the garments that cover the head as burqas, however, the term only applies to a small subset of garments. In other countries where the garment is common like Afghanistan, it denotes a full-body cloak that covers the face of the person wearing it. These veils only leave a mesh screen for the eyes. In other countries like Saudi Arabia, and Iran, we have the abaya and the chador and, in most cases, these countries mandate that women ought to cloak themselves.

Failing to mention the Hijab will render our subject of discussion incomplete. The Hijab is a general term that is used to refer to head coverings and scarves of all sorts. It is usually accompanied by a niqab which is a face veil that covers every part of the face leaving only the eyes. The two terms, therefore, center around the debate on veils as the coverings that hide the face. Besides hijab acting as a headscarf, it also plays other roles. In Arabic, for instance, the term hijab means barrier or partition; whereas in the Islamic religion, it refers to the modesty and behavior that people believe the prophet Muhammad expects them to live by.

In the Quran, most verses call for modesty although the different views that scholars hold on the meaning of these verses.IntroductionMuslim scholars argue that both male and female faithful ought to maintain modest dress. This kind of dressing entails covering the area between the navel and the knee, as well as wearing silk men. On the other hand, female dressing has caused controversy for a long time with some believing that the hands and face must ordinarily appear during the day, and the exposure of the full face is not required.

In Quran, Muhammad instructs women to completely cover themselves and men to avert their gaze in the name of modesty. These scholars argue that the hijab or a head covering is necessary, whereas the niqab is not a must. The Quran mentions several policies that govern how women should dress. Some of the most quoted verses include the ones that advocate wives, daughters, and believe women, ought to cast their outer garments over their persons, and that it is most convenient and they should be known and not molested.

Other verses say to the believing men that they ought to lower their gaze and guard their modesty, a thing which will enhance their purity. Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. They also say that women should lower their gaze and guard their modesty by displaying their beauty and ornaments and others that appear ordinarily afterward. Minority scholars assert that the full coverage of the face and hands completely is a sign of extreme piety. Despite the different ways in which women choose to interpret the Quran, the hijab remains a religious obligation that calls upon women to adhere to it and be recognized as Muslims in public.