The great disparity of religiously acceptable clothing in the Islamic world proves how varied interpretations of the Koranic injunction can be.įor more than a century now, to wear or not to wear a veil has been a central divide within the Islamic world. Most of the assumptions we have about veiling - that it should cover all but a woman's face and hands and that it should be loose enough to conceal her figure - are interpretations of this verse or are based on sayings of the prophet Muhammad. Nor does it specify any penalty for a woman who is not veiled. The Koran does not, however, spell out the details of such a covering. According to the Koran chapter 24 verse 31, Muslim women should cover themselves modestly: 'And say to the believing woman to cast down their eyes, and guard their private parts, and reveal not their adornment save such as is outward.' The veil, however, was institutionalized through sharia, the religious laws of Islam. The term chador, which is the form of veiling most used in Iran today, means a tent, and has its roots in the pre-Islamic practice of ferrying wealthy women around in covered sedan chairs. It symbolized the retreat of both Jewish and Christian women from public life. There was a time, in classical antiquity, when a veil was a privilege reserved for women of the court and high aristocracy, raised to levels of sanctity by the distinctions of wealth.

Whether it frames a woman's head and only covers her hair in a headscarf, or cloaks her from head to toe (abaya, chador), is combined with a separate piece to hide her face (nikab) or constitutes a tent-like cover (burqa), or is plain or embellished, the veil remains the decisive mark of outward difference between Islam and other religions.ĭespite considerable debate surrounding the origins of veiling, one fact is certain: The garment predates Islam, as Leila Ahmed makes clear in her book ' Women and Gender in Islam.'

When seen as a symbol of Islamic devotion, it can be construed as a badge of piety, respect, protection, pride and beauty. When viewed as an anachronism, it can be perceived as the final frontier between the past and the present, between the victimization and liberation of women. It has grown so dense with meanings and interpretations, it has been so frequently abused for purposes of diverse political ideologies, that it is almost impossible to discuss it for what it really is. It is hard to imagine a symbol more potent, more contentious in our times than the veil.

The Veil Unveiled by Faegheh Shirazi