Access the Significance of the Veil in Islam

Discuss the significance of the veil in Islam

Lidia Fiorelli

Spring 2012
PLT 364
Hadi Enayat

The question of Hijab, Arab common name for what is imprecisely meant as veil, as well as gender issues, has been a sensitive case of perception of Islam, in European and Western counties. “The subject of women in Islam is in fact a burning issue and a source of polemics and mutual incomprehension” The question of Islamic veil is problematic. The Hijab is in fact a symbolic banner, both for Muslims, among Muslims so to speak, in establishing the boundaries between Muslims and non-Muslims. The difference is between a literalist attitude, of an acceptance of Arab tradition, noting that in some Islamic territories, the veil is a militant symbol, and a modernist, interpretative attitude, which leads to a symbolizing tendency.
The word veil is a reduction to the multitude of definitions given by the diverse styles of female dresses both within and across social classes within Muslim society. Burqa, Chador, Foulard, headscarf, Nijab and Niqab, are all different names for diverse types of veils. Some of them cover the whole body, leaving only the hands and the eyes to be seen, whilst others simply cover the hair, or face. The variety of veils range from, the uniform black cloaks, worn by women in post revolution Iran, to the exclusive designer scarves of the aristocracy in Egypt. Helen Watson, in, Women and the Veil: Personal Responses to Global Process, speaks of the brightly colored scarves of Turkish peasants girls, the tie racks for European Muslims, the white Haik of Algerian women, and the Burja of women in Oman. This continuum of veiling, runs from state regulated attire to individual fashion accessory, and leaves expression for various local varieties. All of these different styles of veils hold a universal, formal, symbolic and practical aim; the Hijab preserves modesty and conceals the shame of nakedness.
In essence, this paper will discuss the significance

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