1. Chapter 17The Veil Controversy Global Issue 5

2. The Veil Debate • The practice of Muslim women wearing head coverings has become extremely controversial • Institution of veiling bans • Public debates • The veil has become a symbol (to much of the world) of backwardness and oppression toward women • To understand this debate one must take a multidisciplinary approach

3. [Figure 16.1 - The practice of Muslim women wearing head coverings has become extremely controversial throughout the world. Photo by Mark Allen Peterson.]

4. Variety of Veils • Many different kinds of face and head coverings that Westerners often term “the veil” • Hijab – head scarf that covers the head and neck • Khimar– head-to-midriff covering with an oval for the face • Niqab– a dress that covers the entire body, includes a face veil, gloves, and sometimes an eye screen • Burqa– variation of the niqab worn in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan

5. The Veil in Modern History • Long been a politically charged activity • Public unveiling by educated women in Egypt was not welcomed in the 1920’s and 1930’s • Some countries, like Turkey and Iran, sought to ban veiling to impose Western modernity • By the 1970’s mostly older women wore veils • In the 1980’s, a shift back toward veiling, a way for women to show their value outside of attractiveness

6. Concerns About Veiling • Secular concerns • People are upset with the display of religion and worry it disrupts the secular outlook of a state • Conundrum: • Social pressures to wear the veils are unacceptable? • Social pressures to dress seductively are unacceptable? • Integration concerns • Some believe one must integrate to a certain extent into your host society • Security concerns • Seen as inherently undemocratic by some and can be seen as a security threat

7. Arguments for the Veil • Serves a practical purpose • Regulates the body’s temperature • Protects the face from sun, wind, and dust • Demand’s respect from others and teaches discipline to the person wearing the veil • Is a form of expression about lifestyle choice and life events • Has economic advantages • Don’t have to get hair done to look acceptable • This fails in some places….designer veils for example