Niqab ( Arabic: نقاب "bedspread") is a Muslim female headdress that covers her face with a narrow cut for the eyes . As a rule, it is made of black fabric .
The niqab should be distinguished from other Muslim women’s headdresses covering their faces, for example, from the burqa that is widespread in Central Asia and Afghanistan .
Wearing clothes that hide the face is practiced for various reasons, including local traditions and customs , protecting your face from sand , dust , bright light (in hot countries).
Niqab structure
The simplest niqab consists of a headband (strips of dense fabric tied to the forehead with ribbons on the back) and two rectangular scarves sewn to the headband. One scarf is sewn to the headband from below and only along the edges - it should fall onto the face so that there is a cut for the eyes. The second large scarf is sewn without any slits - it should completely cover the woman's hair.
Sometimes another piece of light transparent fabric is attached to the same headband - it forms a veil and closes the eyes .
Different Muslim Perspectives on Wearing Niqabs
From the point of view of Sharia , it is mandatory for women to wear a hijab . According to Kardavi , wearing a niqab is not obligatory or desirable for a woman, but belongs to the category of permissible [1] . It should be noted that the tradition of completely closing the face does not apply to the mandatory requirements of Islam.
Secular Attitude Toward Wearing Niqabs
- In 1928, the king of Afghanistan, Amanullah, issued a decree on the removal of the veil .
- In 2009, the administrations of Cairo, Helwan and Ain-Sham universities in Egypt were forbidden to wear niqabas for exams, a decision was confirmed by the court in early 2010, which caused students practicing Islam to disobey in the form of wearing a medical mask.
Legislative Prohibition of Wear
- On September 14, 2010, after a lengthy debate, the Upper House of the French Parliament approved the Prohibition of the Wear of Burqa , Hijab and Niqab [2] . In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights decided that the prohibition in public places of clothing that conceals a person does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights [3] .
- Following France, they are trying to pass a similar law in Italy [4] .
- A law prohibiting the wearing of “any clothing that covers most of the face” was passed on April 28, 2011 in Belgium. Violators face a fine of up to 137 euros, and repeat offenders face a week in prison [5] [6] .
- In September 2013, residents of the Ticino canton were the first in Switzerland to vote for a ban on wearing burqas and niqabs in public. About 65% of the participants in the cantonal referendum spoke in favor of this ban [7] .
- In 2015, the wearing of niqaba and burka was banned in public places in the Republic of the Congo [8] .
Niqab in Judaism
In modern Israel, there is a tiny marginal group of ultra- Orthodox women practicing niqaba. This tradition has no historical roots and is not based on the decrees of the Jewish religious teachers, but is a manifestation of rigorism in observing the principle of “value” (modesty - צניעות). Representatives of this group are found in Jerusalem and its suburbs , inhabited by ultra-orthodox people (Beit Shemesh, Tel Mond, etc.). The tradition of wearing niqab is being severely criticized both by the secular population and by ultra-orthodox rabbis . Yemeni Jews practiced (before the repatriation of their community to Israel) the wearing of niqaba, as did the Arab women.
Notes
- ↑ http://www.islamnews.ru/index.html?name=Articles&file=print&sid=652 (inaccessible link)
- ↑ Islamic leaders of France called for respect for the law prohibiting the wearing of niqaba // Info-Islam, 09.24.2010
- ↑ ECtHR Press Release
- ↑ Following France, in Italy they want to pass a law on punishment for wearing a niqab (inaccessible link) // Islam.ru , 09/21/2009
- ↑ Belgium after France says: “Gulchatai, open your face!” // Euronews , 07.23.2011
- ↑ L'interdiction de la burqa est votée Archived on August 27, 2011. ", Le Soir , April 28, 2011
- ↑ In the Swiss canton of Ticino it is forbidden to wear a burqa in public places . Date of treatment September 23, 2013. // Channel 9 , September 22, 2013
- ↑ Congo-Brazzaville bans Islamic face veil in public places // BBC , 01/01/2015
Literature
- in Russian
- Woman of the East in literature and society. - M .: Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS , 2007. - 176 p. - 300 copies.
- in other languages
- El Guindi F. . Veil: Modesty, Privacy and Resistance. - New York: Berg Publishers , 1999. - 262 p. - ISBN 1-8597-3929-6 .
Links
- Chapter II Clothing. Full coverage of a woman. (The concept of niqaba) . Archived August 25, 2010. // Righteous Muslim. Brief Encyclopedia of Muslims / Comp. T.A. Magomed