Burqa

A burqa, also known as harabah, is a type of enveloping outer garment worn by some Muslim women which fully covers the body and the face.

The use of face veils has been documented in various ancient cultures, including the Byzantine Empire, Persia, and Arabia. Historical sources mention women’s practices of face veiling. Additionally, Biblical references in Genesis highlight the use of veils. Oriental Orthodox Christian women traditionally wore dark garments with veils, white for the unmarried and black for the married.

Face veiling has not been regarded as a religious requirement by most Islamic scholars, either historically or currently. Quranic verses such as 24:31 and 33:59 are interpreted as encouraging modesty and security for women, and most scholars agree that full-face covering is not required. Women who wear the burqa view it as a symbol of modesty, piety, and cultural identity, while others choose it as an expression of personal or religious commitment. A minority of scholars in the Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) consider it to be obligatory for Muslim women when they are in the presence of non-related (i.e., non-mahram) males. This is in order to prevent men from looking (perversely) at women. This aligns with the principles of Islamic jurisprudence, which requires men to observe modesty by lowering their gaze in the presence of women.

Women may wear the burqa for a number of reasons, including compulsion, as was the case during the Taliban's first rule of Afghanistan. However, several countries have enacted full or partial bans on its use in public spaces. These include Austria, France, Belgium, Denmark, Bulgaria, the Netherlands (in public schools, hospitals and on public transport), Germany (partial bans in some states), Italy, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Spain (in some localities of Catalonia), Russia (in the Stavropol Krai), Luxembourg, Switzerland, Norway (in nurseries, public schools and universities), Canada (in the public workplace in Quebec), Gabon, Chad, Senegal, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon (in some localities), Niger (in some localities), Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan (in public schools), Turkey (in the judiciary, military and police), Kosovo (in public schools), Bosnia and Herzegovina (in courts and other legal institutions), Morocco (ban on manufacturing, marketing and sale), Tunisia (in public institutions), Egypt (in universities), Algeria (in the public workplace), and China (in Xinjiang).