Prev Next

Why Some Cultures Require Women to Wear Veils

By: Molly Edmonds & Yves Jeffcoat  |  Updated: Sep 8, 2021

Lots More Information

Related Articles

  • Abu-Lughod, Lila. "Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others." American Anthropologist. September 2002.
  • ACLU. "Discrimination Against Muslim Women - Fact Sheet." (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.aclu.org/other/discrimination-against-muslim-women-fact-sheet
  • Addario, Lynsey. "The Taliban's Return Is Catastrophic for Women." The Atlantic. Aug. 16, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/08/the-talibans-return-is-awful-for-women-in-afghanistan/619765/
  • Alderman, Liz and Melissa Eddy. "Wearing a Head Scarf Can Be Grounds for Job Suspension, E.U.'s Top Court Rules." The New York Times. July 15, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/15/business/Europe-court-head-scarves.html
  • Amer, Sahar. "What Is Veiling?" The University of North Carolina Press. 2014.
  • Applebaum, Anne. "Multicultural Manners." Slate. Oct. 24, 2006. (Jan. 25, 2010) http://www.slate.com/id/2152031/
  • Ayotte, Kevin J. and Mary E. Husain. "Securing Afghan Women; Neocolonialism, Epistemic Violence, and the Rhetoric of the Veil." NWSA Journal. Fall 2005.
  • BBC. "Iranian women - before and after the Islamic Revolution." Feb. 8, 2019. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47032829
  • Bennhold, Katrin. "A Muslim woman too orthodox for France." New York Times. July 18, 2008. (Jan. 25, 2010) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/world/europe/18iht-france.4.14618011.html
  • Britton, Bianca. "Why are the burqa and burkini being banned?" CNN. Aug. 19, 2016. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/19/europe/burqa-burkini-bans/index.html
  • Carvajal, Doreen. "Sarkozy Backs Drive to Eliminate the Burqa." New York Times. June 23, 2009. (Jan. 25, 2010) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/world/europe/23france.html
  • CBC. "The Stolen Revolution: Iranian Women of 1979." March 8, 2019. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/the-stolen-revolution-iranian-women-of-1979-1.5048382
  • Clark-Flory, Tracy. "Feminists face off over the veil." Salon. Sept. 5, 2009. (Jan. 25, 2010)https://www.salon.com/2009/09/05/veil_debate/
  • Clark-Flory, Tracy. "The Politics of Veiling." Salon. Oct. 23, 2006. (Jan. 25, 2010)https://www.salon.com/2006/10/24/veil_3/
  • Clark-Flory, Tracy. "The veil vs. French values." Salon. July 23, 2008. (Jan. 25, 2010)https://www.salon.com/2008/07/23/veil/
  • Eltahawy, Mona. "Ban the Burqa." New York Times. July 3, 2009. (Jan. 25, 2010)http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/opinion/03iht-edeltahawy.html
  • Epstein, Jennifer. "Raising the Burqa." Inside Higher Ed. Jan. 7, 2010. (Jan. 25, 2010) https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/01/07/raising-burqa
  • Erlanger, Steven. "Burqa Furor Scrambles French Politics." New York Times. Sept. 1, 2009. (Jan. 25, 2010) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/world/europe/01france.html
  • Fishwick, Carmen. "Why we wear the burkini: five women on dressing modestly at the beach." The Guardian. Aug. 31, 2016. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/31/why-we-wear-the-burkini-five-women-on-dressing-modestly-at-the-beach
  • Fitzpatrick, Laura. "The New Swimsuit Issue." Time. July 19, 2007. (Jan. 25, 2010) http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1645145,00.html
  • Gaouette, Nicole. "Voices from behind the veil: Women in conservative Islamic societies talk about their lives, and how the West perceives them." Christian Science Monitor. Dec. 19, 2001.
  • Hartig, Hannah and Carroll Doherty. "Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11." Pew Research Center. Sept. 2, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/09/02/two-decades-later-the-enduring-legacy-of-9-11/
  • Hassan, Dalya. "One woman's account of having to cover her head in Iraq." Washington Post. Jan. 4, 2010. (Jan. 25, 2010) https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/03/AR2010010302122.html
  • "Hijab." BBC. Sept. 3, 2009. (Jan. 25, 2010)http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/hijab_1.shtml
  • "Hijab in the Workplace Q&A." Islam 101. (Jan. 25, 2010) http://www.islam101.com/women/hijabfaq.html
  • International Commission of Jurists. "Sri Lanka: Parliament must reject proposed 'Burqa Ban'." April 30, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.icj.org/sri-lanka-parliament-must-reject-proposed-burqa-ban/
  • Jahangir, Junaid. "5 Muslim Scholars On The Permissibility Of Not Wearing The Headscarf." Huffington Post. Jan. 10, 2017. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/5-muslim-scholars-on-the-permissibility-of-not-wearing-the-heads_b_610874fde4b0497e67026d7c
  • Jones, Dustin. "Switzerland Approves 'Burqa Ban' To Prohibit Some Face Coverings In Public." NPR. March 7, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.npr.org/2021/03/07/974630640/switzerland-approves-ban-on-face-coverings-in-public
  • Joseph, Deborah and Hani Sidow. "The questions you've always wanted to ask a woman wearing a burqa." Aug. 24, 2018. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/what-is-a-burqa
  • Khalaf, Roula. "The lost face of Muslim women." Financial Times. Dec. 27, 2001.
  • Killian, Caitlin. "Why do Muslim women wear a hijab?" The Conversation. Jan. 15, 2019. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://theconversation.com/why-do-muslim-women-wear-a-hijab-109717
  • Lang, Cady. "Who Gets to Wear a Headscarf? The Complicated History Behind France's Latest Hijab Controversy." Time. May 19, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://time.com/6049226/france-hijab-ban/
  • Lazarus, David. "Quebec court upholds law banning yarmulkes, other religious symbols in workplace." The Times of Israel. April 25, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.timesofisrael.com/quebec-court-upholds-law-banning-yarmulkes-other-religious-symbols-in-workplace/
  • Maloney, Suzanne and Eliora Katz. "Iran and the Headscarf Protests." Brookings. Jan. 24, 2019. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/iran-and-the-headscarf-protests/
  • Mallawarachi, Bharatha. "Sri Lankan Cabinet approves proposed ban on burqas in public." AP News. April 27, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://apnews.com/article/asia-pacific-religion-sri-lanka-51deeb417aefac87802917993825d9a6
  • Massoumi, Narzanin. "Why Is Europe So Islamophobic?" The New York Times. March 6, 2020. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/opinion/europe-islamophobia-attacks.html
  • "Out from under." The Economist. Sept. 5, 2009.
  • "Niqab." BBC. Sept. 3, 2009. (Jan. 25, 2010) http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/niqab_1.shtml
  • Nomani, Asra Q. "Hijab Chic." Slate. Oct. 27, 2005. (Jan. 25, 2010)http://www.slate.com/id/2128906/
  • Perlez, Jane. "Muslims' Veils Test Limits of Britain's Tolerance." New York Times. June 22, 2007. (Jan. 25, 2010) https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/world/europe/22veil.html
  • Ruitenberg, Claudia W. "B is for Burqa, C is for Censorship: The Miseducative Effects of Censoring Muslim Girls and Women's Sartorial Discourse." Educational Studies. 2008
  • Saiya, Nilay. "Sri Lanka's Proposed 'Burqa Ban' Would Backfire." The Diplomat. March 25, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://thediplomat.com/2021/03/sri-lankas-proposed-burqa-ban-would-backfire/
  • Sanders, Eli. "Interpreting Veils: Meanings Have Changed with Politics, History." Seattle Times. May 27, 2003. (Jan. 25, 2010) https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20011005&slug=veils05
  • Sullivan, Kevin and Karla Adam. "Veil Debate in Britain is Also Divisive for Muslims." Washington Post. Oct. 21, 2006. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2006/10/21/veil-debate-in-britain-is-also-divisive-for-muslims/338e018b-cc34-434b-be07-7878d3d014d3/
  • The Perspective. "Should We Ban the Burqa?" (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.theperspective.com/debates/living/should-we-ban-the-burqa/
  • Useem, Andrea. "Loving and Leaving the Head Scarf." Slate. May 12, 2008. (Jan. 25, 2010) http://www.slate.com/id/2191103/
  • Victor, Daniel. "What is Shariah law, and what does it mean for Afghan women under the Taliban?" The New York Times. Aug. 19, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.nytimes.com/article/shariah-law-afghanistan-women.html
  • Vincent, Norah. "Veiled Intentions." Salon. Feb. 1, 2002. (Jan. 25, 2010) https://www.salon.com/2002/02/01/burqa/
  • Whitlock, Gillian. "The Skin of the Burqa: Recent Life Narratives from Afghanistan." Biography. Winter 2005.
  • Willsher, Kim. "French nun misses out on retirement home place over veil ban." The Guardian. Nov. 20, 2019. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/20/french-nun-misses-out-on-retirement-home-place-over-veil-ban
  • Wolf, Naomi. "Behind the veil lives a thriving Muslim sexuality." Sydney Morning Herald. Aug. 30, 2008. (Jan. 25, 2010) http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/behind-the-veil-lives-a-thriving-muslim-sexuality/2008/08/29/1219516734637.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
  • Yam, Marcus. "As Afghans try to figure out Taliban's new rules, burqas are barometer of sorts." Los Angeles Times. Aug. 23, 2021. (Sept. 7, 2021) https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-23/as-afghans-try-to-figure-out-talibans-new-rules-burqas-serve-as-a-barometer
Citation