Islamic Dress Code

In the last few years, there have been increasing tensions over Islamic dress. Many religions only prescribe specific clothing for those undertaking religious duties or members of religious communities. Others have specific clothing - such as a Sikh turban or a Jewish skull cap - the wearing of which identifies someone's religious faith. Those not currently practising the faith they were brought up in, sometimes choose not to wear these items. In countries or areas of a country where the religion is a majority faith, Islamic dress is also the traditional cultural dress.

Islamic dress is typically only an issue with women's clothing and for Muslims living in non-Muslim countries. Some strands of Islam interpret the Koran as prescribing that women must cover certain parts of their body, but others challenge this. How much is covered and when and how differs from country to country.

• Hijab = 'covering up' but often used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. The type most commonly worn in the West covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear.   
• Niqab = a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf. 
• Burka = a one-piece veil that covers the face and body, often leaving just a mesh screen to see through.
• Al-amira = a two-piece veil consisting of a close fitting cap, usually made from cotton or polyester, and a tube-like scarf.
• Shayla = a long, rectangular scarf, wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders. Popular in the Gulf region.
• Khimar = a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear.  
• Chador = worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak, often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath.

Islam is a religion of obedience, but the wording of the Koran can be interpreted in different ways. Some say that the original text only ordered women to cover their chests - and that covering the head and hair was a later interpretation. They also say that the instruction leaves it up to the woman to decide what to wear. Another instruction to 'lengthen your garment' leaves the actual length unclear.

History: One view is that the hijab comes from a Jewish tradition that women cover their heads and Christian women in some countries and time periods have also covered their heads, especially for worship.

Dress code information found on an Islamic website in Oct. 2001, no longer available.

The unanimous view of Muslim colleagues is that Muslim women wearing face covering (niqab) should be required to show their faces for ID purposes. Covering the face is not an obligation (wajib) under Islamic law and there is ample prophetic precedence (Sunnah) to back this. The International Islamic University in Malaysia (where Jabal taught) was unequivocal in applying this ruling, especially when their President was a Saudi scholar, and it did not matter whether the official requiring the check was male or female. Given sensitivities it would, of course, be wise to leave it to female officials to do the checking.

From a 2001 email about veiled women being photographed for library ID cards