Dome burqa. Hijab - what is it, how to tie it beautifully

European countries are fighting unconscionably to ban Muslim women from wearing the burqa. It turns out that being naked and wearing miniskirts, spreading wickedness is good, but maintaining your honor and dignity is bad.

Life is difficult for Muslim women outside the Muslim world. Yes, yes, for example, in Western countries, demand that they be allowed to take passport photos with their faces covered. And what? They are forbidden! They say you have to bare your face in front of the photographer! And this is the most intimate moment. In a Muslim family, if they take a photo, it is in extremely rare cases. And only for "internal use".
The same problems exist in eastern countries that have chosen a secular path of development. In Tatarstan, for example, about one and a half thousand Muslim women live without an identity card at all, because they are not ready to “be naked” in front of a photographer.
In the Turkish parliament, deputies are officially prohibited from demonstrating their religious beliefs, so one lady deputy of the Muslim faith had to leave the parliamentary hall for wearing a burqa. But in democratic Great Britain, Muslim women serving in the London police were allowed to wear a hijab, and the design of this covering was specially developed by a professional fashion designer in order to at least slightly adapt the burqa to the police uniform.
By the way, if a woman is forced to remove her burqa, it will be bad. Forced nudity of a Muslim woman is an unforgivable sin.

Burqa

Burqa - women's outerwear in Muslim countries, in particular Central Asia and in the Middle East, which is a robe with long false sleeves and a hair net covering the face - chachvan.

The term burqa comes from Persian faraji. Word faraji originally meant men's wide outerwear, usually with long sleeves. In the 16th century, robes faraji Worn by both men and women. The heyday of the culture of wearing the burqa among the peoples of Central Asia occurred at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.

If we take a simplified look at the types of women's clothing in Islam, they can be divided into two categories: covering the face to varying degrees (niqab, burqa, veil) and revealing the face (hijab). The original meaning of hiding a woman's body, and often her face, is to protect the woman, not to humiliate her. Married women shielded themselves from strangers and the evil eye when going out into the streets in cities. In a burqa, the woman felt protected.

Every Muslim woman must adhere to certain rules:

1. Clothing must cover the entire body of a woman except hands and faces (some scientists allow the possibility of opening the feet as well).
2. Clothing should not fit tightly to the body (especially the chest, waist and hips).
3. Clothes should not be made of transparent fabrics through which the outline of the figure and skin color can be seen.
4. A woman's clothing should not resemble a man's clothing.
5. Clothes should not be saturated with perfume, be of bright colors, or have ringing or shiny decorative elements.

However, some make exceptions.

Hijab

This is a scarf, a blanket. According to the canons of Islam, a Muslim woman can only keep her face and hands open. Nowadays, hijabs are called any women's clothing that shows that she is a Muslim, be it a scarf or a burqa, or a long cloak.

Niqab

Niqab is a Muslim women's headdress that covers the face, with a narrow slit for the eyes. The niqab, unlike the hijab, is not obligatory for a Muslim woman, although the niqab is widespread in Muslim countries. in Sudan and Saudi Arabia You are supposed to wear both a hijab and a niqab, no matter what religion you are, and for violating the rules you can end up in prison. In Iran, the hijab is mandatory, although the face can, in principle, be left uncovered. Citizens of the United Arab Emirates also observe all the norms of Islam, but last years there they are almost accustomed to the sight of tourists in revealing outfits. And there are countries where, on the contrary, it is forbidden to wear the hijab, for example, employees of government agencies, schoolgirls and university students. This is exactly the situation in modern Turkey, although local supporters of Islamic fashion do not give up and constantly defend their right to wear the hijab.

Veil

The veil is a lightweight women's veil in white, blue or black. It is worn when leaving the house and covers the woman’s figure from head to toe. Unlike ordinary veils, the head part of the veil consists of a muslin cloth covering the face and a cloth covering the head; this allows for more draping.

Muslim women often say they feel “protected,” “safe,” and “respected” when they wear the hijab (a religiously required modest outfit that hides the curves of the body and includes a headscarf or veil). Now there is evidence that their sensations have a scientific explanation.

When psychologist Susan Fiske and a team of researchers at Princeton University conducted magnetic resonance imaging of the brains of straight men who were asked to view a series of photographs of semi-naked and fully clothed men and women, they found that men's reactions to women dressed in revealing clothes were quite clear. and unambiguous. The less they were wearing, the more activated the men's premotor cortex and posterior medial temporal sulcus were. These areas of the brain are responsible for handling tools, hand movements, and the impulse to act (Sicara, Del Amor).

"It's like they immediately thought of what they wanted to do with these bodies," Fiske explained during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago Feb. 12-16. "They react to these photographs the way people react to objects," she (Nicholson) says.

Acquisition tests on men showed that they remembered best photographs of headless women wearing bikinis, even though they only looked at them for a split second (Landau).

Fiske and her team also tested men for hostile, sexist attitudes. It turned out that those who were assigned a higher degree of aggression had rather low activity in the areas of the brain that are responsible for thinking about the thoughts and feelings of other people (the phenomenon of reflection on action) while viewing photographs of women in bikinis.

"They don't think about their intelligence," says Fiske (Sicara, Del Amore, Landau).

Women who emphasize their sexuality are perceived as less “human”

According to Fiske's report provided to IslamOnline, when a man's mental system of environmental reality is closed, this means that he perceives women with expressed sexuality as less "human" (Sicara). This type of "dehumanization" is quite rare in laboratory studies - according to Fiske, it has only been observed once - a recent National Geographic article talked about a study in which people showed signs of disgust when they saw photographs of homeless people and drug addicts (Del Amore).

In the case of scantily clad women, men do not show the same feeling of disgust as in the case of homeless people. On the contrary, they would like to “push”, “pick up”, “grab” the objects in swimsuits depicted in the photographs (Del Amore, Landau).

Mina Sikara, a Princeton University graduate who helped conduct the study, adds that men don't look at their wives or sisters the same way they look at women in revealing clothing. In addition, men associated images of fully clothed women with verbs in the third person - "she pushes", "she holds", "she grabs", which, according to Fiske, means that men perceive fully clothed women as more independent and independent. to a much lesser extent they are considered objects for manipulation (Eshlman, Landau).

More clothes - more respect

According to Fiske, the study's findings provide important implications for women, especially working women—observing women with expressed sexuality can influence how men perceive and interact with women subsequently (Landau, Sample).

A study on sexism by Lawrence University professor Peter Glick found that professional women who wear more revealing clothing in the workplace are perceived as less competent and intelligent, especially when they hold senior positions. According to DiversityJobs, Glick's research found that "women at high levels of the hierarchy and executives should dress more modestly and conservatively to gain the respect of their colleagues."

A number of studies also show a link between viewing pornography and committing acts of violence against women, including sexual violence. During the wars in Bosnia and Iraq, soldiers who committed atrocities and crimes against humanity found themselves regular consumers of pornography, even watching it to “relax” after the killings (Chu, Rijali).

Fiske compared the study's findings with those of other scientists who have shown that watching television can reduce a person's emotional sensitivity to violence.

Dignity and confidence

Despite clear evidence of the benefits of modest and conservative clothing, media portrayals of the hijab often portray Muslim women as oppressed and downtrodden. Karen Danielson, however, believes that wearing a hijab gives a woman confidence and dignity.

Danielson, an American living in Jordan, first wore the hijab more than two decades ago, shortly after converting to Islam in 1983. “When I walk down the street, I can’t be judged by my sensuality or lack thereof, or how attractive I am. for men," she explains to IslamOnline. "I value myself based on my virtuous behavior and intelligence - which my hijab contributes to - and I look modest in unassuming clothes."

“I feel like I can be myself, a unique individual with my own voice to express myself,” adds Sumaya Finnigan. “I don’t join the majority in terms of their speech and the way they dress, and therefore I remain myself - which makes me completely free.”

Balqis Muhammad, an American who converted to Islam in 1979, holds similar views. According to her, the hijab "promotes modesty for women and for everyone around them." Muhammad, who lives in Saudi Arabia, covers not only her body but also her face, and says her clothing style "forces others, especially men, not to be too relaxed and not to make unnecessary conversations."

Hijab and safety

“I definitely feel safer wearing a hijab and dressing modestly in general,” Qari Abudeiyi, another American who lives in Jordan and has been practicing Islam since she was 12, tells IslamOnline.

“I feel like this is my barrier, protecting me from men, their views and disrespect towards me and my boundaries. It’s a barrier that prevents or changes the first instinctive appraising look that men give, a barrier to prevent sexual feelings that are not for you.” needed from men, or thoughts in their heads that appear from provocative clothing."

She continues by saying, "It's a defense against men who approach you in an inappropriate manner, helping to influence their decision to stand near you, talk to you, stare at you, or even touch you."

Finnigan, a London native, contrasts wearing the hijab, which she characterizes as “an act of submission to the Creator that keeps a woman safer both literally and spiritually,” with the sense of vulnerability she felt before embracing Islam and the hijab in 1999.

“There were times when I wished I had worn more covering clothes so I could just get home without worrying about who might be following me,” Finnigan says. “Every evening I would leave the house and come back, looking over my shoulder, afraid that I would be attacked or raped,” she says.

"There will always be those who will attack a woman, regardless of their behavior or the way they dress," Muhammad admits. But she believes the Muslim hijab is "an additional aid in preventing unnecessary physical contact."

“One of the main purposes of the hijab is to protect women from the views of people with weak moral fiber and those who like to indulge in excessive verbal compliments,” says Sheikh Riyadh al-Musaimiri, a professor at Al-Imam University in Riyadh.

According to IslamToday, some Western observers believe that covering women's heads signifies their recognition of their lower social status. "You couldn't be more wrong. The Qur'an is clear that the reason for this style of dress is to seek respect from others. The message of a woman wearing a hijab is something like this: 'Respect me for who I am. “I’m not a sex object,” the publication notes.

For Muhammad, the choice of hijab was obvious. “For me, there was no question of safety. I never thought about it that way,” she explains.

“It was a matter of following the orders of Allah. I could not be happy or contented by becoming only half a Muslim. Or I become a Muslim and follow the orders and orders the best way, or stay the same,” she says.

“My clothing helps me remind myself of my behavior and my religion, and says the same to others,” adds Danielson. “And this security is of the highest level; it is a peace of mind and a protected heart. Glory to Allah Almighty! "

The Koran says : “O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the women of believing men to pull their veils tight. This way they will be better distinguished and will not be insulted. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful"

Of course, there are a number of countries where the official religion is Islam, but women there are relatively free - Turkey, partly Egypt, Tunisia... In other countries, a woman is a “shadow” of her husband, father, brother and family as a whole. Her appearance and public behavior are strictly regulated by the Koran and Sharia. Violation of the rules may result in public flogging, prison term, deportation from the country or separation from family.

In what form can a Muslim woman appear in public and what options does she have when choosing clothes?

Before answering this question, you need to know what, according to the Koran, is considered prohibited clothing for women.

• clothing that leaves the awrat uncovered (for women, the entire body except the oval of the face and hands is avrat),
• clothing that makes a person look like members of the opposite sex,
• clothing that makes a person look like non-Muslims (for example, the attire of Christian monks and priests, wearing a cross and other religious symbols);
• clothing that shows arrogance and pride,
• men's clothing with inclusions of silk and gold,
• clothes that show excess and wastefulness,
• clothing with images of people and animals, as well as forbidden inscriptions.

You can't go wrong with such a dress code. We have to wear something that has been the basis of the wardrobe of Muslim women for more than one and a half thousand years and has undergone virtually no changes.

Hats

Hijab

A headscarf that covers a woman’s head and complies with Sharia norms, that is, not tight or provocative, covering the forehead and hair.

Niqab

Translated from Arabic, “niqab” means “veil”. In practice, this is a black women's headdress with a slit for the eyes that covers the face.

Cloth

Burqa (burqa)

The burqa and burqa are different names the same women's outerwear. The use of one or another term depends on the area in which the woman wears it. The burqa is a robe with long false sleeves. An integral element of the burqa is chachvan - a mesh covering the face.

Veil

A bedspread made of light fabric that covers a woman's figure from head to toe. The part of the veil that covers the head is made of muslin fabric. The veil can be white, blue or black.

In general, black is a color for everyday use. Muslim women. It symbolizes submission, modesty and devotion to one's husband. Blue can be used during religious holidays. IN White color A Muslim woman can only be dressed in moments of mourning for deceased relatives.

Jilbab

Another option outerwear. Jilbab is made from a single piece of fabric. It does not have false sleeves and traditionally completely covers the entire body with the exception of the hands, feet and eyes. Any outerwear that tightly covers the entire body can fit the definition of a jilbab. This could be a long thick skirt, sweater or cardigan.

Abaya

Long women's dress. It is permissible to decorate the abaya with embroidery, beads or rhinestones. In most Arab countries, the hijab and niqab are worn along with the abaya.

Burkini

Burkini is a swimsuit and sports suit for Muslim women. The only element in the Muslim wardrobe, when worn, a woman can at least hint at the presence of roundness and curves.

The burkini consists of two parts: the main suit, which covers the body except for the hands and feet, and a hood that fits tightly on the head.

Fashion for Muslim women

Being a Muslim and observing all Sharia laws does not mean being out of trend. In developed Muslim countries you can find very beautifully and tastefully dressed women.

Designers also do not ignore this audience and present things for them or even release separate collections.

It is difficult for the European part of the population, not exposed to Islam, to understand the difference in the elements of the national costume. But such items of women's wardrobe in eastern countries as the hijab and burqa have a number of differences. They differ not only in cut, but also in wearing rules.. Therefore, interested girls should study this issue in more detail.

The burqa is a thick hoodie-veil with cut out sleeves. This piece of clothing completely covers the girl's head and body. A special mesh called chachvan is sewn at face level, through which the woman sees everything that is happening.

Hijab is a special headscarf that a girl ties on her head, covering her hair, ears and neck. At the same time, the girl’s face remains completely open. Nowadays, this wardrobe item is very popular among representatives of Eastern culture. Markets and shops offer a huge selection of different scarves. They differ in shades and style.

Important! Many women today prefer a light scarf, which they tie on their heads, instead of a bulky burqa. Eastern girls follow fashion no less than Europeans and know how to present themselves in all their glory.

Today, the burqa has practically become a relic. Few women use it in their wardrobe. But they wear the hijab with pleasure and admit that the headscarf really makes them attractive and beautiful.

What is a burqa?

As already noted, the burqa is a type of clothing belonging to the culture of Islam. A long robe with a kind of sleeves, a thick loose blanket covering the woman’s body from head to toe. Even the face is covered with a dense horsehair net, which the girl can raise and lower at will.

There is a wide variety of women's clothing in Islam:

• A burka is a veil, just like a burqa, covering a woman from head to toe, but leaving a slit for the eyes, covered with a dense mesh;
• niqab is a type of veil that leaves only the girl’s eyes open;
• The veil is a thick robe that covers the girl’s body. In this case, a separate scarf is tied to the head;
• The hijab is designed to cover the girl’s hair and neck, while leaving her face open.

As a rule, people who are ignorant of Islam do not separate all these wardrobe items and confuse them with each other. But each of them has its own characteristics and differences from the burqa and hijab. The main differences between the burqa and other types of Muslim clothing are:

Characteristics of Hijab

This type of clothing can be called any scarf or blanket that is tied in such a way that the hair, neck and ears are hidden. Some modifications also involve covering the shoulders. According to Sharia norms, a girl can only have her face and hands exposed, so all Muslim girls wear a hijab or other types of headdresses or robes.

Important! A small bright scarf much better emphasizes the beauty and chastity of a woman, while hiding all parts of the body, as stated in the norms of behavior. A girl can feel confident and free, but at the same time clearly indicate her belonging to a certain religion.

Among the main characteristics, only its size is distinguished. That should be enough big piece material with which you can reliably cover the parts of the body specified in the standards of conduct. There are no special instructions regarding the style and color of the scarf. They can be brightly colored and have graphic and other designs. Any clothing that can be tied around the head will pass for a hijab. It only indicates that the woman is a Muslim and follows the rules of behavior of Sharia.

They are similar only in that they hide a certain part of the body or the entire figure of a representative of the Muslim faith. The burqa hides almost everything, while the hijab hides only the woman's head. But both of these things are aimed at protecting the woman and her decency in society.

Nowadays there are no such strict rules in eastern countries about women wearing capes, but centuries-old traditions are very difficult to banish. IN modern world There are several activist movements that advocate for women's “liberty” and the refusal to wear headscarves and veils. But most often this is practiced only in European countries.

Important! Women in most eastern countries also have freedom to choose a headdress. However, if a woman was raised in a strictly religious family where women wore headscarves and veils, she will most likely also wear a burqa.

Along with the eastern countries They also began to be more accepting of this issue. For example, in a number of countries there is a ban on women walking on the streets without a headscarf, even if they belong to a different religion. This can be found in Saudi Arabia or Iran. But in Turkey, which is also a Muslim country, there is no such ban. Perhaps this is due to the large influx of tourists, where women do not want to change their usual clothing style.

Today, Sharia women have received more freedom and no one will punish them for not wearing a hijab or changing their burqa to a light headscarf. Society is more accepting of this issue and girls can freely walk the streets, covering only their hair and neck. Some even dare to take off their traditional headdresses, but such insolence is still condemned.

However, in remote villages and hamlets where traditions are scrupulously respected, women continue to wear thick veils and hide their bodies, because this is what is written in the Koran. And there they can really beat a girl with stones if she dares to take off her headscarf, which signifies chastity. Perhaps soon morals will change in the outback, but for now these are the harshest places where there are clear restrictions on women’s freedom of choice.

What is the difference between them?

Despite the fact that both wardrobe items have the same goal - to hide the outlines of a woman’s body, they also have significant differences:

Recently, the burqa has been considered not the most popular item of clothing; many women have defended their right to gain freedom from this bulky item. But many people wear the hijab with great pleasure, explaining that they feel confident and protected in the headdress. And this is confirmed by millions of statements oriental women, who note that they feel comfortable in hijab, and at the same time they feel beautiful and free.

Scientific studies have proven that when men see naked women, they become more aggressive, their arms begin to move, and their brains become aroused. From the researchers' point of view, it is believed that men view naked women as less human. This explains the fact that by wearing a headscarf, women in eastern countries, where punishing girls was the order of the day, feel protected.

Muslim women's wardrobe items sometimes confuse ordinary people. It is difficult for people to understand what a hijab and a burqa are and what differences these products have. But everything is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. If you wish, you can understand the traditional
headdresses and clothes of Muslim ladies.

Big variety

If you don’t go into details and just look at the items of women’s clothing in Islam, they can be divided into two categories:

• Revealing face, for example, hijab, turban;
• Covering the face, for example, veil, burqa, niqab. The photo shows how elegant and feminine closed products can look.

The main point of hiding a woman’s body and face from prying eyes is protection, not humiliation, as many believe. Married ladies should “hide” themselves from bad looks when going out. Only by wearing a burqa can Muslim women feel calm and protected. When choosing an outfit for going out, a woman must adhere to certain rules.

• Clothes should hide the lady's body; only the hands and sometimes the face can remain bare.
• Tight clothes are not allowed. Tight fitting of the chest, hips, and waist is unacceptable. The outfit should not emphasize the girl's sexuality.
• The fabric from which this or that item is sewn should not be transparent. Material that allows you to see the lady’s skin tone, as well as the silhouette of the figure, is unacceptable.
• The style of clothing should not resemble a man's. Things cannot smell like perfume, be bright color, have a defiant decor and print.

Hijab

Any clothing that complies with Shariah norms is called hijab. True, it's very
generalized concept. In Western countries, hijab is a woman's headscarf that hides
hair, ears, neck of its owner. Some things are still draped on the shoulders, while the face remains open.
The hijab is considered a symbol of purity and purity. It serves as a kind of barrier for strangers. When wearing a hijab, a woman feels very comfortable and protected.
Muslim women, like any other women, want to look fashionable without compromising
traditions. To add variety to your everyday look, ladies can experiment with the colors of their hijab.

The wardrobe should contain not only bright, elegant scarves, but also simple plain items. They will be easy to fit into your everyday look. It is worth paying attention to neutral tones: gray, white, beige, black. Similar colors go with a variety of clothes and are easy to combine with other wardrobe items. In summer, you should choose scarves made from natural lightweight fabric, and in the autumn-winter period it is better to purchase products made from dense fabric.

The print also needs to be chosen depending on the time of year. For summer, a floral design would be ideal. It should be discreet, not attract too much attention, and not be conspicuous. In the autumn-winter period, it is better to choose scarves with a discreet print, beautiful, deep shades.
When choosing a hijab, you need to rely on the color of your skin and eyes. Brunettes will suit more saturated tones, and blondes – delicate, natural shades. Wedding hijabs are particularly beautiful and elegant. Designers have put a lot of effort into creating models that will cover hair and feminine contours, but at the same time remain elegant, beautiful, and sophisticated.

On wedding dress The trend of the West also influenced, scarves began to be sewn in the boho style.
Designers skillfully combine dense and transparent material, beads, delicate lace, and sparkles. The hijab color for a celebration does not have to be white. The main thing is that the scarf matches the groom’s outfit.

Himar

In Turkey and the Middle East, a cape is common that completely covers the hair, ears and shoulders of its owner. The product is called khimar. It has a slit for the face, allowing the woman to see what is happening.

Veil

A veil is not a headdress, but a whole veil that camouflages a Muslim woman from head to toe. The cape is not attached to the clothes, there are no fasteners on it, so the lady has to constantly hold the item with her hands. The veil does not cover the face, but if desired, a woman can cover herself with the edge of the cape. Traditionally, the veil is worn in tandem with the niqab. This headdress completely hides the face of its owner from prying eyes, covering her hair and ears. The only thing others see is the girl’s eyes, which sparkle from the slit of the niqab.

Niqab

As mentioned above, the niqab is a headdress that reliably hides a woman’s face from prying eyes. The product is made in black color. It carefully disguises the face of its owner, and in terms of cover it can only be compared with a burqa. The niqab is combined with other types of clothing familiar to Muslim women. The niqab looks harmonious with a long dress without a belt, but with sleeves.

The cut of the niqab is simple and concise. Adding any interesting prints or creative design ideas to the product is prohibited. The only allowance that is acceptable is a discreet pattern around the edges of the item. The design should not attract too much attention and should be made with threads of a neutral shade. Niqabs are usually made from black fabric; scarves in dark brown and blue tones are rarely, but still found.

If in everyday life the niqab is not a mandatory accessory, then the bride’s outfit must have a thing. The scarf securely covers the bride's head and hair; inside the design there is a veil designed to hide the eyes. It is through this “curtain” that the girl sees the world around her.

Burqa

For many people, a burqa is any closed clothing. Gradually the word becomes
common noun. In fact, if we talk about the burqa as a variant of women's clothing,
the product is a bedspread that hides the lady’s head and body as much as possible.
The bedspread has a slot for the eyes, but they are also reliably hidden from strangers by chachvan - a dense mesh.

What is the difference between a burqa and a hijab? For many uninformed people, probably nothing, but in fact there are differences, and they are significant. A burqa is a kind of veil that completely hides a girl’s body. The head, hair, ears, face, and the entire body are tightly hidden from prying eyes. Hijab is more open. This is not a thick blanket, but a scarf that covers a woman’s head, hiding her hair, neck, and ears.
The burqa and hijab differ in the degree of closure, length, style, and color. Scarves are sold in beautiful colors.

Women subject to influence European countries, are happy to wear bright hijabs for everyday wear. Scarves are often complemented with an interesting print. Capes
It is allowed to wear it so that part of the forehead and chin are open. In some countries
It is allowed to bare the neck. But it all depends on the area.

Veil

The veil is the most common type of Islamic women's clothing. It is a dark-colored bedspread designed to hide the body of a representative of the fair sex from head to toe. Due to the fact that the veil does not hide the face of its owner, ladies use the niqab. The cape on the head hides the hair and face; those around them see only the beauty’s eyes.

Some people believe that the hijab, veil and burqa are the same products, but in reality this is not the case. Each item has its own unique features.

If you compare the hijab and the burqa

If you start comparing the hijab and the burqa, the difference will become obvious. The hijab looks fashionable, so ladies in different parts of the world buy it with pleasure, putting it on for the sake of beauty and their own style.
The burqa is not as popular. She looks gloomy and stern. Such types of women's clothing are gradually becoming history. Women of faith are not required to wear a burqa, but they must wear a hijab in front of strangers. In some countries, all representatives of the fair sex are required to wear a headscarf, regardless of their faith. Such norms exist in Saudi Arabia and Iran. There are no such strict regulations in Turkey. This may be due to the fact that the country is often visited by foreign tourists who are not always ready to change their clothing style.

Recently, the decision about whether to wear a burqa, hijab, veil or other product is increasingly being made by women. In most Muslim countries, ladies can walk safely on the streets big cities in outfits to suit your taste. A girl can only be “punished” for refusing to wear a hijab in a remote village. It all depends on family traditions and upbringing. If a girl was raised from birth in a family where all women wear national clothes, then the little girl will want to follow the example of her loved ones.
In some states, a ban has been imposed on wearing all kinds of Islamic veils in
official environment. Of course, Muslim women periodically rebel against such prohibitions,
believing that their right to preserve traditions has been infringed, but their performances do not bear fruit.

But don’t think that all oriental headdresses are relics of the past. For example, a turban can often be seen on world catwalks and in the collections of famous designers. Traditionally, a turban consists of two parts: a skullcap and linen, but modern beauties increasingly use only a piece of fabric, which is unusually wound around the head.
If previously a turban was worn only in certain countries, now it has become a stylish accessory that can complement any look. The scarf is suitable for creating an office look, a casual look, or a set for an evening walk. The main thing is to wrap the fabric beautifully and combine it harmoniously with other things in your wardrobe.

Islam requires women to cover their bodies except their faces and hands. IN different regions and historical and cultural traditions, the function of an ideologically verified outfit - the hijab - is performed by the khimar, niqab, veil and their variations.

Hijab translated from Arabic as “veil” or “veil”. This designates any women's clothing that meets the requirements of Sharia, and in Western societies - the traditional Islamic women's headscarf.

Abaya- a long traditional Arabic dress with a loose cut, without a belt. Designed to be worn in public places. In some Arab countries, it is compulsory for Muslim women to dress.

Himar- a head cape, the style, length and method of wearing which may vary. Khimar in the form of a headscarf is common in the Middle East, Turkey, among European Muslim women and is the softest form of hijab.

Veil- a light blanket of white, blue or black color that covers the entire body, including the head. Its upper part may have an additional piece of light fabric covering the face. It is a traditional Iranian version of Islamic women's clothing.

Niqab(from the Arabic “mask”) is a headdress that hides a woman’s hair and face, leaving only a slit for the eyes. Typically black. Sometimes a kind of veil is attached to it. As in the case of the hijab, there are a large number of variations in the form of the niqab and its combinations with other Islamic items. women's suit. Distributed in the Gulf countries, Yemen, and southern Pakistan.

Burka- a blanket covering the body with the head, with a mesh-covered slit for the eyes. In fact compulsory for women in most of Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Usually she blue color and is made of cheap synthetic material.

Burqa It is a long robe with false sleeves. It hides the entire body, leaving a slit for the eyes, covered with a rectangular dense mesh of chachwan. The name comes from the Persian term "faraji", which originally meant a wide outer garment. The tradition of wearing a burqa became most widespread at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in Central Asia.

Al-amira- a modern version of khimar. It consists of two components: a cotton cap, over which a head scarf is then tied. Sometimes, instead of a scarf, such a hat comes with a “pipe” made of the same fabric.

Sheila- a long rectangular scarf wrapped around the head. The ends are hidden or lie along the shoulders. One of the freest options for khimar. Distributed in the Gulf countries.

Burkini— a swimsuit that meets Shariah requirements. The cut is close to pajamas, covering the entire body except the feet, palms and face. Has a hood that fits tightly on the head. There are options for other sports.

Vadim Zaitsev (“Kommersant”, http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1366894, 2011).
The original meaning of hiding a woman's body, and often her face, is to protect the woman, not to humiliate her. Married women shielded themselves from strangers and the evil eye when going out into the streets in cities. In a burqa, the woman felt protected.

IN WITH In Udana and Saudi Arabia, you are supposed to wear both a hijab and a niqab, no matter what religion you are, and for violating the rules you can end up in prison. In Iran, the hijab is mandatory, although the face can, in principle, be left uncovered. Citizens of the United Arab Emirates also observe all the norms of Islam, but in recent years they have almost become accustomed to the sight of tourists in revealing outfits.

And there are countries where, on the contrary, it is prohibited to wear the hijab, for example, employees of government agencies, schoolgirls and university students. This is exactly the situation in modern Turkey, although local supporters of Islamic fashion do not give up and constantly defend their right to wear the hijab.

The history of the burqa.

“O Prophet! tell your wives, daughters and wives of believers, let them draw their veils closer together. This is better than being recognized; and they will not experience insult” (Quran, Sura 33).

Among the great variety and diversity of women's clothing that exists in different nations, women's head capes of Asian peoples are of great interest. Particularly attractive in terms of study is the burqa, which in our country has become a kind of symbol of head capes in general. In the media, a burqa refers to any head covering that covers a woman's face in Islamic countries. The names of head coverings such as hijab or abaya will mean little to most people, but if you tell them that these are capes that cover a woman’s face, then most likely they will hear: “Ah, burqa...”.

The question of origin and time of appearance various types head capes more than once attracted the attention of Soviet ethnographers. Research on the history of the burqa, which flourished at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries among the peoples of Central Asia, was difficult at the initial stage: the fight against the Basmachi and the economic crisis did not contribute to the study of Central Asian costume. In the 20-30s of the 20th century, when the Soviet government in Central Asia began to fight the so-called “remnants of Islam,” the burqa practically went out of use. All forces were thrown into the fight against her; she was a symbol of the oppressed woman of the East. The country needed cotton and the Soviet government forced women whose husbands died in the fight against the implanted ideology to go to the cotton fields. It was believed that “cotton is the key to victory over the burqa” and “cotton will draw the shuttered Uzbeks into the field.” The now unnecessary burqa was used to sew clothes for children or to use it for other household purposes.

Over time, the burqa regained its ceremonial functions: brides began to wear it during weddings and when transporting the newlywed to her husband’s house.

Perhaps the burqa would forever remain a page of the past, if not for the separation of the Central Asian republics, and their return to the norms of Islam, this was the reason for the return to life of women's head capes and, in particular, the burqa, not only as ritual clothing, but also in its direct purpose: to hide a woman’s face and figure when leaving the house. In this regard, it seems quite interesting to get answers to the questions of what a burqa is, where and when it came from.

There is very little modern literature about the burqa. The most detailed works on this topic were published or reprinted in the 70s of the 20th century. Articles about the burqa in later magazines are often based on these works. There is very little illustrative material; for the most part, different publications use illustrations from the same album.

The overwhelming number of people in our country are familiar with the burqa from V. Motyl’s film “White Sun of the Desert,” so if you ask: “Do you know what a burqa is?”, almost everyone will answer in the affirmative. But if you ask the question: “What is it?”, only a few will answer correctly. This is another reason to get closer to such an exotic type of clothing for us.

WOMEN'S HEAD CAPES.

Widespread in Muslim countries, women's veils, draped over the head and hiding the entire figure, have turned into a specific type of women's weekend clothing. Head capes were of two origins: some developed from a large scarf (plata), for example, the Persian veil and the Baluchi cape, and, most likely, the Afghan burqa, others originated from a robe, thrown with a collar over the head. This type of head cape is common among the peoples of Central Asia, with the exception of the Baloch (people living in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and preaching Islam).

The fact that the Central Asian burqa is very different from women's head capes in neighboring countries is not surprising, since this type of clothing developed among different peoples on a different basis.

The Persian veil (chadir, chodar) consisted of a large scarf or two scarves. But since this design did not provide complete concealment of the woman’s figure, the veil was supplemented with special street trousers, which were not worn at home.

The Afghan burqa - chatri, most likely, was formed from a scarf cut in the shape of a semicircle. It consists of a round cap that fits tightly to the head, to which is sewn together this kind of cloak or scarf, large enough to envelop the woman from head to toe. The chatri is complemented by street trousers into which the dress is tucked. Both of these forms of streetwear, Persian and Afghan, although significantly different in appearance, have much in common in their design principles.

Street clothes of the peoples of Central Asia, including Tajiks and Uzbeks - residents of the plains, regions of ancient irrigated agriculture, where a sedentary, in particular urban culture, developed, and where the seclusion of women received special development, is very different from the head capes of the women of Western Asia.

The difference is rooted in the very origins of this clothing: unlike the Persian veil, the Central Asian burqa was formed not from a headscarf, but from a shoulder-swinging garment, which was worn with a collar on the head.

The robe, thrown over the head, had many variants in Central Asia and represented different stages of its transformation into a special type of clothing - starting from the robe, which was worn either on the head, or as an ordinary shoulder garment in the sleeves, and ending with the burqa and Turkmen capes (purenjek). and chirps), which served only as capes. If the robe thrown over the head was not put into the sleeves, it was deformed to a greater or lesser extent: what changed mainly was the sleeves, which folded back. In some versions they were lengthened and narrowed, in others they were simply fastened behind the back. The most developed type of such capes was the Uzbek-Tajik burqa, as well as the Turkmen purenjack, while the head capes of some other groups were almost no different from the robes worn in sleeves No matter how much the cut of the capes derived from robes has been changed, one can easily recognize them as swinging tunic-like clothing, with all the features of its cut: the long and narrow sleeves of the burqa are also sewn from transverse pieces of fabric; the collar is made in the same way as on a regular robe; the pockets found on some versions of the burqa (Tashkent, Fergana Valley) are of the same design as on the robes - they are vertical, made in a seam. But due to their transformation into a decorative detail, the pockets began to be decorated more luxuriously, and the openings of the pockets either disappeared completely or became through and were used for threading hands.

From the robe came the various head capes of the semi-nomadic Uzbeks and many groups of Tajiks, called jelak (in Shakhrizyabs, in the Uzbek rural areas of Samarkand region), jegde (Uzbeks of Khorezm), kurta (Uzbek-Karluks, Turkmen) or peshvo (Uzbeks of Southern Uzbekistan).

Among the women's Central Asian head capes, the following can be distinguished:

1. Burqa is the most complete form of head cape. It was especially common in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Being typically urban clothing, it was never typical for the everyday costume of women from mountain villages and was found mainly in cities and occasionally in the largest villages.

2. Robes - sargirak, zhelakbosh, robe - which combine the function of shoulder clothing with a head cape. Sometimes the robes used as capes were made somewhat shorter.

3. Capes-robes (yaktak, jelak, farisar), which are greatly modified: narrowed and shortened, with narrow and short sleeves, fastened at the back with braid. They are specially adapted to the role of a head cape.

4. Capes from white material sleeveless, shaped like a semicircle - sarkashak. Appeared in the last years before the establishment of Soviet power.

5. Large white, less often black, factory-made scarves used instead of capes.

Sleeveless head capes were a further development of burqa-type capes, the sleeves of which were already a purely decorative detail.

The previous stage in the history of capes, which were formed on the basis of shoulder clothing, was when women threw an ordinary robe - their own, their husband's or son's - over their heads when leaving the house. In many places, and in such a large urban center as Tashkent, in the second half of the 19th century they wore a munisak (a type of women's robe) on their heads, which was also used as ordinary clothing. Only towards the end of the 19th century did the burqa become widespread. Only by this time or a little earlier, the burqa became a special type of compulsory women's weekend clothing. All its unique features, strictly defined in each region by tradition, were developed.

ORIGIN OF THE BURKA.

It is impossible to name the exact date of the appearance of capes, including the burqa, in everyday wear. It was a long process with different periods not only among different peoples, but also in different areas.

The term “Faraji”, or in Uzbek pronunciation “paradzhi” (Russian “burqa”), is of Arabic origin and translated from Persian means dress. "Faraji" means men's wide outerwear, mainly with long sleeves, and among the Turks of Constantinople it also means women's clothing worn when leaving home. References to clothing in the form of a robe, covering the figure up to five, having wide long sleeves, and also decorated with embroidery and even precious stones, are available in sources dating back to the 9th century. Faraji originated in Egypt, from where it spread to other eastern countries. In Central Asia under the Shaybanids (16th century), the faraji robe was the clothing of scientists. In India and Central Asia under Babur and the Timurids, faraji was the outerwear of scientists, government officials and the clergy. However, it is possible that the Arab origin of the word “burqa” is indicated only by the fact that the tradition of wearing a veil on the face began to be strictly observed with the arrival of the Arabs in Central Asia in the 8th century. More ancient hats, in addition to religious significance, had the purpose of protecting the head and shoulders from the scorching sun.

The famous Tajik writer of the Middle Ages, Zainaddin Mahmud Vasifi (1485-1551), in his memoirs “Amazing Events,” mentions faraji, both a robe for men and women. In the 16th-18th centuries, women in Istanbul began to wear similar clothes, which in Turkish pronunciation were called feredzhe. It was also part of the outerwear, but instead of a chachvan - a mesh covering the face - Turkish women wore a scarf or a white veil, which, although it covered the face, left a gap for the eyes. In winter, dervishes also wore saddle stitches.

In the 16th century, the term “faraji” was mentioned in written sources in the meaning of “robe”, in its specific, ceremonial, weekend version. And the first written mention of the custom of throwing a robe over the head when leaving the house refers to XVIII century and belongs to lieutenant I. Gladyshev and surveyor D.V. Muravyov, who made a trip from Orsk to Khiva and back in 1740-1741. They reported that the Uzbeks of the Amu Darya delta, leaving the house, threw on their chapen (robe). In his notes, the Russian officer F. Efremov, who visited Bukhara and Khiva in the second half of the 18th century, writes: “Women, in addition to their dresses, wear a faraji, that is, a woman’s robe, which has very narrow sleeves from head to toe, sewn together and pulled back, length below the calves... Hair nets are put on the face, they are called chashman.” Another description was left by Philip Nazarov, who was in Tashkent in 1813-1814. According to him, the women he saw at the bazaar were “under a veil.” They “throw a robe over themselves... and lower a hair net over their face, which is sewn to the robe.”

IN modern times The term “faraji” throughout Central Asia is used in a distorted form (faranji, burqa), only among the Pamir Tajiks (in Khuf and Shungan), it retained its original form, but there it does not denote the type of clothing, but the way men wear it saddled.

Thus, the burqa of Central Asian women comes from the ancient faraji - an elegant robe worn as a cape. These clothes were transformed during the feudal era, changing in accordance with new tastes, but still maintaining the ancient basis. Already in the 16th century, long and uncomfortable sleeves became a decorative detail, and in the 18th century they finally lost their practical purpose. During late feudalism, the purpose of the burqa changed: it began to hide a woman from prying eyes in accordance with the norms of Islam.

The fact that a woman threw a man's robe over her head is due to the fact that there was no specific outerwear for women. Initially, robes were cut the same for both men and women. It would be incorrect to explain this phenomenon only by the Muslim law of seclusion. The tradition was generated by the primordial division of labor between the sexes: women were responsible for work mainly in the house and in the yard, while men worked outside the home. There is another point of view, according to which the same clothing for men and women is inherent in nomadic peoples in general. The situation was the same with underwear. The only difference was that after the birth of the child, the collar of the woman’s shirt was adapted for breastfeeding. However, in the 12th century, in a number of regions (Fergana Valley, Kyrgyzstan, East Turkestan), a division into men's and women's clothing already existed. The written source “Hidaye”, compiled by a resident of the city of Margelan, Burhaneddin Ali Margeani, regulates the rules of behavior of Muslims, and gives instructions on how hermaphrodites, in whom the signs of one or another gender predominate, should dress: “If he is a man, then wear a dress with a seam it is indecent for him if he is a woman... he should wear a dress with a seam like a woman.”

The fact that even in the middle of the 19th century the burqa had not yet become mass clothing obligatory for all women is evidenced by messages recorded in the 20-30s of the 20th century. According to these reports, the burqa became widespread only in the second half of the 19th century, especially after the annexation of Central Asia to Russia - before that, when leaving the house, women threw munisaki over their heads.

Why did the shoulder garment become a head cape? Wedding rituals and customs that regulate the behavior of a young wife in her husband’s house in the first years of marriage help to understand this. It is known that during a wedding among the Central Asian peoples, a robe or other kind of veil was thrown over the bride, and then, in the period before the birth of the child, over the young woman. This was also practiced among peoples who did not know the custom of covering their faces and did not have special robe-like head capes in everyday clothing - the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. According to custom, the bride was supposed to be covered during the Muslim wedding ceremony - nikoha, and especially when she moved to her husband's house, that is, at those moments that, according to the people, are very important in the life of the family being created. Doing this was considered necessary to protect the newlywed from the influence of harmful forces. For this purpose, on the way to the husband's house, the Kyrgyz put on the wedding headdress shokulo and covered their face with a burkonchek veil. Among the Pamir Kirghiz, the veil was called chumkot, and the headdress was called kalak. Among the Kazakhs, the wedding headdress was called saukele, and the special face covering was called zhelek. The Kazakhs also had a special wedding robe, which in the south and east of Kazakhstan was thrown over the bride’s head, in other areas - over the shoulders, then it was included in the set of clothes of the young wife.

The custom of covering one's face during a wedding is known among the Dzhemshids and Khazars. The mountain Tajiks had special wedding face curtains, the ornamental embroidery motifs of which had magical and protective significance. The peoples of the Volga region - the Bashkirs, Chuvash, and Mari - also have capes in the form of a scarf and the custom of covering their faces with them on wedding days. In different nations, the bride's face is hidden behind various blankets, a shawl, a silk scarf, a veil, a large loose scarf, a towel, a waist-length woolen scarf, a white blanket, etc. There are examples of covering the groom’s face (among the Tuaregs), in order to protect him from the possible actions of harmful forces of various orders that threaten the young from the outside world.

The objects of religious and magical attention were also the mouth, nose, and ears, through which an unknown force could enter and exit. Hence the custom of covering the mouth and partly the nose. In Central Asia, yashmak was intended for this purpose. Special curtains covering the mouth are found among the characters in the wall paintings of Afrasiab (7th century AD), and the custom of covering the face with muslin has been known in Central Asia since the reign of Timur (early 15th century).

BURKA.

The burqa was not common among all peoples and ethnic groups of Central Asia. The Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Karakalpaks and mountain Tajiks, including the Pamir Tajiks, did not have the custom of seclusion of women, and, consequently, there was no special clothing to cover a woman’s face. In addition, this custom existed in full only in cities and villages closely associated with them. In remote rural areas and comfort groups that observed the custom of seclusion, it was more formal. That is, the burqa has become widespread in the most Islamized areas - in cities and agricultural areas. In rural areas, only women from wealthy families had a burqa and used it in exceptional cases. Women, leaving the house, simply threw some kind of robe over their heads.

Women from nomadic tribes preferred more practical headdresses. In a number of areas, women tied cloth or scarves around their heads, the ends of which went down to the neck and back, protecting them from the sun and wind, and, if necessary, they could cover part of the face. These headdresses were called differently among Muslims, but traditionally - turban or turban.

The burqa is a very long and wide robe with narrow, full-length false sleeves, folded over the back and fastened with ribbons. This robe is placed over the head over a scarf or skullcap - depending on age. The woman's face is covered with a rectangular net of black horsehair of varying lengths - chashmband (in Tajik - face curtain), ilichachvan, chashman, chimmet, as it is called in different localities. Chachvan is dense enough for a woman to hide her face, but at the same time it allows her to see the world around her. The burqa is thrown over the chachvan, the upper ends of which are fastened together to form a cap, and in this form it is put on the headdress. Very often in conversations you can hear that Muslim women cover their faces with a burqa - this is not entirely accurate. The burqa hides the woman's figure, and the chachvan (chashmband) hides the face. The fallacy of this expression stems from the fact that people unfamiliar with the intricacies of Central Asian costume perceive the burqa and chachvan as a single whole, and sometimes even mean by burqa only a mesh that covers the face - chachvan.

At first glance, the burqa makes a very peculiar impression, it seems completely different from all other types of Central Asian clothing. However, a detailed analysis of its cut makes it clear that it is essentially the same as the cut of a regular robe: a straight piece of fabric forms the front and back, sleeves are sewn to it at the shoulder line, and the sides are underneath. The sleeves, as on all types of Central Asian tunic-like clothing, consist of transverse pieces of fabric sewn along the edges. Since they were not used when worn, but were thrown behind the back, they were made very long and narrow.

The unnecessary gusset in the burqa, which protected the seams of the sleeves and sides from tears when using the sleeves for their intended purpose, was absent from the burqa. This is the only element of the cut that was not here. The collar on the burqa was a mandatory accessory; it had the same cut as on the robe. A lining was also required, which at the bottom, on the floors and hem, turned into elegant under-shelves made of colorful fabric.

The connection between the burqa and a man's, and not a woman's, robe is revealed through many features of its cut and design. This is evidenced not only by the presence of a collar on the burqa, but also by the trimming of its sides with braid (the women's robe was edged only with black edging). A small piece of braid was sewn under the sleeves of a man's robe and burqa, which indicated that there once was a hole here, since the edges were trimmed with braid to protect them from tears. On men's robes, through such holes, men pulled out their hands to perform ablution before the fivefold prayer, if it had to be performed outside the home. There was no this piece of braid on women's robes: they did not have to pray outside the home. This was done only by women from wealthy families who had reached old age and were freer from household work, which, according to custom, was transferred to their daughters-in-law.

The sleeves of the burqa were thrown behind the back. In everyday life they were called not sleeves, but the tail of the burqa. In order for these sleeves to lie well, they were quilted several times lengthwise, and at the bottom, at a distance of 15-20 cm from the ends of the sleeves, they were fastened together. At the place of fastening, decorations were sewn on, which at the beginning of the 20th century consisted of two strips of white or black braid, less often green or purple velvet, trimmed along the edges with black or white silk fringe with metallic sparkles at the ends of double-twisted threads forming this fringe. Sometimes beads took the place of sparkles. Often the decorations were rosettes embroidered with gold or pieces of brocade cut into a pattern. On old women's burqas, the sleeves were fastened with two pieces of braid, sewn diagonally, ends down. Such ribbons were used in their youth, that is, at the end of the 19th century.

Similar decorations were also attached to the floors, at the level of the chin, where there was a clasp or tie that held the burqa on the head. The burqa was fastened under the chin with a button and loop. The buttons were either mother-of-pearl - Russian factory production - or silver, made by local jewelers; they were spherical and hollow. Buttons appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century, and before that, ties were used, called the same as the ties on men's dressing gowns - kamarcha.

Rich burqas sometimes had one more decoration: flat silver plaques were sewn all over the collar. The sides and hem of the burqa were trimmed with sherosi-type braid; woven braid was used less frequently, and even less often, cross-stitched braid (iroki). Unlike the Tashkent and Fergana burqas, the Samarkand one did not have decorative pockets trimmed with braid with tassels at the ends. The patterns were different, but the same name was used for all of them - “chamois trace”.

An interesting fact is that even where wearing a burqa was mandatory, this type of clothing was not sewn at home, unlike all other parts of the costume. The sewing of burqas was carried out by professional women who worked both on orders from traders and for private customers. Often all the women of the family were engaged in this trade - mother, daughters, daughters-in-law. This work was well paid, and, in addition, the customer brought gifts to the craftswoman. It took at least two months to sew a burqa well and embroider it with hand stitch. For the bazaar, sewing was done less carefully; the embroidery was often machine-made, which could be done in a few days. Considering the complexity of the work, customers came to the craftswoman with gifts, bringing cakes, sweets, dry fruits, a piece of fabric for a dress, or at least a muslin scarf. While the burqa was being sewn, the customer came more than once with small offerings. The customers brought the braid and tassels needed for the burqa to the craftswoman ready-made, having bought them at the market. If a burqa was ordered for a daughter’s wedding, the craftswoman was sure to be invited to the wedding as a token of gratitude and, in addition to food, they were given inexpensive fabric for the dress.

The burqa didn't have to be ordered too often. The first burqa was sewn for a girl when she was 9 years old, then one or two when she got married. In very rich families, they gave as a dowry up to four burqas made of expensive materials: benares, brocade, velvet. Over the course of her life, a woman would wear two or three burqas.

With the development of trade, the burqa began to be sewn from imported fabrics. In Fergana and Tashkent, for example, young women wore a burqa made of colored plush or velvet, as well as silk fabrics embroidered with white threads. Sometimes the burqa was even made from red or red-white striped fabric, and instead of the heavy chachvan, light white fabric was used.

Since the 70s of the 19th century, handicraft semi-silk pari-pasha fabric with a narrow stripe of blue, black and grayish-white colors, based on equal proportions of white silk threads and blue paper, has been used for the burqa. Young women from wealthy families used semi-silk benares fabric of silver-gray color with moire, which was called “silver-forged” or “Egyptian” for its beautiful silvery tint. It was woven from yarn of the same colors, but two to three times more white silk was introduced into the base than blue paper, which formed the thinnest stripes across white background. WITH late XIX centuries, burqas appeared from local, handicraft and imported factory silk, brocade and satin with woven Chinese patterns, which were imported from Kashgar. At the beginning of the 20th century, burqas began to be sewn from velvet in purple, green, yellow colors. Until the 20th century, burqas were without any decorations, such as tassels, colored braid and embroidery. The burqa was always sewn by hand. Even when the sewing machine appeared, they only processed the collar, making 8-10 rows of decorative edging.

After the revolution, the burqa gradually fell out of use. Only sometimes on the wedding day the bride was taken to the groom’s house under a burqa and the next day in a burqa she was taken out to bow to the groom’s relatives. A few days after the wedding, when the newlywed’s parents arranged a treat, inviting their daughter to her new relatives, the young woman sometimes went there in a burqa. After this, the burqa was hidden in a chest until the death of its owner (at the beginning of the 20th century, the burqa began to replace one of the mursaks (a type of women's robe without a collar) to cover the stretcher with the body of the deceased). When the burqa was brought from the cemetery, it was hung in the house on a wooden nail along with other clothes of the deceased. During life, it was not customary to hang a burqa, as it was believed that this could bring death.

Neither the owners nor the guests entered the house wearing a burqa and chachvan. It was impossible to offend the owners of the house more than to enter their home without taking off the burqa, which would mean wishing for death. Only the women who washed the dead entered the house without taking off their burqas and, without greeting anyone, walked in the burqas to where the dead man lay. Usually, when women entered the courtyard, they took off the chachvan and waited for the hostess to come out, who was supposed to remove the burqa from her arrival. If the hostess did not do this, it would be disrespectful and would cause great resentment. But at the wake, those who came were obliged to take off their burqa themselves and, without waiting for the hosts, put it somewhere.

The main purpose of the burqa was to hide a woman from prying eyes, but it also performed another function - to protect a woman from everything “unclean”, forbidden, “evil” eyes. This can explain the attitude of women themselves towards the burqa. When she came home, the Muslim woman threw it somewhere in a corner or stuck it behind the crossbar in the hallway. That is, the burqa was considered something that could bring trouble. Such a superstitious attitude was also due to the fact that chachvan was black, and black, according to popular beliefs, brings bad luck. In this regard, when, after the marriage ceremony, the bride was taken to the groom’s house, her face, instead of chachwan, was covered with a light white cloth, the color of which is designed to attract happiness.

Wearing, putting on and taking off the burqa was regulated by custom, etiquette and superstitions, the knowledge of which was instilled from childhood. When leaving the house, the burqa along with the chachvan was carried out on outstretched arms and thrown over the head in the yard, and only at the gate the chachvan was lowered onto the face. It was believed that if you wear a burqa at home, it could bring trouble to its inhabitants. Etiquette also required that the guest, as soon as she entered the courtyard, fold back the chachvan, but the hostess of the house herself removed the burqa from the guest. In the same way, when a guest left the house, the hostess or her daughter threw a burqa over the head of the leaving woman.

Despite the fact that the burqa was street clothes, and besides, it was worn on the head, covering the face; they were careful only with new burqas made of expensive material, which few had. Even women who were accustomed to dressing beautifully did not consider it obligatory to have a good burqa. Often patches could be seen on the burqas, sometimes from a different fabric. Having entered someone else's house for a moment, and not wanting to make it difficult for the hostess to prepare a place to sit, the guest sat down on her burqa, rolled up in a ball and thrown on the ground.

Apparently, the reason for such a careless attitude towards the burqa was that it made a woman indistinguishable from other women. Before the custom of making elegant burqas arose, these clothes could tell a little about their owner, her social status, and age. At first, most women wore identical burqas made of blue paper alachi. It was also used to make old men's robes and old women's munisaks, which at the end of the 19th century acquired the meaning of mourning ones. Only starting from the last decade of the 19th century, when changes in everyday life appeared in connection with the emergence of capitalist relations, rich families began to make burqas from colored Russian velvets, and along with paper alacha, semi-silk handicraft fabrics - gray pari-pasha ("fly's wing") - spread. ) and other expensive and beautiful fabrics, the burqa lost its depersonalizing character, and, naturally, the attitude towards it changed.

Like any other clothing, the burqa had its own regional and social characteristics. Based on the quality of the fabric and color, it was possible to determine not only the age and social status of its owner, but also the region where the burqa was made. Many robes were decorated with embroidery, the patterns of which reflected folk beliefs. Some details were attributed a magical character, others were associated with local pre-Islamic cults. Sometimes the embroideries retained traces of the influence of Zoroastrianism. These ornaments were supposed to serve as a kind of talismans (amulets), protect against the evil eye, evil spirits and other troubles.

The cut of the burqa has changed little over time. The main changes were the ornament and length of the robe. At first, the length reached the ankle, but then the burqa began to be made shorter - it was just below the knees, and the edge of the dress or trousers was visible. The false sleeves also became shorter. At first they were longer than the burqa, so that they almost dragged along the ground, later they were even with the hem of the burqa, and then they became even shorter. Some burqas on both floors had slits lined with vertical braid, simulating pockets. Through these slits a woman could hold the reins while riding. Over time, the slits lost their utilitarian meaning and disappeared, but two braids were still sewn side by side in these places, which were previously used to cover all the holes for strength.

Like robes, the burqa was always lined, usually from cheap material - printed matting, colorful chintz. The floors were hemmed with a wide sub-floor made of a bias strip 50 centimeters wide, usually from variegated adras, under which some old fabric was placed in one or two layers so that the floors would lie better. The burqa was trimmed with a narrow edging made from an oblique strip of fabric. A woven braid was sewn next to the edging. Until the 90s of the 19th century, woven braid was used, then woven braid, three fingers wide, with a narrow stripe, reminiscent of pari-pasha fabric, came into fashion. Since the beginning of the 20th century. a smooth black braid appeared, on which a pattern was embroidered with a cross using colored silks, and next to the braid there was single-color (black, white or yellow) satin stitch embroidery. Initially, the embroidery on burqas was narrow and modest. But with the spread of fashion for lush and bright burqas, the ornament became more complex. On ancient burqas, the “black pepper” pattern was most often embroidered in the form of small circles located in one row between two straight lines. Later, a zigzag pattern appeared, called the “snake trail,” which was very common throughout Central Asia, and larger circles called “jugs” began to be placed next to the stripes. Even later, the “curl” pattern came into use, also very common in applied arts Central Asia, and a “niche” pattern in the form of the Arabic letter “sin” facing in opposite directions. On the false pockets and on the part of the burqa that fell on the crown of the head, curls, twigs, ram's horns, etc. were additionally embroidered, and tassels appeared.

It is characteristic that when preparing a sarpa for themselves - a set of clothes that should be useful to a person “in the next world”, women did not include a burqa in it. It was believed that if you do not include shoes in the sarpa, you can be resurrected barefoot, and if you do not prepare clothes, then naked. Sarpa (sometimes even several sets) was given to the body washers. It was only at the beginning of the 20th century that older women began to sew the burqa and include it in the sarpa.

When sending the bride a full set of clothes and shoes, the groom's family was not obliged to include a burqa: the bride's parents made it themselves at their own expense. This allows us to conclude that the burqa was not part of the traditional, long-existing types of clothing.

By the time of the revolution, the burqa had become mandatory for women of all ages. Girls who reached maturity, which in Islam is 9 years old, were already required to wear a burqa. They were given special red burqas made of inexpensive paper fabric, since they were not designed to be worn for a long time.

FACE CURTAIN.

The appearance of face curtains was not associated with the burqa: the custom of covering the face, widespread in the east, dates back to ancient Mongolian customs.

The black net covering the face (chachvan) is a rectangular piece of horsehair cloth. The length of the chachwan varied in different places. In Tashkent, the most common chachvan was hip-length, in Fergana - up to the knees, and in Samarkand - up to the waist.

Chachvans were made by special craftsmen, as a rule, not Uzbeks. Only in Namangan and Andijan did several Uzbek families do this. The production of chachvans, which were supplied to the bazaars of Tashkent, was concentrated in the hands of Tajiks, Lyuli gypsies - for whom chachvans were made by artisans who made sieves (which also used horsehair) - and Kuramins. One chachvan, if handled with care, was enough for a lifetime. The chachvans made by Tajiks were considered the best: they were soft, flexible, and did not break. This was achieved by boiling horsehair in water with adobe or straw. Chachvans made by gypsies were rougher and broke at the folds, wearing out quickly.

Chachvans were made exclusively from black horsehair; at the bottom they had a denser stripe woven with white hair into a pattern. Sometimes custom-made chachvans were decorated with small blue or pink beads interspersed throughout the entire field or forming a simple pattern located in the form of a wide stripe running either along the bottom or evenly narrow stripes throughout the chachvan. Most often, chachvan was sewn with a needle, but there were also woven ones of lower quality. Working with a needle was painstaking and difficult: the hair had to lie in water all the time to give it flexibility. The warp was pulled in a circle onto a wooden hoop, the weft was pushed with a needle, either over the warp thread, or under it, so that the work technique resembled darning. The finished chachvan looked like a bag. In this form, the chachvan removed from the hoop was sold at the bazaar. The buyer cut the chachwan herself and, to prevent the hair from falling off, she immediately trimmed it on four sides with strips of black satin or velvet. The bottom stripe was often decorated with silk embroidery, iroki (cross stitch), and later machine embroidery. The upper ends of the chachwan were fastened together (usually with an air loop and a button) and placed on the head with the resulting cap. The burqa was thrown over the chachvan, and special ties under the chin held it so that it did not slip off the head.

In Central Asia, black mesh did not become widespread: a significant part of the female population of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the female population of villages, even where seclusion was widespread, did not wear chachvans. Their late appearance is explained by a superstitious attitude towards them, since a number of customs and beliefs were associated with wearing chachvan. Chachvan, because of its black color, was considered dangerous and could bring misfortune, so girls, as a rule, did not wear chachvan, but covered their faces with muslin (doka). If girls from rich families had chachvan, then when they got married they did not bring it to the groom’s house. After the wedding, the husband, or rather his father, bought the chachvan. It was not customary to take or give clothes to each other, and this primarily concerned chachwan and shoes, since it was believed that the owner of the clothes could magically transmit her illness or misfortune through her breath or sweat. At the same time, chachvan had the meaning of a talisman: it was believed that black horsehair would evil spirits. Therefore, the newborn was covered with the mother’s chachvan, and during the ritual of the first position in the cradle, in order to cleanse it of evil spirits, they hit the cradle with chachvan. They did the same when they went to visit, and there they had to put the child in someone else’s cradle that had not been used for a long time.

When moving to her husband's house, the young wife wore a burqa and a beautifully embroidered face curtain (ruband or ru-fluff), which was a family heirloom and passed from mother to daughter for many decades. Only a bride from a wealthy family could afford a new face curtain, which was worn once or twice in her life.

CONCLUSION.

The formation of Muslim women's clothing in Central Asia was a long and complex process. The appearance of the burqa is associated with religious fanaticism, which was a reaction to everything progressive, especially intensified after the death of the enlightened ruler of Samarkand Ulugbek, as well as with the gradual deepening of the influence of orthodox Islam in subsequent centuries. This explains the widespread use of the burqa and the seclusion of women, especially among the urban population of the Muslim centers of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and the absence of the burqa in the rest of the region, even among the rural population.

Why was it the ceremonial robe - faraji - that served as the starting point for the appearance of the burqa head cape? Perhaps because during late Middle Ages it was the dress of the clergy. But it may also be because the term “faraji” in the territory of the former ancient Sogdiana, where the burqa was widespread in modern times, referred to ritual clothing that was associated in the past with the cult of Anahita - the deity of the Zoroastrian pantheon, the mother goddess and fertility, the patroness of agriculture , who personified the fertile waters of the Amu Darya and the solar deity Mithra in Central Asia. And this ritual clothing has long been part of the costume of the bride, who, according to Central Asian beliefs, was the embodiment on earth of the goddess of fertility, her earthly double.

Analysis of the cut of the burqa allows us to draw a number of conclusions. The burqa, like a cape that hides the figure of a Muslim woman, became associated with Islam only in the last stages of its history, and it was not the Arabs who brought it to Central Asia. It developed from local forms of clothing in accordance with ideological and social norms life of Central Asian society. The tradition of wearing clothes has developed over many centuries in the process of communication between the inhabitants of Central Asia and neighboring peoples and with changes in social sphere. At different stages of its history, Central Asia was part of various states (ancient Iranian, Arab, Mongolian, Russian), so there were enough opportunities for mutual influence and direct borrowing. But the influence of other peoples for many centuries was hampered by the force of traditions, which were required to be strictly observed, and deviation from them was seen as a violation of the vital foundations of society. But as long as the patriarchal way of life is preserved, the power of tradition will not disappear. That is why there is so much originality and originality in the clothing of the peoples of Central Asia.

The separation of the peoples of Central Asia from Russia at the end of the twentieth century gave impetus to the restoration of independence and self-determination of the peoples of these countries. The return of the Central Asian peoples to the norms of Islam revives the wearing of head capes in everyday clothing. So far, the influence of extremists in Central Asian countries is not significant, but as their influence increases, the number of women wearing head coverings will increase sharply, as was the case in Afghanistan, when the Taliban came to power and hid women in their homes, prohibiting them from appearing on the streets without the accompaniment of their husbands, from walking to work and schools. Now, for violating this decree, a woman in Taliban-controlled areas will face either prison sentence or flogging.

Extremism (called fundamentalism) is associated with Islam while it is political and not religious in nature. Fundamentalism stems from the ethnic and political traditions of individual countries and is not inherent in Islam itself as a religion. Islam, freed from political bias, is very tolerant, flexible and modern. In a number of countries, national traditions not associated with Islamic canons leave a strong imprint on Muslim norms. In countries where appropriate education of the population is not provided, ethnic traditions become intertwined with Islamic ideas and often not only simplify, but also distort Islamic values.

In fact, there is no veil or burqa in traditional Sunni Islam. Wearing a burqa to cover a woman's face is not a mandatory requirement of Islam, as many people mistakenly believe. This is just a tradition accepted in some Muslim communities. As for some backward states, where bags with slits for the eyes are put on women's heads, this medieval barbarity is explained not by the requirements of Sharia, but by the private aspirations of men, their lack of culture, fanaticism and obscurantism.

A believing woman is required to wear a headscarf or a special spacious veil - a “hijab”, which are symbols of the dignity of a Muslim woman, while her face remains uncovered. Clothing must comply with the generally accepted concepts of modesty in Islam: not tight-fitting, not transparent or low-cut, dresses and skirts should not have any slits and their length should be as long as possible. Shariah prohibits the wearing of wigs, especially for men, false nails and other false elements, prohibits plucking eyebrows, but allows religious women to use perfume and cosmetics within reasonable limits.

Michael Dorfman

PROS AND CONS OF BURAQ

May 2011, sensusnovus.ru

Just a few years ago I would not have thought that anyone would be interested in thinking about the burqa. I've never seen a burqa. Is it only in movies, in Soviet documentaries 20s about Central Asia. There they showed how the Bolsheviks were liberating the working women of the East from the “legacy of the past.” A friend of mine, a devout practicing Muslim who does not object to the veil and wears an open traditional headscarf (hijab), said that she herself would not mind banning this cotton robe with false sleeves and a hairnet, which was worn on women in Central Asia. The matter has not yet reached the burqa, but the hijab, and after it the burqa, veil and niqab, are returning to our lives and causing a storm of passions.

Sarkozy against the First Amendment

In early April, French authorities began to enforce a ban on wearing full-face niqabs and burkas. Unlike Italy, where women who wear the niqab are sometimes subject to a 1970s law banning wearing masks in public (passed in the fight against left-wing terrorists from the Red Brigades), in France they decided to call a spade a spade. After all, most French people consider appearing on the streets in a niqab and other ritual clothing that covers the face a threat to the secular character of the French Republic.

IN European Union have not decided how to treat women's Muslim clothing.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that the niqab is a means of humiliation and new form enslavement of women. “The burqa is not welcome in France. We cannot accept the presence of women locked away in burqa prison, stripped of their pride and their identity...” the president explained.

In Muslim countries, the news was received differently. Although the times have passed when Arab nationalists-Nasserists and Baathists tore off the veil and niqab in the streets. In some Muslim countries, wearing such headdresses, even if the hijab does not cover the face, is prohibited in public places. In Syria, this ban was only recently confirmed. In the Muslim world, popular protests against their own authorities are in full swing. Women in hijabs and niqabs often lead demonstrations in Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Palestine, and do not look enslaved at all. At least on TV screens. And it is not customary to use the same iron fist against female demonstrators as against male demonstrations, so as not to further inflame the atmosphere. Still, there is a clear line between men and women in Muslim countries, which it is better not to cross, so as not to cause even bigger problems.

France has the largest Muslim community in Europe, and Muslim circles are protesting against government measures. Until now, the struggle has taken place in a civilized manner. So far, the bloody riots, terrorist attacks and violent demonstrations promised by various extremists have not occurred.

Go outside naked

I first encountered the hijab issue when I lived in France in the early 1980s. The niqab was not worn then. And even now, among nearly five million Muslims in France, only about two thousand wear it. At first, women wearing hijab seemed more than strange to me and caused rejection. However, I soon made Muslim friends and began to understand the complexity of the situation. Many Muslim women among my friends - Iranians, Kurds or Arabs - did not differ in clothes from French students. But men, especially those from North Africa, openly mocked women who wore the hijab. Various obscene things were said about such people, they were derogatorily called shalika, which in Maghreb Arabic means a doormat. Indeed, in some Muslim countries, the veil is often used by prostitutes as work clothing, which is a great way to help them maintain anonymity.

An elusive graffiti artist known as Princess Hijab is currently active in the Paris metro.

Women in niqabs appeared in my company later, when I was helping organize aid for Algerian emigrants fleeing the brutal civil war, unleashed by a secular nationalist junta that overthrew the power of the Islamist bloc that won democratic elections. The refugees were different - strictly observant Muslims and sophisticated intellectuals who received a European education. They were pursued by both sides.

The current French legislation prohibiting the niqab may satisfy the French man in the street, neutralizing criticism of right-wing and fascist forces, but does nothing to integrate these women into society. The noble defense of the dignity of women and the truly lovely values ​​of the French way of life sometimes turns out to be not a defense for such women, but a delegitimation of their religion and their right to choose. It is unacceptable when the state prohibits people from wearing something, be it a niqab or a yellow and purple mohawk. Western society has always appealed to Muslims for tolerance (as in the case of Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad), freedom and democracy. When it comes to freedom and tolerance in the West, they are suppressed with all the power of the state.

Opinions among human rights activists are divided. The ban on the niqab was also supported by some Muslim human rights activists and feminists. One of them, Egyptian Mona Eltahaoui from Columbia University, believes that the niqab should be banned everywhere, not just in France. However, I also met Mona in a headscarf. She claims that it is a matter of choice, whether I want to wear it or not.

“The niqab is completely different,” says Eltahaoui. – The niqab is part of a misogynistic ideology that deprives a woman of all rights except the right to wear the niqab. It is dangerous for Islam itself to associate piety with the concealment of a woman. As for the state ban, the state constantly prohibits something, say, appearing naked in public places, even in the citadel of freedom of speech America...”

I myself once tried to walk like this around Paris in a company of like-minded people, and I think that they treated us the same way they treat wearing a niqab. Only the police did not persuade us, as they were ordered to do in the case of Muslim women, but took us away and fined us. In the United States, it is prohibited to appear in robes and masks, as this is reminiscent of the terror of the Ku Klux Klan. Yes, and other clothing codes, although not issued by the state, are mandatory. In my office there are several books from different companies with whom I work. There are strictly prescribed uniforms in which to appear for work.

The girl says the following about her activities: “If my works concerned exclusively the ban on the burqa, they would not have such a long-term resonance. But I believe that the ban on wearing the burqa in France opened the eyes of the whole world to the problem of integration in this country.”

When Muslim women themselves, who have come to the West in search of freedom, try to argue with the statements of conservative circles, they are simply excluded from the discussion (at best) as insufficiently pious. In the worst case, this could lead to more serious problems from all sorts of extremists.

Liberalism is giving up

Mona Eltahaoui has something to say about the racism of the Sarkozy government. Liberalism is collapsing under racist pressure from the right. And not only in France. She organized demonstrations against Islamophobia and picketed in defense of a mosque in Manhattan at the height of the Islamophobic campaign in the United States in the summer of 2010. She also accuses conservative Muslim circles of misogyny, of seeking to use liberal and anti-clerical French laws for clerical and reactionary purposes. “We must resist both secular racism and Islamophobia and religious obscurantism,” says Eltahaoui.

"The niqab is part of a misogynistic ideology," says Mona Eltahaoui.

There are such examples. Rakhshandra is an immigrant from Pakistan and works in a store where I sometimes buy spices and sweets. I witnessed several times how female customers angrily reprimanded her. Rakhshandra told me that her fellow countrymen reproach her for marrying an American, for “showing her body,” and for other sins. Sometimes they complained to her owner, but he always supported her. Sometimes people would come up to her on the street with insults and shout “witch” to her. Rakhshandra is afraid for herself, afraid for her job, for her children, but does not want to cover her face or hair.

Dr. Taj Kharjei says that nowhere in the Koran is there a niqab or burqa, that this is a cultural deformity, a legacy of pre-Islamic times, borrowed from the Byzantine and Persian Empire, where a woman was seen as property and this property was hidden from prying eyes. He even staged a public burning of the burqa to stir up debate. “This is a cultural rag,” he said, “misogyny, a means of power over women.” Harjay is the imam of the Orthodox Muslim Congregation mosque and chairman of the Muslim Educational Center in Oxford (England). He believes that the burqa could be banned, and calls his many critics Muslim McCarthyites.

“History itself does not change anything,” An-Naj Talib Abd ur-Rashid, imam of the Muslim Brotherhood Mosque at 113th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan, told me. “It is necessary for African Americans themselves to understand their history in America and themselves as an equal, distinctive and integral part of American society... We must define ourselves,” he said, opening a closet where several traditional Arabic galabiya blouses hung wrapped in plastic. “See, I stopped wearing them about five years ago when I realized they didn’t express who I am.” Instead, the imam wears the long, charcoal-colored tunic that has been common among American Muslims for decades: “It's part of our desire to create our own cultural identity. Something not Arabic. After all, I am not an Arab, I don’t look like an Arab and I don’t speak like an Arab. I don't think you have to dress like them or look like them to be a real Muslim." This interview, done at one time for a Muslim Russian magazine, led me to meet Russian Muslims. One reader wrote at the time: “Black Muslims' accommodation problems are remarkably similar to ours; and when coincidences are discovered in the conflicts between “us” and “them” among those who are the firmament of American Islam, with our battle for a place in the Sun, this encourages us.”

Wearing Muslim headwear, no matter how you look at it, does not harm other people. Therefore, it is quite difficult to rationally explain why the niqab must be sacrificed to social harmony, liberation and the comfortable feelings of the majority. In France they are sure that it is possible.

my friend student years Gustmaneh now holds an important post in one of the Tehran ministries. I remember her completely different, in trousers and a T-shirt, with a shock of thick black hair. Now she is wearing a strict veil, completely hiding her figure. I don’t know if she could sit like that with a stranger in a Tehran hotel cafe, but we met in France after many years.

The tradition of covering the face appeared long before the rise of Islam.

“I put on and wear a veil not because Iranian law requires it. I wanted to be a full member of Islamic society. I can wear a veil, I can wear something else. However, there are many women who, based on their religiosity, consider it necessary to cover their faces. So why not give them this opportunity, accept them as full citizens in society? IN secular times Shah of Iran, the conservative Iranian majority preferred to keep their daughters at home. After the Islamic revolution, separate education was introduced at universities and millions of women from very conservative families went there to study, acquired education and professions. The bloody Iran-Iraq war that killed more than a million men. These women took their places, were able to realize themselves in life... Of course, there are problems, there is resistance, but this is always the case in life... Moreover, these women cannot be alienated, because there are very few of them in Europe. And this will not help women in Muslim countries in any way...”

Where does tolerance end?

Of course, in the Muslim world there is coercion and terror. The extreme manifestation is the terrorism of the Taliban mujahideen against girls' schools, the assassination and murder of women who do not correspond to their ideas of how to look decent. These are strict laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Saudi Kingdom, limiting not only a woman’s appearance, but also her right to movement. There are plenty of problems in Muslim society.

Not all Muslims consider Tariq Ramadan theirs.

Tariq Ramadan, grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood and professor at the Department of Modern Islamic Studies at Oxford University, believes that “the current actions of the French authorities, like similar developments in other Western European countries, have nothing to do with the problems of Islamic society.” Tariq Ramadan’s most interesting book “Being a European Muslim” has caused a lot of controversy. He argues that European Muslims constitute a separate and distinctive religious and cultural minority in European society, and are not a conglomerate of visiting diasporas. Ramadan is a controversial figure. Neoconservatives consider him almost an ideologist of terrorism. Among Muslims, opinions about him were also divided.

"This political decision, Ramadan said in an interview on the BBC. – If we want to solve these problems, we must engage in education... Everything that is happening in France and throughout Europe is very alarming symptoms not only for European Muslims, but for all Europeans... This is an attempt to show that they are resisting the Muslim presence in Europe, and has nothing to do with restricting freedom. After all, among women in niqab there are many converts to Islam who chose this on their own - as a path in life... They encroach on the symbol of religion in order to attack religion itself... And what will they do with the wives of kings and princes coming to France? Are they going to ban them from wearing the niqab too?”

Indeed, there are problems with the implementation of the law. The police are taking on the eradication of the niqab without any desire. They do not have the powers that Soviet communists, Ataturk supporters or Baathist socialists had in Arab countries. The law says that the first time it is necessary to arrest the offender and carry out educational work with her. If it doesn’t help, you should be fined 150 euros. And if it turns out that a woman was forced to wear a niqab, then the husband faces a fine of up to 30,000 euros and up to two years in prison.

During the previous campaign against hijabs in schools, the French authorities also banned Jewish yarmulkes and some other Christian symbols for the sake of equality. So maybe the robes of priests should be banned at the same time? Supporters of the hijab ban believe not. Angelika Pobedonostseva, who interned at Istanbul University, told an interesting case when, in response to the ban on the hijab in Turkey, a woman cut her hair bald, she noted that “we must relate to the specific socio-cultural phenomenon of coercion, inequality and violence against women that actually exists in the Muslim world. There are situations when women refuse medical care because of the need to show their faces to strangers, when a woman does not go to vote (after all, according to Sharia, the testimony of one man is equivalent to the testimony of two women).”

In the 80s in France, I met wonderful schoolgirls in hijabs and realized that wearing them could be a means of protesting against discrimination in schools, but even more against the male chauvinism of their fathers and brothers in fairly secular, but far from liberal emigrant families. The girls wanted to stay in French public schools rather than go to Muslim ones, where no one would stop them from wearing the hijab. But adherence to religious codes and rules helped them maintain their own dignity, allowed them to keep their distance and protected them from tyranny, gave them legitimation to be themselves, not to be someone else’s property.

Oppression and humiliation exist in all religious groups, however, in modern discussions, if this is mentioned, it is only in passing, and it all ends with the condemnation of Islam for the desire of Muslims to wear a hijab, a burqa, to build minarets in Switzerland or a mosque near the twin towers destroyed by a terrorist attack in Manhattan. It is interesting that both Tariq Ramadan and Mona Eltahaoui are accused of trying to make a woman invisible and humiliate her. Only each blames the other side for this: Eltahawy - the Muslim defenders of the niqab, and Ramadan - the European opponents.