What is the difference between a niqab, a burka and a hijab?
MANY Muslim women around the world choose to cover their hair, head and sometimes face.
Covering up is seen as a symbol of modesty and a sign of religious faith - but some countries have banned niqabs, burkas and hijabs.
What is a niqab?
The niqab is a veil that conceals the face.
It is worn along with a headscarf, leaving only the eyes exposed.
The covering usually flows down to the mid-back and may carry on down to the mid-chest at the front.
The niqab is mainly worn by women in Arab countries, but some Muslim women from Western countries also choose to wear it.
What is a hijab?
The word hijab describes the act of covering up and is generally used for the type of heads scarves worn by Muslim women.
A hijab covers the head and neck – but leaves the face uncovered.
World Hijab Day on February 1 is an annual event that asks people across the globe, of all faiths, to wear a hijab for a day in solidarity with Muslim women who choose live to a life of modesty worldwide.
The event was first celebrated in 2013 and aims to "create a more peaceful world where global citizens respect each other".
The day particularly focuses on "fighting bigotry, discrimination, and prejudice against Muslim women".
What is a burka?
Covering the full face and body, a burka is the form of Islamic dress that conceals the most.
Those who wear the burka have their face completely covered, with a mesh cloth covering their eyes.
The mesh panel allows the wearer to see but leaves the eyes hidden.
The burka is often associated with Afghanistan, and is also often worn in West Pakistan and other Central Asian countries.
What is a chador?
The chador is a full-body cloak designed worn by women when they leave their home.
A chador is usually black and those who wear one must grasp the chador closed at the front as it has no clasps or fastenings.
A smaller headscarf is commonly worn underneath.
The garment is most commonly worn in Iran.
What is a khimar?
The khimar is a long veil that falls to just above waist level.
It covers the wearer’s hair, neck and shoulders but leaves the face visible.
It is popular among Egyptian women.
Which countries have banned the niqab, the burka and other traditional headwear?
Over the past decade, a number of European countries have joined African nations including Cameroon, Chad and Niger in banning women from wearing full-face coverings - many in response to an increased threat of terrorism.
Many nations have banned various forms of Islamic headwear - many in the last decade. These include:
- Sri Lanka - The country banned burkas in 2021 following a spate of suicide attacks on o-ordinated attacks on hotels and churches on Easter Sunday that killed at least 250 people and injured hundreds. Officials said the coverings were a "sign of religious extremism".
- Tunisia - In 2019, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed banned the niqab n Tunisian government offices "for security reasons".
- Austria - Burqas were banned by the government in 2017. A further ban in 2019 prevents primary school children from wearing niqabs.
- Denmark - A law introduced in 2018 means police are able to instruct women to remove their veils or order them to leave public areas.
- France - The first European country to introduce the ban in 2010. The law prevents the wearing of face-covering headgear, including masks, helmets, balaclavas, niqabs, burqas and other veils covering the face in public places, except under specified circumstances.
- Belgium - A ban on face-covering dress, such as the Islamic niqab or burqa, entered into law in 2011 on the grounds of security, to allow police to identify people. In 2017, the European Court of Human Rights upheld the ban on burqas and full-face Islamic veils. But from September 2021, the ban will be lifted at universities in the French-speaking Wallonia region.
- Netherlands - In 2018, The Dutch Upper House of Parliament passed a law banning face-covering veils in public spaces such as schools, hospitals, public transport and government buildings. The measure doesn't apply to public streets. Headscarves are permitted as the face is still visible.
- Latvia - Despite only 1,000 Muslim women living in Latvia and reportedly just three women in the country wearing one, the government introduced a ban on burqas in 2016.
- Bulgaria - Bulgaria banned the burqa in 2016, with women who do not comply risking having their benefits cut.
- Cameroon - The country the wearing of full-face Islamic veil, including the burqa, in the Fat North region in 2015. It came after two female suicide bombers, dressed in the religious garments, blew themselves up, killing 13 people. The governor of the mainly Muslim region said the measure was to prevent further attacks.
- Tajikistan - Legislation requiring people to "stick to traditional national clothes and culture" was introduced in the central Asian country in 2017. Women in Tajikistan traditionally wear a scarf tied behind the head, rather than a hijab, which wraps under the chin. The ban was widely seen as an attempt to stop women from wearing Islamic clothing.
- Chad - In 2015, Chad also banned people from wearing the full-face veil following two suicide bomb attacks by Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram. The prime minister said the veil was used as a "camouflage" by militants and said security forces would burn all full-face veils sold in markets.
- Congo-Brazzaville - In 2015, authorities banned people from wearing the full-face Islamic veil, including the niqab and the burka, in public places. They also banned Muslims from other countries spending nights in mosques in measures they claimed were designed to counter extremism.
- Gabon - Shortly after Cameroon introduced a ban, Gabon followed suit. The country announced in 2015 that full-face veils would not be permitted in public places and places of work. The mainly Christian country said it was prompted to do so because of the attacks in Cameroon.
- China - China banned women in Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang, wearing burkas and veils to "crack down on religious extremism". The measure followed decades of ethnic and religious discrimination against Xinjiang’s 10 million-strong ethic Uyghur population.
- Morocco - Authorities banned the manufacturing, marketing and sale of the burqa in 2017.
- Norway - The country banned staff wearing the full veil in schools and nurseries.
- Algeria - Algerian authorities in 2018 banned women from wearing full-face veils, or niqabs, at work, citing reasons of identification for the decision.
