“The white sun of the desert” is almost the only source of our ideas about life, rules of behavior and norms that Islamic women follow. And like any artistic description, this film created in our minds a lot of prejudices, mistakes and prejudices, which we willingly operate to this day. Most people are sure that the burqa is such a kind of veil, designed to hide the face of a woman, while an outsider is not at all forbidden to look, for example, at her navel and waist. But this is not so!
Burqa - not a “curtain” on the face at all
There is a special device, autonomous from the rest of the clothes. It is called “niqab,” and in reality the truth can be compared with a veil thrown over the face. And the burqa is a full-fledged dress. Moreover, it must meet certain requirements. In particular, the robe should not encircle the figure; he must have long sleeves that hide his hands to the very brushes. It is necessary that the head is covered with fabric. The hem should hide even the feet. However, it was not religious attitudes that became the reason to choose just such an outfit for women. Even in Ancient Egypt, it was very popular, because it protected the body and head from the hot sun - let's not forget about the climate reigning in these parts. So the burqa is, first of all (at least in its original purpose), a protection from burns and thermal shock.
Ideology and burqa
As we have already found out, this type of women's clothing was originally not owned by Arabs, nor by Muslims. So Muslim women don’t have to go to the burqa at all, no matter what the “savages” -Europeans think about this. The Qur'an does not regulate the style of robes, it only requires that the body be completely hidden by a cloth, and the head is covered with a scarf. Even the woman's face, like her hands, could remain open. The further development of Islam, its division into Shiites and Sunnis, required the complete concealment not only of the body, but also of the face of the faithful Muslim, and then in one of the trends. However, the texts of the Koran do not require that a woman wear a burqa. It can be loose, not outlining a figure, not short and not transparent clothes - more is not required.
The social significance of the burqa
Any clothes, even democratic jeans, can quite loudly declare the status of its owner. In some past ethnic groups, one could trace the entire genealogy, level of family wealth, number of children, respect for ancestors, and even future prospects. In some ways, such a parameter may be a burqa. That this is not just a passage clothing, one can guess at least by the fact that in many families this type of clothing is stored only for special occasions. Accordingly, according to the fabric, its color, and decorations, it was quite possible to assess which genus a woman belongs to, how rich he is and with whom he is associated. And many embroideries on the veil had a magical character and were amulets. Now in most Muslim countries such a deep meaning of the burqa has already been lost, but knowledgeable people can still determine important things by the clothes of Muslim women.
When an oriental woman can reveal a stranger
First of all, little girls don’t wear a burqa - usually before the first menstruation. It is optional for very elderly women. Beggars do not wear it either. However, Muslim women of high social status can sometimes “open up”. First of all, during the matchmaking, in front of the future husband. Oddly enough for us, a woman can open her face in front of the seller, but on the condition that it "does not lead to temptation." Why do you need to “bare your face" is not specified: maybe when buying jewelry or cosmetics? And the last case is a medical examination. However, the doctor must be a Muslim, better yet, a woman of the “right” faith, and when examined, her husband or close relative is certainly present.
So what is a burqa? For Europeans, this is a symbol of the infringement and lack of rights of Eastern women. However, a look at the traditional attire of the Muslim women themselves is completely opposite. In many Western countries, faithful women require permission to wear a burqa and hide their faces from strangers. So it’s probably worth leaving the question of their clothes to the discretion of Muslim women - at least for the time being, this does not contradict the laws of their country of residence.