burka

burka, a loose outer garment worn primarily in public spaces by some Muslim women. It covers the body and face, usually incorporating a mesh panel through which the wearer can see. The burka comes in a variety of colours, but blue is the most common choice, and it often features embroidery on the cap and throughout the front. In addition, the garment is usually pleated in the back.

The term burka refers only to the types of body coverings worn in southern Central Asia. However, even within that geographic region, the styles of burkas and names for the article of clothing have varied over time. Indeed, burka is often used interchangeably with chadari, but the chadari is a slightly different garment that is primarily worn in Afghanistan. The use of the burka and its counterparts depends on religious interpretation, geographic location, civil law, or personal choice.

Wearing the burka and other garments such as the hijab, niqab, and chador is often mistaken as required Islamic convention. Yet the practice of so-called veiling is not one of the five pillars of Islam, and both the Qurʾān (the holy book of Islam) and Hadith (the traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) are somewhat ambiguous on proper attire. There is a consensus among Muslim scholars that both men and women should dress modestly, but they continue to debate the extent of women’s covering and whether it includes their head, face, or entire body. Some advocate the practice of veiling, while others argue that Sharīʿah—Islamic law—requires nothing more than conservative clothing.

The practice of veiling long preceded the rise of Islam in the 7th century, and it continues to be observed by some Christians and Jews in the 21st century. Islam thus did not invent the convention of veiling but probably incorporated local customs as it spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and to southeastern Asia, northern Africa, and southern Europe over the centuries. Some women are required by law to wear the burka, as was the case during the Taliban’s regime in Afghanistan in 1996–2001. Conversely, some women are prohibited by law from wearing the burka or any article of clothing that covers the face, as in France and Belgium, where governments implemented laws against such clothing in public spaces (2011). Opponents of these “burka bans,” however, argued that the laws violate a woman’s right to express her piety, cultural heritage, or her privacy.