In the last decade there has been a meteoric rise in the use of the veil in Muslim communities and countries . Countries of a secular nature such as Egypt, Lebanon or Tunisia have seen an increase in the frequency with which women use Islamic clothing, especially among the new generations of young people who, a priori, should have a more westernist social approach.

The veil has become a rallying cry for some feminist organizations, which perceive it as the last element men use to nullify women’s personality, identity and integrity. Other groups, Muslim or not, defend the freedom for Muslim women to decorate their clothes with the veil , as long as this choice is free and does not come from an imposition, of course.

The burka is also associated with certain forms of Muslim faith, and its use has also generated controversy. Is the use of the veil and the burka an effect of oppression against women ?

Islam and the Veil

As fanciful as it may be, there are differences within the same scholars and specialists in the interpretation of the Koran when it comes to analysing the clothing to be worn by the female faithful.

In one of the verses or suras of the Holy Qur’an, Sura 24:31 An-Nur, it is stated: “[…] and tell the faithful women to spread their jumur over their heads. Jumur is translated by veil, shawl, handkerchief, curtain among others. The etymology comes from the intention of watching , watching over the physical integrity of women in the face of the provocative and adulterous glances of the male sex.

In this sense, the complexity does not result from whether to cover the head or not, but what limits can be placed on the diameter or dimensions to be covered. For this reason, in different countries we find different ways of covering with the veil , where a small percentage of the visible hair, total coverage or half of the hair can be seen in the open air.

The Burka and Female Integrity

The burka piece, on the other hand, does have a more controversial origin . Without going any further, in some Islamic countries it is categorically rejected and prohibited by legislation, such as Iran or Kuwait, where at least the female face has to be shown for security reasons.

In this case, the burqa does respond to a subjective interpretation of some Islamic societies such as the Afghan one, of millenary tribes that understand that the totality of the female figure is beauty, which makes it necessary to completely cover its physique . In Pakistan it is also quite common to wear such attire, which is important given the large population of the country.

Oppression or freedom?

The controversy always extends around the use and its hidden meaning. Should the burka be forbidden? And the veil? The freedom of religion and image rejects any debate, except for some current amendment linked to security, insofar as all citizens must be able to be identified .

Any act of voluntariness should not imply the conceptual punishment of oppression, since freedom of choice should not burden the debate with value judgments, demonizing a purely individual decision. For some Muslim women, the fact of feeling obliged to expose themselves implies oppression itself .

Does the addition of the veil mean oppression or freedom? In any case, let those affected, those interested in wearing it or those who are thinking about it decide. If we give another example of different clothing, we find the Indian chador, which covers 90% of the woman’s body equally , avoiding to mark the feminine silhouette. Who cries out to the sky for it? It is clear that there is an implicit cultural bias at play here, but it is another matter that its existence accounts for all the controversy that has arisen around this type of clothing for women.

The Burkini, solution or problem?

The burkini is an aquatic garment that was invented in 2003 in Australia precisely to resolve all the conflicts created for women who wanted to be able to bathe without having to take their clothes off. The author of the design, Aheda Zanetti, told the BBC: “I invented the burkini to bring cultures closer together, and that seems to bother someone”.

The prohibition of the burkini in the country of egalitè, libertè et fraternitè, has meant another hard setback to the conflict that already existed with the veil or burka . To this end, another analogy can be made that serves to clear up doubts. The surfer’s wetsuit covers from neck to ankle, both for men and women.

While the veil or burqa is in everyday use, it seems strange that a garment that is worn from time to time should generate as much or more controversy. But in reality it is not: the debate comes from the difference between the male and female swimsuit, and the possibility that religion, in the form of a patriarchal imposition, conditions the thinking of Muslim women and those of other religious beliefs.

It can be said that this invention has meant a further advance for the integrity of women that so many Western feminist collectives claim. The participation in the Olympic Games, regional international championships or the participation of women’s water sports in Islamic countries would have happened, among other things, thanks to garments such as the burkini.

However, it can also be said that if until now the representation of women in these countries was limited, it was due to material and ideological impositions that have been articulated through, among other things, the interpretation of the Koran. There is still much debate ahead.