The Abaya Is An Example Of How Modest Islamic Clothing Is Mandatory In Some Middle East Cultures

By Rosella Campbell


Women living in the Middle East commonly wear clothing that is modest. In some of the more restrictive countries, women are legally required to be fully-covered by an abaya in public. But, in some of the Islamic countries, modest islamic clothing is pretty and trimmed in bright colors.

The Holy Quran is the Islamic religious book. It tells followers to dress in a modest way. The hijab that women wear is a veil, which goes over the head and covers the chest. If visitors are men, it must also be worn inside the home.

The word hijab means veil in Arabic. When it refers to separating men and women in public, it is Al-hijab, which means to separate the world from Allah or God. It is a matter of both privacy and religious conformity in the Muslim world.

In some places, Iran for example it is against the law for a woman to go out in public without wearing the hijab. The chador is a loose cape type garment that has a hemline at the floor level. These are made of thin fabric to allow for more air to circulate and keep one cool.

More restrictive garments are worn by women in some cultures. The Taliban are required to wear a burka in public. This garment covers all of a women except for the eyes.

Men in the Muslim culture are supposed to be covered from their naval to their knees. Clothing for men and women must fit loosely. Other countries are trying to forbid women from wearing the hijab in private and state schools. However, the women there want to continue to wear it as a form of religious expression.

Until they reach puberty, young girls need not wear the hijab. In many Muslim cultures, the age is not stated. It is usually considered to be at puberty that they begin to wear it.

The women in the Gaza Strip were encouraged to begin wearing hijab, the full covering in the 1970s and 1980s. They were coerced, although not legally forbidden to appear in public without this garment. In the course of this change, women who did not wear it were harassed.

There is a a place where women are beaten if they are not properly covered. There are patrols watching the streets for anyone not wearing the burka. There is a religious fervor driving these strict clothing requirements.

Currently, there is no need for the abaya to be drab and unadorned. There are many that are quite fashionable. But, they still cover the arms to the wrists, are floor length and the head is still covered.

An abaya trimmed in rich gold colored sequins and lace around the wrists and hemline may be worn for a special event. A lace one is lined in emerald green or black to show through the lace. Full sleeves are trimmed in lace on another.

One black burqa is shown with gold embroidery from neckline to below the bust and gold trim at the wrist. Another, an abaya, has a green sequined bodice that is somewhat fitted. The various countries and cultures all have their own rules for the dress code for women.




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