Hijab by country

rdf:langString Hijab by country

rdf:langString In modern usage, ḥijāb (hijab) generally refers to the customary Islamic female headcovering. Wearing hijab is mandatory in certain Islamic countries, and optional or restricted in other majority Muslim and majority non-Muslim countries. In the Indonesian Aceh province, Muslim women are required to wear the hijab and all women are required to do so in Iran and Afghanistan. In countries such as Saudi Arabia, the hijab is not required. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Palestinian school officials have voted to require young girls to wear hijab. Kosovo (since 2009), Azerbaijan (since 2010), Tunisia (since 1981, partially lifted in 2011) and Turkey (gradually and partially lifted) are the only Muslim-majority countries which have banned the burqa in public schools and universities or government buildings. In some Muslim majority countries (like Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia) there have been complaints of restriction or discrimination against women who wear the hijab. The hijab in these cases is seen as fundamentalism against secular government. In several countries in Europe, meanwhile, the adherence to the hijab has led to political controversies and proposals for a legal ban. Laws have been passed in France and Belgium to ban face-covering clothing, popularly described as the "burqa ban", although it does not only apply to the hijab. Other countries are debating similar legislation, or have more limited prohibitions. Some of them apply only to face-covering clothing such as the burqa, boushiya, or niqāb, while other legislation pertains to any clothing with an Islamic religious symbolism such as the khimar. Some countries already have laws banning the wearing of masks in public, which can be applied to veils that conceal the face. The issue has different names in different countries, and "the veil" or hijab may be used as general terms for the debate, representing more than just the veil itself, or the concept of modesty embodied in hijab. Since 2005, France has banned overt religious symbols, including many religious headcoverings, in public schools and government buildings. Although Muslims are present throughout Europe and have been established for many centuries, most Muslims in Western Europe are members of immigrant communities. The issue of Islamic dress, as such, is linked with issues of immigration and the position of Islam in Western Europe. Contrary to its modern usage, however, the term hijab as used in the Quran can also be interpreted as denoting a partition or a curtain rather than the Islamic rules of modesty. This is the usage in the verses of the Qur'an, in which the term hijab sometimes refers to a curtain separating visitors to Muhammad's main house from his wives' residential lodgings. Legal restrictions on the burqa and niqab, variations of Islamic female clothing which cover the face, are more widespread than restrictions on hijab. There are currently 16 states that have banned the burqa (not to be confused with the hijab), including Tunisia, Austria, Denmark, France, Belgium, Tajikistan, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Netherlands, China (in Xinjiang Region), Morocco, Sri Lanka and Switzerland.