The Difference Between a Burqa and a Niqab and Why It’s Important
Fascinating piece — worthy of a read to merely understand the difference between a burqa (top) and a niqab (bottom) and the origin of the ‘faceless Muslim woman.’
So why all the fuss, on both sides of this question, about a tiny minority of women who wear odd-looking dress in a country (France) that is the world’s creative headquarters for odd-looking fashion? One explanation is cultural. In French culture, the eyes are supposed to meet in public, to invite a conversation or just to exchange a visual greeting with a stranger. Among Muslims, the eyes of men and women are not supposed to meet, even by chance, and especially not in public or between strangers.
Read the entire article, “The French, the Veil and the Look.” And by the way, France is not welcoming the burqa.
Posted by: Laurel Delaney
Tag:burqa, France, Laurel Delaney, Muslim women, niqab, NYTimes.com, the veil