Afghan woman wearing "Afghan burqa"

Two different items of traditional Muslim women's clothing are known as a burqa, (sometimes misspelled as burka or burqua).

One is a kind of veil which is tied on the head, over a headscarf, and covers the face except for a slit at the eyes for the woman to see through.

The other, which is also called a full burqa or an Afghan burqa and occasionally called a chador (چادر), is a garment which covers the entire body and face. The eyes are covered with a 'net curtain' allowing the woman to see but preventing other people from seeing her eyes.

Both kinds of burqa are used by some Muslim women (as an interpretation of the hijab dress code) and the full burqa was compulsory under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

An attempt by students in The Netherlands to wear the burqa in schools was forbidden because the school educates for professions where non-verbal communication (sometimes through facial expression) is required.

A court in New Zealand ruled that women giving evidence must remove the burqa, but they will be screened so that they can't be seen by the general public, a compromise that was supported by the Islamic Women's Council.

Related articles

• Hijab
• Muslim religious dress
• Life under Taliban rule
• List of religious headgear
• Veil
• Purdah

References

• TVNZ article on burqas in court