A significant part of the Muslim culture is about dressing. The head covering remains a main component of the Muslim women’s dressing.
It also has been in the news for the various bans and backlash it faces by extremists and anti-Muslim attitudes.
It varies from culture to culture and has several different names.
Hijab: is a derivation of the Arabic word for veil or covering. Hijab when worn by women in the West, is usually in the shape of a square and comes in various colours.
Tudong: is an Indonesian version worn by Indonesian and Malaysian women. It is a one piece scarf in which the panels carry decorations in different colours.
Dupatta: A Muslim woman in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh are usually found wearing a dupatta. It is light in material and texture and is a two meter long piece of cloth.
Shayla is a long, rectangular scarf, mostly in black colour, worn by women in the Persian Gulf region. It covers the head and is pinned on the shoulders.
Khimar: A veil that covers head, neck and shoulders and falls till the waist, leaving the face uncovered. It is worn in different colours and styles.
Doa Gaun: meaning ‘dress for praying’, consists of an intricately designed gown and headwear that are easy to slip on atop other clothes. The dress is commonly worn in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Chador: is a full body cloak that Iranian women wear outside of their homes. It doesn’t have any buttons or clasps to hold it together so it is worn crossed.
Niqab is a veil worn with headscarf and covers the face and neck. It leaves the eye area open.
Burqa covers the entire face and leaves a mesh screen to see from. Its region of origin is the Arab countries- Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and UAE.
Jilbab/Abaya: are long, loose cloaks worn by Muslim women to cover the shape of their body. It is usually worn with a combination of hijab or niqab.