Burqa: Human Right or Human Wrong?

Abstract

Muslim women are often the subject of intense media attention surrounding the wearing of the hijab, burqa and niqab. This is particularly true when there is an increased spotlight on the Islamic community because of perceived threats of terrorist attacks. A lot of the opinions expressed about women wearing these religious garments are based on misconceptions about the requirements of Shari’a law, or international human rights law, or both. This article examines how these different bodies of law view the wearing of all-covering body veils by women and whether dictating that women should, or should not, wear such garments is a breach of Islamic law and/or human rights laws.

Keywords: burqa, Islam, women's rights, human rights, religion, religious freedom, Islam

JEL Classification: k00