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Gallery|Arts and Culture

In Pictures: Beyond the burqa

For many the burqa is symbol of women’s oppression while others call it assertion of religious or cultural identity.

"The goodness of people rests in their deeds. Wearing a burqa is a personal choice. Do I come and question what you wear? "
By Shuchi Kapoor
Published On 17 Sep 201417 Sep 2014
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What should Muslim women wear? There are sharply divided opinions on this question.

Is burqa/hijab a symbol of women’s oppression or an assertion of religious or cultural identity?

Officially, the Quran states no compulsion for Muslim women to cover their faces with a veil, but advocates that both men and women behave and dress modestly in public.

And yet the burqa, an all-covering traditional garment, worn by some Muslim women takes precedence as a system of protection in their lives. According to them, men are the singular biggest threat to a woman. Commonly perceived by the Western or non-Muslim cultures as an imposed confinement that reduces a woman to a non-person, the burqa is but a second skin for the women followers of Islam.

It is often questioned as to who these women are beyond their outer garbs. This photo essay from India, with the theme “Beyond the burqa” is an attempt to prod into their personal space and discover the meaning and role of the burqa/hijab (headscarf) in their lives. Were there dreams beyond these definitions? Or was it just blind faith?

During interviews with women, it emerged that the indoctrination of the burqa/hijab starts as early as the young age of five, as a tradition followed down the generations. Many little school girls were eager to start wearing the hijab as a sign of being grown up. They wanted to look like their mothers. There was no question of feeling suffocated as it was to be worn for their own good. Some of the “moderates” as they are called, felt more secured and protected when they wore the hijab/burqa as it eliminated them from the negative gaze of men.

Hayâ (meaning modesty) is something strongly advocated by the Quran and maintained by one and all in the Muslim culture.

Alternatively, the hijab and burqa designing is finding its own niche in the Muslim fashion circles in India. The fine lines between religion and culture are easily blurred and religious diktats often become a way of life. The burqa is an outcome of such interpretations.

Education and financial independence are great enablers for many young Muslim women, who are increasingly joining jobs while still wearing the hijab. To be restricted by traditions or to be free with them is a line that the Muslim woman, like any other, needs to draw for herself.

"I am a pilot, unheard of amongst Muslims and I may not be able to wear a burqa on my uniform but I make sure I wear the hijab. Is that limiting me in any way? I am able to fly a plane – can you?"
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"I am in class III and I have both Muslim and non-Muslim friends in this school."
"Wearing the hijab makes us feel more free as we feel it commands a sign of respect. Our parents have brought us up liberally and which is why we value our traditions and religion not because of blind faith but because it advocates goodness. And we are taught to realise that difference."
"This girls(***) home is our home. We have many friends here. We read the namaaz five times a day because that is what good girls are supposed to do."
"I design clothes and make my own outfits. We all follow some traditions and it depends on how we mould them into our lives. Do you like the way this outfit is styled? Doesn(***)t the hijab actually make it more interesting? There is no limit to what you can achieve in any given circumstance. "
"I am the warden of this girls(***) orphanage and girls(***) home. Many poor parents leave their daughters here so that they can study for free and also get taken care of until they finish schooling."
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"I have come for the iftaar (breaking of the fast during ramadan) with my parents and cousins. It is very difficult to stay hungry and thirsty all throughout the day, but that is what grown ups do. I feel good and proud of myself."
"Am interning at this school as a teacher and I teach English to class XI. I will be going abroad to study journalism. It is important to have a voice."
"My mother makes these fancy hijabs (headscarves) for us. I like wearing them because they are so stylish."
"We have the latest trends in burqas as well as hijabs (headscarves)."
"Confinement is a state of mind. Two of us work with a school for the disabled. There are many lessons to learn from one(***)s circumstances and how to get ahead of yourselves."
"I am a shy person by nature. It doesn(***)t mean I don(***)t have a point of view. People generally misunderstand religion for culture. These are differences you understand when you are educated and have the right value systems at home. Am studying to be an architect."


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