Saudi Arabia is among the most important countries of the world. It is the religious center for more than 1.5 Billion Muslims of the world. Saudi Arabia also has high global standing due to its rich oil fields as it is the largest exporter of oil in the world. The country still has monarchy as its system of government and is also known for its highly religious, traditional and conservative culture. However, the discoveries of oil rich reserves in the last century have pretty much transformed Saudi Arabia. A lot of multi-national companies made huge investments in the country since then and its economy has generally seen an upward and positive trend. In contrast to other Arab countries, the culture of Saudi Arabia still remains very …show more content…
Common dress of Saudi Arabia includes Thawb (or Thobe) for men and Abaya for women, respectively. Thawb is an Arabic word, which means “Garment.” It is the traditional Arab dress worn by all conservative Saudi men, without the barriers of social status, financial status or job. Thobe is a long button-less shirt with full sleeves and is usually of ankle length or more. It is very lose and similar to robe. Traditionally, its color has only been white or other light colors. Similarly, Abaya is a long black color cloak for women, which covers all of their body except the face and hands. Women can wear any kind of dress under the Abaya, as long as it is modest and according to religious standards. It is also important to mention here that western women were also advised to wear Abaya in Saudi Arabia. However, according to New York Times, lately they are asked to at least cover their hairs in public. The headscarf used to cover the hairs is known as Hijab in the Muslim world. Hijab is considered to be an integral part of modest dressing according to Islamic and Arab culture. The compulsion of Hijab is mentioned clearly in various verses of Quran, the religious book of Muslims (Hameed, Shahul 2009). Hijab is normally the compulsory part of women dress in Saudi Arabia and it is completely observed both, religiously and socially.
Middle-Eastern and North African clothing culture is distinguished from other cultures by the veil, a clothing that provokes many reactions from authors and debates between the Western and Eastern people.
Firstly, gender discrimination is not an exclusive feature of Saudi Arabia, but it is a more outwardly visible problem there. Gender
happy wearing it and defend it. Many women say they want to wear the veil citing modesty, Islamic piety, and pride in family traditions. The abaya should be black, plain, and loose. If a woman does not wear her proper abaya
In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is the largest arid country (Al-Ibrahim, 1991). The country covers some 80 percent of the Arabian Peninsula (Al-Hamzi, 1992). The area of Saudi Arabia is 2.25 million square kilometers, equivalent (1.4) million square miles (Batayneh, 2012). The total number population in Saudi Arabia is 25.7 million (Al-Shayaa et al., 2012). Saudi Arabia climate is broiling in the summer and chilly in the winter, and Saudi Arabia does not have well-defined season. In addition, Saudi Arabia is waterless country, and it does not have rivers or lakes (Al-Shayaa et al., 2012).
Within the Middle East, the largest population of the men and women are Muslim. The Muslim religion suggests that the women wear a veil or hijab, which is a headscarf that only exposes a woman’s eyes, accompanied by a burqa which is a full body cloak. The sole purpose of the clothing is to cover a woman’s feminine features from men’s eyes. The Qur’an, an Islamic scripture supports, and slightly obligates the uniform by saying that women are to be conservative, “Let them wear their head covering over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments.” (Qur’an). Muslim women, instead of feeling oppressed, view this as a positive aspect in their lives, influenced by their devotion to Allah. Their acceptance could be influenced by their
The hijab and niqab are headscarves that are worn by Muslim women. The hijab is a veil covering worn by Muslim women to cover themselves within the public and it is to represent their faith the Islam while being modest (Litchmore, 2016). Another popular article of clothing that is in the Muslim community is the niqab which is like the hijab except the woman would cover their face as well, with the same purpose as the hijab. According to the Survey of Muslims in Canada 2016, over half of the Muslim population choose to wear some sort of headscarf. There are many reasons why Muslim women choose to wear the hijab or niqab, such as it represents their devotion to Islam. But most importantly it is a symbol of modesty for these women and is part of their identity.
A veil is a piece of sheer material worn by women to conceal their faces, that very piece of material symbolizes sacredness. In traditional Christian religion the veil is worn by the bride in white on her wedding day as she approaches her groom at the alter. He uncovers her face at the end of the ceremony and they kiss. Once that tradition is done the bride and the groom live their lives together without her ever having to wear the veil again. However, In the Muslim religion predominantly in Saudi Arabia the veil is also considered sacred, but used for different purposes. For the women of Saudi Arabia wearing the veil is part of their everyday life. In fact it is forbidden for them not to wear it, their veil is worn routinely. The women of Saudi should know that living behind the veil is a form of abuse toward them. A life in front of the veil is more enjoyable and liberating. Just because they walk in the street without their veil does not make them promiscuous nor should they be punished for it.
There is also a great deal of conflict found in Americans’ misunderstanding and ignorance of issues regarding women’s rights and gender equality within the religion and practices of Islam. In the context of American society, the traditional wear of Muslim women is often misinterpreted and misunderstood. The hijab, which is used to veil the heads of Muslim women, rarely goes unnoticed in the eyes of most Americans. Non-Muslims frequently associate this piece of traditional Islamic attire with ideas of subordination and oppression, while disregarding the religious, cultural, and personal motivations that influence a woman’s decision to wear such an article of clothing. While many American women might view Islamic dress code as being confining and restrictive, many Muslim women feel that their clothing actually frees them from the negative attention that can stem from one’s physical attire and appearance. Wearing hijab liberates women from “the constricting mores governing appearance such as fashion trends and the societal expectations of how a woman should look.” The modest covering of the hair and body allows a woman to walk freely in public without being subjected to the suggestive glances and flirtations of men.
But before we start to investigate on this question, we need to know what the definition of the Hijab is. So what is the Hijab? The literal meaning of a Hijab means a curtain or veil which is best understood when understanding the idea of modesty. One of the
Within the Middle East, the largest population of the men and women are Muslim. The Muslim religion suggests that women wear a veil or hijab, which is a head scarf that only exposes a woman’s eyes, accompanied by a burqa which is a full body cloak. The sole purpose of the clothing is to cover a woman’s feminine features from men’s eyes. The Qur’an, an Islamic scripture, supports and slightly obligates the uniform by saying that women are to be conservative, “let them wear their head covering over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments.” (Qur’an). It could be inferred that women wear the burqa and veil willingly because of their geographical location. However, when Muslim women are withdrawn from the Middle East, and are placed
In early Islamic society the laws were followed and obeyed when it came to respecting women. In many cases it was found that women earned property and had an influence on the husband’s decision. Veils or hijab as the Muslim’s call it, would be worn proudly by women before and today as a way of reducing lust and preventing temptation. Women were permitted to be warriors, politics, and lead religious sanctions. They also traveled freely and played active roles in trade and economic roles.
The wearing of a hijab or also known as a veil has lately become a problematic issue in numerous locations around the world, in particularly the Western part of the world. Hijab or veil is a headscarf that is regularly worn by Muslim women. Muslim women will wear a veil as a sign of favor to their faith. On the opposite side, others will wear it because they have no other choice from the pressure of their family members and religion. Individuals will even argue that the wearing of a hijab is a spiritual liberation. Other individuals will have a difference in opinion by saying that by wearing a hijab is an unjust to women, they believe that the wearing of a hijab is part of a Muslim system that brings women under command and control.
Hijab – a covering which is worn by women of Islam faith this wrap covers their “head and chest” this is used to shows the woman’s modesty (Hijab)
Among other studies done on young Muslim women who hijab, one women said “"I lived in a co-ed dorm and it was really the first time I had to deal with unwanted attention from guys. I guess that was the first time I really understood why it was necessary to wear a scarf, because as soon as I did, all the idiots left me alone” (Ali, 2005). Another woman’s view was “because I began to realize that what people think is nowhere compared to Allah, and so, how could I blatantly disobey an order because of 'standing out?” (Ali, 2005). It would also surprise many that in some of these women’s cases, their choice to hijab was not only not forced, but also not even supported by family members. Some of these women’s parents had hard times coping with their daughters taking up this wardrobe.
In the heart of the Middle East is a country known by many Westerners for its oil production and, often, extremist beliefs of groups within the country. The country is Saudi Arabia, and though it is thought of by many as a rather backward country, Saudi Arabia has a rich history and culture, and it is a country that revolves around Islam and the worship of Allah as the one true God.