09. Raincoats and Modesty.

It was still pretty hot, in the 90+ Fahrenheit range, when we arrived in Istanbul in early August. Even in the heat of summer, I was fully expecting the more devout Muslim women to be wearing headscarves of some sort. (Although, truth is that we see a higher percentage of women who don't cover their heads at all.) What was surprising, especially in the noted hot weather, was how many women were wearing what looked to me like very lightweight, full-length raincoats. This deserved some investigating.

They're called jilbāb or jilbaab. These long or loose-fitted coats / garments, which are fashionably styled more often than not by the way, are believed to fulfill the Quranic demand for a hijab. I discovered that jilbāb is also known as jubbah or manteau—which is the French word for coat or mantle.

     hi·jab  [hih-jahb, -jab]
     noun
     1. a traditional scarf worn by Muslim women 

        to cover the hair and neck and sometimes
        the face.
     2. the traditional dress code of Muslim women, 

        calling for the covering of the entire body 

        except the face, hands, and feet: to observe 

        the hijab.

Okay. Mystery solved on the raincoats. Now, here are some basics I nicked straight from the BBC on headscarves -->

Potent Symbol

The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. These scarves, regarded by many Muslims as a symbol of both religion and womanhood, come in a myriad of styles and colours. The type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear.

Conservative Choice 

The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf. 

The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through. 

There have been attempts to ban both the niqab and burka in some European countries.

Popular Styles 

The al-amira is a two-piece veil. It consists of a close fitting cap, usually made from cotton or polyester, and an accompanying tube-like scarf.

The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf popular in the Gulf region. It is wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders. 

Covering Up 

The khimar is a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear.

The chador, worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath. 

I read several articles and interviews about how the Quran teaches modesty through actions and dress code, and also how women who wear the hijab feel about the tradition. I especially liked the thoughts of a former Catholic woman who converted to Islam who said that since she used to wear a veil to go to church, her hijab made her feel as though she was in church every day—that the church was within her and around her. She went on to say that wearing her hijab makes her feel humbled, empowered, respected, loved, looked up to—that people concentrate on her and not on how she looks. Based on those sentiments, I would score Modesty 1 : Intolerance 0. xx