Hijab and Comparative Religions; A Critical Study within the Context of War against Terrorism

Abstract

In between the debates against the hijab, this study presents the concept of hijab or veil in various religions; and tries to highlight this universal practice. As Western societies along with India have suffered from hijabophobia, this study exhibits the duality of Austrian, Belgian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, French, Latvian and British governments criticizing or banning the hijab, they never discuss veil culture in Christians and Jews. However, a debate on hijab within the context of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen, and their reactions against western countries urge Muslim scholars to describe the religious solution of how to protect hijab culture from propaganda and what can be the possible solution of practicing this religiously universal norm.