Making sense of hijāb and niqāb in contemporary Western societies

Ḥijāb, an Islamic ethico-religious and socio-cultural symbol, is increasingly becoming visible in the Western public arena giving rise to a debate over its compatibility with dominant Western culture and values. Placing it in an argumentative genre, the paper highlights the sociological, religious a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Solihu, Abdul Kabir Hussain
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IIUM Press 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/4601/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/4601/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/4601/1/Hijab.pdf
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Summary:Ḥijāb, an Islamic ethico-religious and socio-cultural symbol, is increasingly becoming visible in the Western public arena giving rise to a debate over its compatibility with dominant Western culture and values. Placing it in an argumentative genre, the paper highlights the sociological, religious and cultural rationales for the increasing visibility of the Islamic dress code among young Muslim women. It provides a discursive framework based on a cultural sociology through which ḥijāb and niqāb could be accepted.