Libya – Women & The Veil

The BBC’s Rana
Jawad in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, explores the moral and religious
dilemmas women are facing over wearing a veil.

It is a typical day for Najat Tarhouni; she’s come back from work and
her friend drops by for a chat.

Najat normally wears a veil in public but prefers not to when standing
outside her building as she flaunts her thick, long hair.

Her friend compliments the healthy shine and a discussion ensues about
where and when to wear the veil.

Most young girls my age wear the veil in a trendy way Jihan

The veil has experienced a popular comeback in recent years among North
African women.

Najat wore the veil a few years ago because her teenage daughter
suddenly decided to cover up. She has since been caught in a moral and
religious battle with herself.

There is a general consensus that wearing the headscarf is a religious
duty in Islam but there are also other factors dictating whether a Muslim
woman covers up.

“My husband is open-minded and we sometimes travel on holiday, so I was
thinking the next time we do that, what if I feel like going to a
nightclub with him? I can’t do that with a veil – I’m seriously thinking
of removing it permanently – I feel so restricted with it.”

Following fashion

Her friend Afaf wears her veil Tuareg-style, tightly wrapped around the
forehead and cascading below the neck as she reflects on a bit of history.

Find out about different styles of Muslim headscarf In graphics

“I think the beginning of the hijab trend which appeared in the 1980s
in Libya was mainly due to economic reasons like things becoming more
expensive and low state wages.”

“Women needed a sizeable budget for their fashion needs, so their
solution was to wear the veil and cover up with a simple cloak to escape
from the economic strangulation.”

That was then, this is now and today Libyan women and girls are
covering up for different reasons and in different ways.

Hala, a housewife, says that given the choice she would not cover up at
all.

“If you don’t wear it here, people look at you as if you’re doing
something horribly wrong – this is the only way you’ll fit in this society
– to feel that you belong.”

Disagreement

My next street encounter is with a young Libyan, Hala al-Mgadmi, who
wears the niqab, with her entire face covered in a black veil.

Women needed a sizeable budget for their fashion needs, so their solution was to wear the veil and cover up Afaf

“I did not choose to wear the veil this way, this is how Allah and
Islam requires you to wear it. Seduction is in the face,” she says.

“Those who reveal their faces are not really veiled although there’s
disagreement amongst intellectuals about that. Some say it’s ok to show
your face and hands but most agree it’s not.”

When asked if wearing the niqab posed any social restrictions in her
life she said:

“In a way, yes it poses a lot of restrictions because this way of
covering up is generally not acceptable here.”

A little-known fact about Libya is that teachers are not allowed to
teach with their entire faces covered.

It is not a Libyan law that imposes that restriction, but rather an
undeclared one that the educational community agrees on.

And while schools here carry lessons in Islam, teachers are not allowed
to preach and influence their students on how to implement it.

Personal choice

Jihan demonstrates her faith with a fashionable edge. She wears tight
blue jeans, a grey shirt under a tight pink vest, an olive-green veil with
sequins and matching accessories to go with it.

Some might argue this defeats the purpose of the hijab, but Jihan
disagrees.

“I don’t think it’s a contradiction. I respect girls who wear the cloak
but it’s a personal conviction. I like fashion and I don’t feel that
looking attractive, and wearing the veil interferes with Islam. Most young
girls my age wear the veil in a trendy way.”