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Hijab, Khimar, Niqab, Burqa
The Oxford English Dictionary gives no definition for these terms.
These are different forms of head coverings or veils.
Term Variants: Burka, Burqa, Hegab, hijaab, nikab
How this term should be used
There is no preference for whether “hijab” or headscarf is used – both have become well understood in ordinary speech. Whilst it would be accurate to highlight that most scholars consider the hijab to be religiously mandated, it would be inaccurate to say that all Muslim women wear the hijab.
The burqa (preferred in spelling to “burka”) must not be confused either with the niqab, which is a face-veil that leaves the eyes uncovered, or the hijab, a garment which covers the hair, neck and part of the bosom but does not cover the face.
It is also inadvisable for journalists to refer to the burqa or niqab as mandatory in Islam, or to imply that covering the face is more “complete” in Islam. See the examples of use below for further clarification.
Hijab: Refers to a covering of the hair, or the headscarf. The term hijab however can refer to any barrier or curtain, and can also be used to refer to the Islamic concepts of modesty, i.e. the barrier between the public and private domains. Most scholars would consider the headscarf mandatory for women, although a small minority consider modest dress to be sufficient. Statistics do not exist on how many Muslim women wear the hijab. In the UK, (at least) a large minority do not wear the hijab.
Khimar: A rarer term but referring to a covering worn over the head, neck and bosom, but leaving the face uncovered. The word khimar appears in the Qur’an in the chapter an-Nur (the Light) 24:31.
Burqa: A long garment that covers the wearer from head to toe, including a mesh screen over the face. It is worn in public places by Muslim women of certain cultures, especially in Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, and a minority of scholars consider it to be obligatory.
Niqab: A veil worn by some Muslim women which covers all of the face except for the eyes. Some niqabs have an optional sheer layer that can be used over the eyes as well, and a minority of scholars consider it to be obligatory, and others consider it to be recommended.
Example 1:
Capital of China’s Xinjiang to ban burqas in public: report (14 December 2011)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2869905/Capital-Chinas-Xinjiang-ban-burqas-public-report.html
Excerpt:
The ban only applies to the full Islamic veil, the burqa, which covers the face and eyes, and not the hijab, which covers the hair and neck.
Here, the writer uses burqa when what she really means is niqab. Her description of the hijab, however, is accurate.
Example 2:
Muslim director of children’s summer program said she and her kids … (18 July 2014)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5954847/Muslim-director-childrens-summer-program-booted-public-pool.html
Excerpt:
Ismaa’eel, who adorns a burqa or niqab (a religious garment that covers both the head and face), said that she was finally forced to leave after the manager called a police officer stationed just outside the pool area.
This sentence is confusing for a number of reasons. By using the word “or” the writer initially seems to draw a distinction between the burqa and the niqab, but then does not spell out this distinction for the reader. In a parenthetical clause, the niqab is described as “a religious garment that covers both the head and face” but the burqa is not described at all. Because of the close proximity of the words, ‘burqa’ and ‘niqab’, and the fact that only the second of these is defined, some readers might think that the two are one and the same.
Example 3:
Saudi Arabia: Hwaga pop video asking God to get rid of men goes … (17 January 2004)
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pop-video-featuring-veiled-women-asking-god-get-rid-men-goes-viral-saudi-arabia-1599357
The female singers featured in the video are all dressed in the full Islamic face veil, such as the Burqa and Niqab, in line with the protocol of the country. The lyrics of the song however play a different tune, mocking the restrictions placed on women.
In this piece from the International Business Times, the writer makes a number of misguided linguistic choices. By referring to the “Burqa and Niqab” as the “full Islamic face veil,” she,
- Attributes to the Niqab and Burka, a religious authority which is far from settled.
- Leads the reader to think that the Burqa is just a face-veil, when in fact, it is meant to cover the whole body.