Taslima Nasrin's column

 

The practice of veiling women is often presented as an eternal religious law, but history tells a different story. The practice of veiling existed in ancient Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, and Rome long before Islam. It was never a matter of spirituality. It was a sign of class, ownership, and patriarchy. Noble women were forced to veil to protect the ‘honor’ of men, while slaves and prostitutes were forbidden to veil. From the beginning, veiling was a system of control over women’s bodies and visibility.

Islam did not invent this system. In seventh-century Arabia, women participated openly in social, economic, and public life. The Quran speaks of modesty, not of covering the face. The Quran tells women to cover their breasts and to dress in a way that would allow them to be recognized and not be harassed. The Quran does not command covering the hair, and it does not command covering the face.

The niqab emerged later, through the interpretation of male jurists and under the influence of Persian and Byzantine culture. It was never universal, not practiced by all Muslim women, and never mandated by scripture. The burqa goes a step further. It has its roots in the tribal cultures of Central Asia, which have been reinforced by political regimes—most notoriously by the Taliban. The burqa has no religious basis; it is a tool of social confinement disguised as religion.

Over time, religious authority has become institutionalized and male-controlled. What was once a cultural custom has become a rigid doctrine. Clothing has become a test of obedience, and women’s bodies have become a battleground for honor, power, and control. In the modern era, the veil has become a weapon—imposed by the state, defended by religious leaders, and used in identity politics. The rhetoric of “choice” often masks deeper social pressures.

Historically and logically, the hijab, niqab, and burqa are not divinely ordained. These are the results of patriarchy, power, and fear of women's freedom. Questioning them is not an attack on faith; it is a stand against a system that turns women into symbols rather than people.