Iraqi Women:
Looking Beyond the Veil - Photo Essay
Photos by Jamal Penjweny, September 2008.
(ICR No. 288, 22-Apr-08)
Najaf: Some Muslim women
cover their faces
entirely with a niqab.
Abayas are floor-length cloaks
worn by some Muslim women as a sign of modesty and a statement of religious
faith. The garment of choice in many parts of Iraq and throughout the Gulf,
abayas help shield women from unwanted attention and protect them from the
elements.
In Iraq, most abayas are black
cloaks, also known as chadors. They are most popular with Iraqi Shias and
older women, but can also been seen on young women, and as far north as
Iraqi Kurdistan.
Iraqis say that more women are
wearing abayas and conservative clothing in post-Saddam Iraq, particularly
as religious parties gain ground.
Men are taught to respect women
who wear abayas, with many refusing to even glance at a cloaked woman.
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