Knowra Burqa Burqa A loose outer garment worn by some Muslim women that covers the body and, in some forms, the face. Styles and practices vary across regions and communities.
Niqab : A face veil that leaves the eyes visible, usually worn with clothing that covers the hair and body. Unlike many burqas, a niqab does not cover the eyes with a mesh screen.
Afghanistan : A landlocked country in Central and South Asia with diverse ethnic groups and a long history of political change. The full-body garment commonly called a burqa is strongly associated with Afghanistan.
Religious freedom : The right to hold, change, and manifest religious beliefs, individually or with others. Burqa restrictions are often challenged as limits on religious manifestation.
French face-covering ban : A 2010 French law prohibiting face concealment in public, with limited exceptions. The law applies to face-covering forms of the burqa and niqab.
Hijab : A head covering worn by many Muslim women, also denoting broader practices of modesty in Islam. It covers the hair but generally leaves the face and body uncovered.
Pashtun people : An Iranian-speaking ethnic group concentrated in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with diverse social traditions. The garment has historical associations with some Pashtun communities, not all Muslim women.
Secularism : A principle separating religious institutions or authority from the state, interpreted differently across societies. Some governments invoke secularism to justify restrictions on face coverings.
S.A.S. v. France : A 2014 European Court of Human Rights judgment upholding France's public face-covering ban. The case directly addressed whether a general ban could restrict wearing the full veil.
Chador : A semicircular outer cloak worn by some women, especially in Iran, that covers the head and body but leaves the face visible. It provides a regional comparison: the chador leaves the face uncovered.
Chadari : A full-body covering worn by some women in Afghanistan, often with a mesh panel over the eyes. Chadari is a regional name for the garment often called a burqa in English.
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