Islamic veiling practices by country

Various styles of head coverings, most notably the khimar, hijab, chador, niqab, paranja, yashmak, tudong, shayla, safseri, carşaf, haik, dupatta, boshiya and burqa, are worn by Muslim women around the world, where the practice varies from mandatory to optional or restricted in different majority Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

Wearing the hijab is mandatory in conservative countries like Iran and Afghanistan.^[1] In Gaza, State of Palestine, school officials have also voted to require young girls to wear hijab,^[2] though the Palestinian Authority (in 1990) considered the hijab optional.^[3]

In some Muslim majority countries (like Morocco and Tunisia)^[4] there have been complaints of restriction or discrimination against women who wear the hijab, which can be seen as a sign of Islamism.^[5][6] Several Muslim-majority countries have banned the burqa and hijab in public schools and universities or government buildings, including Tunisia (since 1981,^[7] partially lifted in 2011), Turkey (gradually and partially lifted),^[8][9] Kosovo (since 2009),^[10] Azerbaijan (since 2010^[11]), Kazakhstan, and ^[12] Kyrgyzstan.^[13] Muslim-majority Tajikistan banned the hijab completely on 20 June 2024.^[14]

In several countries in Europe, the wearing of hijabs has led to political controversies and proposals for a legal ban. Laws have been passed in France and Belgium to ban face-covering clothing, popularly described as the "burqa ban", although applies not merely to the Afghani burqa, but to all face coverings ranging from the niqab to bodysuits, and does not apply to hijab which do not conceal the face.

Legal restrictions on the burqa and niqab, variations of Islamic female clothing which cover the face, are more widespread than restrictions on hijab. There are currently 16 states that have banned the burqa (not to be confused with the hijab), including Tunisia,^[15] Austria, Denmark, France, Belgium,^[16] Tajikistan, Bulgaria,^[17] Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Netherlands,^[18] China (in Xinjiang Region),^[19] Morocco, Sri Lanka^[20] and Switzerland. Similar legislation or more stringent restrictions are being discussed in other nations. Some of them apply only to face-covering clothing such as the burqa, boushiya, or niqāb, while other legislation pertains to any clothing with an Islamic religious symbolism such as the khimar. Some countries already have laws banning the wearing of masks in public, which can be applied to veils that conceal the face. The issue has different names in different countries, and "the veil" or hijab may be used as general terms for the debate, representing more than just the veil itself, or the concept of modesty embodied in hijab.