• Home
• About

10 Advantages Of Wearing A Burka

While Burkas have received much negative press in western media, they actually confer a number of positive advantages for those who wear them.

In the non-Muslim world, the term Burka is used to refer to the full body outfit that covers the wearer from head to toe, only leaving the eyes and hands exposed. However, when Muslims use the term, they are generally referring to the part that covers the hair in replacement of the headscarf.

In this article, I shall use the non-Muslim definition of burka, as the main aim of this article is to help promote more positive attitudes towards burka wearers.

The Advantages of Burkas

1. Wearing a burka can command more seriousness, respect and authority. My friend’s wife always wears one when attending important meetings, such as parents’ evenings or when meeting her landlord. In their culture, wearing a burka in a meeting will gain better results and more respect, than donning normal western dress. I guess similar to the way male city workers all have to wear suit and ties, even though ties have been show to hinder blood flow to the brain.
2. Historically, the burka style of dress originated in desert tribes, where it functioned as a sand mask. Also, the style of dress was worn by both men and women, making them hard to tell apart. This was useful during tribal raids, as it made it harder for raiders to take women of child bearing age. While raids are not really a part of modern life, wearing a mask is useful in many situations. Many people dislike the smell of the London Underground, so a burka could help mask the smell from their delicate nostrils. In a similar way, a burka could help mask the smell of unhygienic fellow passengers.
3. Non muslims can wear burkas to experience a different culture. A white Finnish reporter decided to done a full black abaya dress complete with veil, in order to experience a day in the life of a burka wearer. She received a lot more respect from Muslims, with many strangers greeting her in the street. It also helped her to feel more at peace, and the cosmetologists and hair stylists who usually harassed her with sales pitches ignored her.
4. Burka’s are very easy to don, and are often worn as an alternative to the headscarf (hijab). Therefore, Muslim ladies will sometimes wear them when they are in a rush.
5. Burka wearers in warmer climates can drive cars with the windows down. Some even wear them while driving convertibles.
6. There is no need to worry about bad hair days, and Burka wearers can therefore go out when it’s windy without worrying about getting hair in their face.
7. Insects, dirt, leaves, sand etc… do not get blown into the wearers’ hair. This is of obvious benefit to those living in windy hot places. And of even greater benefit to fathers who do not wish to spend too much time washing their children.
8. Young girls can run around in them and still look smart, without needing to adjust their hair bands every five minutes. This is also an advantage for parents, who do not wish their unruly children to bring disrepute upon the family through their messiness. I remember that as a child my mother used to say that I represented the Patel family when I left the house, and that if I looked untidy then it would reflect badly upon her as a mother.
9. I have been told that young girls with cute faces prefer to wear them, as it means adults won’t pinch their cheeks or ruffle their hair in a playful manner.
10. A Muslim friend runs a farm and factory, and is therefore exposed to a lot of dangerous machinery such as fans and motors. His daughters have long hair, and when he has to take them to his farm, he insists that they wear burkas as it prevents their hair from being caught in machinery.

Concluding Words

I have now shown you some reasons why women might choose to wear a Burka. With the reasons coming from the viewpoints of professional women, busy women, children and even concerned parents.

For more insights into the wonderful world of Islam, read Five Inspiring Facets of Islam on the Agama Islam section of this site.

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.

Copyright Cheapskate Mate | Theme by DailyBlogTips