abaya

(Newser) - First France banned headscarves in its public schools, then full face veils. Now, the abaya, a long, baggy robe worn by practicing Muslim girls and women in the name of modesty, joins the list of banned attire in the nation's classrooms. Reuters reports that new Education Minister Gabriel Attal...

(Newser) - Head-to-toe Muslim veils like burkas and abayas make exercise difficult. But an even bigger obstacle is nations that see exercise for women as immodest and even illegal. Physical activity is forbidden in Saudi Arabia’s state-run girls’ schools, notes the New York Times . But debate over the issue has been...

(Newser) - A suffocating Islamic abaya at first triggered tears of "rage and shame" from Londoner Nesrine Malik, humiliated by the oppressively "cumbersome" and "sexist" garb she was ordered by her parents to wear in Saudi Arabia. But the face-covering clothing has since become a "comfort and delight,...