Generally used to describe the scarf many women who are Muslims use to cover their head, but it can also refer to the modest dress, in general, that women wear because of the Quran’s instruction on modesty. Shiites are more likely to wear hijabs than Sunni Muslims, but women decide whether to wear one based on the dictates of their mosque, community and conscience.
[According to 100 Questions & Answers About Arab Americans, this practice of veiling varies by region and class. While some say that it denigrates women, many women who dress this way say it liberates them. In fact, some say it is more oppressive to be expected to dress in revealing ways. Some governments have, at times, banned veiling and at other times required it. In American families, a mother, a daughter or a sister might decide to cover her head while the other does not. Most Arab Americans dress like other Americans.]
REFERENCE: Religion Stylebook
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