Only 22% Pakistanis say women should dress the way they want

Almost half of respondents in Saudi Arabia said women should ‘dress how they want’

Research has revealed that while several Muslim-majority nations said veils covering the hair were “appropriate” in public, many supported increased freedom of dress.



The University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research found in a survey that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were the only countries in favour of the niqab. But it also showed that despite restrictive laws governing how women must dress in public, almost half of Saudi Arabians believe women should wear what they want.

When asked if they agreed with the statement that it was “up to a woman to dress whichever way she wants”, 56 per cent of Tunisians respondents replied with the affirmative, followed by 52 per cent of Turks and 49 per cent of Lebanese people questioned. Only 22 per cent of Pakistanis agreed with the statement.



Research by YouGov, an international internet-based market research firm, found a huge proportion of the British public against the burqa, with 57 per cent in favour of a ban and just 25 per cent against.

Although the question related specifically to the burqa, which covers the entire face and hair with a mesh panel in front of the eyes, the veil is often confused with the niqab or hijab, which leave part or all of the face uncovered.



The wearing of headscarves and full-face veils has been an increasingly contentious debate in Europe between the forces of secularism and sections of the continent’s Muslim minority. France brought in a ban on full-face veils in 2010, despite claims that the ban was discriminatory and violates freedom of expression and religion. Belgium and some parts of Switzerland have followed France’s lead and similar bans have been considered in other European countries.

This article originally appeared on Independent.