Originally Posted by
World's End Stella
In the Arab world generally, I think head coverings are driven by historical/cultural reasons more than religious ones. Does it have nothing to do with Islam? No, I'm sure there is some relationship. But it isn't explicitly required because of Islam, I think.
As an example, if you have ever seen a traditional Arabic family in Dubai you will notice that the men are almost as covered as the women. Most Arabic women show only their faces in black robes, whereas the men wear white robes with a head dress that covers almost as much of the head as the women's does. The robes I expect have something to do with it being 50C in summer, Islam less so.