What's in a headscarf?

 
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish women, some Protestant Christian minority communities also cover hair.

 
PARIS - Conservative Muslim women cover their hair in an array of fashions -- French members of parliament are keen to outlaw some of them.

But Muslim women are not alone in concealing their hair -- ultra-Orthodox Jewish women wear headscarves and some Protestant Christian minority communities also exhort their women to cover their hair.

Women in many faiths are also urged to dress 'modesty' or cover parts or all of their body.

The following are some of the major Muslim traditions for female headgear:

HIJAB: A headscarf not a veil that is common and legal in most Arab countries.

BURQA: The full veil worn by conservative Muslims in countries like Afghanistan.

NIQAB: A veil that covers the mouth and nose but not the eyes that is advocated by some in Egypt but does not have the sanction of Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, Cairo's Al-Azhar University.

CHADOR: The full cloak that covers the body and the hair that is traditionally worn in countries like Iran and Afghanistan but is not obligatory.

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