Normal Hijab or "Purdah" is essentially covering the exposed parts of a woman in a decent way. Arab, Persian, East and West European, Pakistani, Indian, South-Asian, African women belonging to Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and other faiths used to cover their heads with scarf as a custom/ tradition and also to save themselves from wind, heat, cold etc. The males would also wear turbans for reasons like tribe mark, caste mark, ornamental use, to protect against desert storm, heat etc.

Industrial revolution, emancipation of women changed the situations for most of the women. Hijab has been marked as a sign of domination of the males, traditional religious leaders.

We hardly noticed the kind of Hijab/ Purdah as we notice these days in pre- 1971days. People were definitely not less religious in those days. The kind of abnormal 'Hijab' as many Muslim ladies are forced to use is quite baffling. It locks and subjugates their minds, visions and makes them subservient to the fundamentalist 'Wahabi 'school of thoughts. They keep on sending wrong signals. They should realise that women always have the liberty to wear normal and decent clothes.