It is not a hat, it is not " a shaped covering for the head "
If it's going to be described accurately then it is a scarf, a length or square of fabric, worn to cover the hair and neck
The significance or lack of significance of the wearing of the scarf is very much decided by the motivation of the lady who wears it: for warmth, as a fashion item, as part of a uniform, to observe a dress code, as an articulation of their faith and identity, as a political statement.
Incorrectly describing it as a hat does not add anything to the debate, it's not a ko to all of those who view it differently.
More importantly is it unhelpful and insulting to suggest that Muslim women such as those quoted on here are mistaken or wrong to consider the symbolic nature of this scarf.
It suggests that the ladies don't know what they are talking about.
Ultimately the whole point is undermined by the confusing of a hat with a scarf, which no woman would do, ever 🙂
"The debate about the veil is not about religious freedom. It is about civil liberty proscribed by practicality – a liberty that entails that no woman should be told what to wear, except where this choice actually infringes on someone else’s rights."
